Past Regional Work

Here are highlights of some past initiatives in the Northern Interior region.

In October 2021 the North Central Local Government Association, in partnership with FBC, hosted the first regional conference for local elected officials, industry professionals, and stewardship leaders to discuss the challenges and future strategies for managing waste and recycling in the region. The event was a success and a step for collaboration on an important regional issue.

The Fraser Basin Council assumed administrative responsibility for several project trust funds that were previously administered by the Resources North Association (Resources North). Resources North was a BC non-profit society, based in Prince George, that voluntarily wound down its operations in September, 2015. The projects were:

  • the Muskwa-Kechika Advisory Board (for work related to the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, a protected wilderness area)
  • implementation of the provincial Peace Northern Caribou Plan
  • a small streams study in Prince George, and
  • landslide susceptibility mapping and research projects throughout British Columbia.

Independent project committees oversaw the projects to determine use of the funds for completion of scientific research and other project work.

The Nechako Environment and Water Stewardship Society (NEWSS) is a non-profit organization that is building stewardship partnerships with landowners and water stewards across the Nechako River Basin. The NEWSS vision is to improve the health of the watershed, particularly in the agricultural belt. The society is working to build on the success of restoration work that members undertook in the Murray Creek watershed.

The Fraser Basin Council assisted on the Murray Creek project, facilitating First Nations youth participation and employment. FBC also helped NEWSS in its start-up as a non-profit and on education initiatives. The group is active in streambank restoration, environmental stewardship and education, with interest in watershed planning and aquifer mapping. Learn more on the NEWSS website.

The BC Lung Association (BC Lung) and Fraser Basin Council (FBC) worked with community partners in Prince George to help support Canada’s largest ever community-wide indoor radon testing study and public awareness campaign. The study has helped paint a better picture of the radon gas risks in the region, and yielded data relevant to BC health policies and BC building construction standards.

Radon is an odourless, colourless radioactive gas that is a known carcinogen. It is released into the air through a breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil, and can enter homes through foundation cracks and other openings. Exposure to indoor radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in Canada after smoking and is linked to 16% of lung cancer deaths in this country.  People can protect their families by testing for radon in their homes and, if needed, taking steps to reduce radon levels.

The Indoor Radon Study in Prince George

BC Lung and FBC supported the radon study in 2014 by distributing 2,000 home test kits to interested residents in Prince George and the surrounding area. After a three-month testing period, 71.5% of participating households returned the test kits for analysis. Of the homes tested, 29% were found to have levels of indoor radon exceeding Health Canada’s guideline (200 Bq/m3). When radon levels exceed the guideline, mitigation to reduce radon is recommended, typically through a modification to the home’s ventilation system. Homeowners can take comfort in knowing that homes with high radon levels can be fixed and that the cost is typically similar to other minor home repairs.

Assessing Radon Prevention Measures in New Homes

The Indoor Radon Study in Prince George also focused on assessing radon gas levels in new home construction and evaluating different approaches to radon reduction.

FBC staff worked with local home builders from January to June, 2014 to raise awareness of radon gas and to test for radon in new homes constructed under the 2012 BC Building Code. FBC and BC Lung retained Certified Radon Mitigation Providers to evaluate three variants of radon reduction in a total of 16 test homes.

At the time, a roughed in, capped pipe for a subfloor depressurization system was required by the BC Building Code; such an installation was intended to allow for easier installation of a full vent pipe should it be needed, but it did not permit soil gases to leave the building. Passive radon reduction systems (which have a radon pipe installed to vent radon gas from the soil through the building to the outdoors) consistently reduced radon levels; however, in 5 of the 16 test homes, the indoor radon levels remained close to or above the Health Canada recommended level. The best protection was found in the active radon reduction systems, which use a fan to improve radon venting.

In late 2014, the Province of British Columbia instituted new radon mitigation measures in the BC Building Code. The most significant change to the Code was the requirement for a full radon vent pipe to be attached to the rough-in and exhausted to the outdoors. The Code did not require the addition of a fan; however, a homeowner could add a fan to provide further protection when needed. It remains a good practice for all homeowners in areas with high levels of indoor radon to test their homes – and stay safe.

To support the City of Prince George in preparing for climate change impacts, and help others learn from the experience, the Fraser Basin Council prepared a case profile, funded by the BC Regional Adaptation Collaborative program. The City identified 11 major areas of climate change impacts. These centred on:

  • forests and forestry (fires and insect outbreaks)
  • flooding (greater frequency, property damage)
  • transportation infrastructure (freeze-thaw cycles, need for more road maintenance and repairs)
  • severe weather emergency response
  • water supply (shortages)
  • slope stability
  • stormwater management
  • buildings and utilities
  • health
  • agriculture and
  • population growth from migration.

Priorities actions included:

  • designing flood-resilient buildings, and planning development away from flood-prone areas
  • designing roads to be more resilient during freeze-thaw cycles
  • incorporating climate change adaptation into the City’s emergency response strategy.

The City used the information in different aspects of planning, as reflected in its myPG Plan and the Official Community Plan.

In 2013-2014 the Fraser Basin Council developed a framework of watershed indicators to help assess the health of watersheds at a local or regional scale. The framework was to benefit local, regional and First Nations governments, community organizations and provincial and federal agencies in carrying out their responsibilities in BC’s watersheds.The watershed indicators framework identifies key indicators in five theme areas:

  1. Water quality and quantity
  2. Fish and wildlife
  3. Ecosystem
  4. Resource use
  5. Resource conservation

The framework was one component of a three-year watershed project and was piloted in the Nechako Basin to identify indicators and analyze available data and information specific to the region, in collaboration with the then Nechako Watershed Alliance. For recent work in the watershed, see the Nechako Watershed Roundtable.