Top Stories of 2023 Part 2

With 2024 a couple of days away, it’s about that time to look back at some of the stories published on Energeticcity.ca over the past year.

Seeing as Energeticcity.ca wouldn’t be anything without its reporters, we decided to ask the newsroom about their most notable stories of the year.

For part two, we all agreed that the wildfire season had a huge impact on everyone in the Peace region, including Energeticcity.ca. Below you will find comments from reporters Jordan Prentice and Shailynn Foster about the 2023 wildfire coverage.

We are also sharing the top ten stories of 2023. The year in review will be released in two parts on December 28th and 29th.

Reporter Insights

Jordan’s Experience

I spent a lot of time in the field covering wildfires this year and had a few interesting experiences. Although BC Wildfire Service offered us b-roll footage to use in our news videos, it was important to me to get my own.

While I was covering the Stoddart Creek wildfire shortly after it ignited, I drove down a dirt road off of Prespatou Road to get some footage of an area where the fire had already burned and was still smouldering.

This dirt road was not a thru road. I reached the area where the fire was and got out of the car to film. It was an incredibly windy day. As I was filming, a gust of wind blew through the area, and a tree about 20 feet away burst into flames. It was like the fire was screaming, and trees started to fall. The fire activity went from about ten to 100 in an instant. I realized that if a tree fell across the road, I would be trapped. Needless to say, I got out of there very fast.

The experience really showed me how quickly a fire’s behaviour can change and how big of a factor the wind can be in the fire spreading fast. It also showed me the importance of being safe on the job and communicating my whereabouts with the news team.

This perspective gave me even more appreciation for the BC Wildfire Service and the seriousness of drought and wildfires in the Peace region.

Shailynn’s Experience

When we were put on evacuation alert in Fort St. John over the summer, it was my first time, and I panicked. To distract myself, which is one of my coping mechanisms, I chose to start packing my things.

I packed a massive suitcase with a ton of my clothes and started putting bags together with my electronics and things like snacks. I made sure I packed all of my cats’ items as well. I put whatever I could into my car right away.

When I was finished, I remember sitting at my kitchen table, and I broke down. I thought about all the priceless memories and things that I would lose now in my place. 

A friend helped me calm down, and I also put a couple of mementos into my bags. (A wooden parrot from my great grandma and a bird painted onto a piece of wood by my granny in a frame made by my grandpa.)

It wasn’t long before the alert was taken off, and I unpacked everything, but it did make me realize what was most important to me.

Most Read Stories Part 2

Every year, we write a wide variety of stories covering northeast BC. Here are our top stories of 2023 based on how many times they were read. In case you missed it, you can see our other stories in Part 1, which was released on December 28th, 2023.

5. Walmart Closed Indefinitely After Monday Night Fire

4. Tumbler Ridge Evacuees Denied Assistance in Alberta

3. Local Hockey Player Agrees to Terms with Vancouver Canucks

2. Dawson Creek Woman Found Dead in Mexico

1. Our Wildfire Coverage