No sooner had the city announced its participation in a new economic website than it was being asked to take some of the content down.
The website - www.investnorthwestbc.ca - is a joint effort involving local governments and economic development agencies (Northern Sentinel, October 5).
It is intended to help market the region to investors around the world.
But local resident Murray Minchin has taken exception to one item on the site: the Enbridge Northern Gateway project.
In a letter to council Minchin reminded them that they had taken a position of neutrality on the project.
And in keeping with that resolution, mayor Joanne Monaghan had pulled her support of the Northern Gateway Alliance, which supports the project, including her presence on their website.
However, Minchin noted, if you go to the Invest Northwest website, you will find in the Kitimat section of Major Projects and Investment Opportunities a page promoting the Northern Gateway project.
And the name and number of the Kitimat economic development officer given as the contact.
“This is not a neutral position,” Minchin said.
To maintain its neutrality, he asked council to either have the web page promoting Northern Gateway taken down, or pull its financial support for the site “and discontinue any affiliation with the Invest in Northwest BC initiative.”
Council voted to receive and file the request.