Cariboo RD will speak to 'New Prosperity' project

In today's Williams Lake Tribune - they report that the Cariboo RD Board, by a majority of the Directors, will seek an opportunity to speak to the 'New Prosperity' project as public hearings on the project start Monday

Read the Tribune article below:

CRD Article

Those Cariboo RD Directors' who argued in favour of speaking at the public hearings for 'New Prosperity' included Quesnel Mayor Mary Sjostrom, Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook, Area 'E' Director Byron Kemp, Area G Director (and Cariboo RD Chair) Al Richmond and presumably 100 Mile Mayor Mitch Campsall as he has made previous public comments in support of this project

Meanwhile - Area D Director Deb Bischoff, Area F Director Joan Sorley and Area J Director (and Xeni Gwet'in Chief) Roger William attempted to convince their colleagues to take a 'neutral stance' for the 'New Prosperity project

Director William stated that he believed no one around the Cariboo RD table knew precisely how their constituents felt on 'New Prosperity' and I believe Roger William speaks the truth here

Meanwhile both Quesnel and Williams Lake Mayors' Mary Sjostrom/Kerry Cook argued the need to speak in favour citing the economic boost that 'New Prosperity' would bring to the region

While I congratulate and associate myself with the comments from Directors' Sorley, Bischoff and William and would have said the same as these Directors, had I been at the Cariboo RD July 12th meeting - I am profoundly disappointed that their colleagues are being incredibly naive by saying there is no risk to our First Nations relationships by speaking in favour of this project as I feel strongly that speaking in favour of this project in light of FN opposition would set back FN relations many years.

In fact - I would argue that the Cariboo RD Board is being hypocritical on this topic as they previously said they would maintain a neutral stance on "New Prosperity" in the spring of 2012 after Director Roger William brought forward a request to register opposition to 'New Prosperity' at that time

Finally - if Directors (and Mayors') Sjostrom, Cook, Campsall, Richmond and Kemp support this project - they can do so provided they don't use their political offices to do so and to make it clear that they express their support for 'New Prosperity' as private citizens and not on behalf of their respective municipalities, electoral areas or of the Cariboo Regional District as a whole as they clearly have no mandate from their electorate to speak in favour of 'New Prosperity' at this time...

--- SBF