New concession stand at Lakeside Multiplex

In December 2021, the Bruins Den announced intention to end the current contract for concession services at the Lakeside Multiplex, with the contract ending at the end of March 2022.

As a result, the new operator of the concession stand will be operated by Phyllis Thorkelson, as chosen by village council. Thorkelson has owned and operated several restaurants along Highway 16, including Burns Lake Pizza since 2019.

The proposed hours of operation will be from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. with additional hours to accommodate events in and around the multiplex. The contract for operation of the concession stand is for two years, with an opt-out clause after the first year that the village can activate if the fit isn’t to their standard.

The name of the new concession stand will be the Lakeside Grill.

Contractor chosen for Centre St. sidewalk project

Granite Excavating Ltd. has been awarded the Center Street sidewalk project contract for up to $686,934.35. In addition, expenses above the initial scope of change budget 0f $750,000 were approved by council, and will be allocated from the Northern Capital Planning Grant funding of $250,000 for the project.

The financial commitments to the project are $500,000 from the Village of Burns Lake, $125,000 from Lake Babine Nation, and up to $250,000 from the Northern Capital Planning Grant. The budget was $750,000, which would have meant that not all of the grant funds would be used. With the updated budget, all of the funds from the grant will need to be allocated.

READ MORE: Village of Burns Lake gets funding from NDIT

Constructing the Center Street sidewalk to First Ave will tie in with the sidewalk completed in 2020 on First Avenue.

Meeting scheduled with Statistics Canada

Village of Burns Lake council have directed village staff to email B.C. Statistics Canada to request a formal review of the 2021 Census population data for the village of Burns Lake,

This comes after potential inaccuracies in the Census report were identified by council, including the fact that according to the report, the 2021 population data for the municipality decreased from 1,779 in 2016 to 1,659 in2021, a 6.7 per cent decrease in population.

READ MORE: Council questions accuracy of Census data

Also in question by council is the numbers on the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN), which indicate that RDBN rural areas saw a 21.3 per cent decrease in the overall population, with a 9.5 per cent decrease in Area B and a 5.1 per cent decrease in Area E.