Monday, August 28, 2017

Dear Premier Horgan...

Dear Mr. Premier:

Since becoming Premier on July 18th of this year -- I know/understand that many provincial files have many demands on your precious time but I'm personally appreciative of the time you have set aside to meet with the people impacted by this summer's unprecedented provincial wildfires - whether they be volunteers in our ESS's or those personally impacted by the wildfires

I also note that you made a trip to Williams Lake back on July 31st of this year to view the impact of the wildfires on the land base with our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and to thank all of the emergency personnel, along with the Mayor of Williams Lake, Walt Cobb and my Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Board Chair, Al Richmond

Since July 31st -- your Minister of Public Safety/Solicitor-General, Mike Farnsworth and the Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness, Jennifer Rice has been in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and I understand met with the Mayor of Quesnel, Bob Simpson but did not meet with any CRD Electoral Area Directors on their trip through the Region.  That is gravely unfortunate, considering the impact of the wildfires is greatly occurring in the Cariboo Regional District Rural Areas', including my own (Electoral Area D - rural area north of the City of Williams Lake)

However, your Minister of Municipal Affairs/Housing, Selina Robinson, recently met with local elected officials in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, including my fellow CRD Electoral Area Directors and for that, I am most appreciative.  I am also appreciative that Minister Robinson, upon being sworn in, recognized Regional Districts' as a order of local government, something that did not occur often enough under the previous provincial government and I look forward to meeting with her at next month's Union of BC Muncipalities' (UBCM) Convention as well as your speech to UBCM Delegates

Today, I note that you are visiting a number of locations including Kamloops, Ashcroft and Kelowna and meeting with people involved in the wildfire situation and local elected officials.  My Regional District was heavily impacted by the wildfires and will need immediate help and I hope you will find time to meet with Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area Directors' in the very near future as we have many needs, both community and economic, that needs assistance, if we are to be a resilient region and will need your government's help in moving forward

Premier Horgan -- you and I had a chance encounter at the 2016 UBCM Convention and I hope that if you are the person I think you are, that you will visit my Regional District ASAP and meet with my CRD Electoral Area Director Colleagues and understand the breathe of our individual Area needs as your government formulates its' fall budget and Budget 2018

If you wish to reach out to me, please see my contact information below

Sincerely yours,

Steve Forseth
Director - Electoral Area 'D' (Commodore Heights - McLeese Lake)
Cariboo Regional District

Ph: 250-267-6725
E: sforseth@cariboord.ca 





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