Wildfire community consultations begin Oct. 29

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District: 

The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is starting a detailed community consultation process next week with a series of meetings in communities throughout the Cariboo. The meetings will be one of several methods the Regional District will be using to improve future emergency response communications and planning.

Several agencies who were part of the emergency will also be in attendance, in addition to various staff from the CRD.

Meeting locations have been scheduled in 17 of the most impacted fire and evacuation areas with all residents welcome. The meetings are a way to reach out to residents and gain feedback on the emergency efforts as well as understand community and resident needs through recovery.

The meetings will be structured to ensure all residents have an opportunity to have their feedback heard. A trade show full of information about the response and recovery resources will start each meeting followed by a brief overview of the response. The remainder of the meeting will be dedicated to small group discussion about the response and recovery challenges.

There will not be an open microphone portion at any of the meetings in order to gain insight on as many topics and from as many residents as possible. Meetings will run between 1 to 2 hours.

Further consultation will happen including visits to schools, senior facilities, community support groups and community events. In addition, watch for other opportunities later in November including a Facebook Live video event and a survey.

The consultations are being completed on behalf of the Cariboo Regional District by Tim Conrad, APR, and Lloyd Piehl of Butterfly Effect Communications, both of whom were part of the information team during emergency operations this summer.

For additional event information, visit cariboord.ca or facebook.com/CRDEmergencyOperations or call 1-800-665-1636.

Al Richmond, CRD Chair/Area 'G' Director stated:

“Residents are encouraged to attend the consultation meeting closest to them, whether in their community or another. We have scheduled to be in many areas more than once to give residents some flexibility to match their schedule"

While Tim Conrad, facilitator of community consultation meetings went on to say:

“Consultations are notoriously difficult, and we are hoping these family-friendly meetings will allow all residents who experienced the many challenges of the wildfire season to have a voice.”