Editor's Note -- links to other Year End Reports:
a) Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty - click here
b) Cariboo-North MLA Coralee Oakes -- click here
c) Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett - click here
d) Cariboo Regional District - click here
e) Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb - click here
f) 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall - click here
As we wind down 2019 - I thought I would report on the year that was and look forward to 2020 ....
Firstly - let me thank all of you in the various communities that make up Electoral Area 'D' - whether you live in Marguerite, Macalister, McLeese Lake, Soda Creek Valley, Tyee Lake, Deep Creek, Xat'sull, Wildwood, Pine Valley, Commodore Heights, Mile 168 Rd, Soda Creek Road or Fox Mountain - for the great honour to serve you as the Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area 'D' Director. It is a privilege that I take very seriously as I work in partnership with you to make your rural neighborhoods the desirous place you wish it to be. Thanks also to all of YOU for your warm & encouraging thoughts/feedback or constructive criticism feedback as I served you this past year. It's nice to know that I'm doing the right things on your behalf or providing me with feedback to better serve you. All comments are always welcomed/appreciated...
Also - thank you to ALL of the volunteers in the aforementioned communities within Area 'D', it is thanks to your efforts that these rural communities are such great places to live.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my heart broke this year after McLeese Lake resident Gordon Macarthur passed away after battling an health issue in Summer 2019. He was instrumental in getting the McLeese Lake Fire Hall construction off the ground and getting to the place of construction in 2020 along with his many, many contributions to the McLeese Lake Recreation Commission. I also enjoy our many, many conversations and I know many in McLeese Lake along with myself will miss him dearly. I would suggest that his legacy to the community of McLeese Lake will be the fully constructed McLeese Lake Fire Hall in Fall 2020....
As to initiatives that I have been working on this past year:
1) 2020 Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Draft Budget
The Board held its' first 2020 Budget meeting back on November 13th, 2019 and will be holding another one in January 2020
Within Electoral Area 'D', you will see, generally, a "status quo" budget at this stage. All functions of the CRD that Area D residents' pay for will see either no or modest inflationary increases. Those who of you in McLeese Lake will see a slight increase in your property taxes as a result of the increase to the McLeese Lake Recreation Service requisition - see Item #2 for the full explanation
I will post the draft 2020 Budget documents here and on social media, once they have been formally approved by the Board, either in January or early to mid-February 2020
2) McLeese Lake Community Hall
I continue to work with the McLeese Lake Recreation Commission to secure grants to improve the Hall through energy efficiency projects, etc. The Commission has requested an increase in its' annual requisition (taxation) from the Regional District from its' current $15,000 to $25,000 via the McLeese Lake Recreation service and is subject to public consultation. This is intended to do 2 things (if it passes public consultation and the 2020 CRD Budget is fully adopted in March 2020) -- Fix the foundation that was damaged due to heavy rains in July 2019 and save for a roof replacement which is currently anticipated to be done in either 2025 or 2026
Meanwhile - as projects come out through the year -- I will continue to work with the Commission to identify potential sources of funding (CRD, NDIT, Community Works Funds, etc) to fund said projects
3) McLeese Lake/Tyee Lake Volunteer Fire Departments' (MLVFD/TLVFD)
Much progress was made by the MLVFD Society to get the MLVFD more fully operational for the community's needs. The CRD gave the MLVFD Society Grants for Assistance in years 2015-2020 inclusive in the rough amount of $5,000 per year. Their fundraising efforts still continue, as many Independent Fire Departments do throughout BC. The Society has come to a 25 year property lease arrangement with the McLeese Lake Recreation Commission to build a Fire Hall in 2020. The Fire Hall will be built just adjacent to the old skating rink. Construction is anticipated to commence in Spring 2020 and conclude by October or November 2020. I will follow up with BC Assessment in Fall 2020 to ensure that the McLeese Lake Fire Hall is not subject to property taxation in 2021 (Regional District and Provincial)
At the request of the Tyee Lake Community Association -- a Grant for Assistance in 2020 has been given preliminary approval for the Tyee Lake Volunteer Fire Department (TLVFD) in the amount of $10,000 to complete the Fire Building at Tyee Lake which was constructed earlier this year and received an Area D Grant for Assistance in the amount of $10,470. This building is also subject to no property taxation in 2020 onward after I confirmed with BC Assessment this past October that it qualified for a 100% property tax exemption as it was providing a "public good" namely provision of fire protection for the Tyee Lake community. One of their goals is to acquire a used water tender which both the Tyee Lake Community Association and myself are looking for opportunities for them to acquire this necessary fire apparatus
4) Soda Creek Cemetery
At the request of the Soda Creek Cemetery caretakers -- they have asked me to discontinue efforts to provide a grant for the operations of the "old" Soda Creek Cemetery. However, they are fundraising for same and have cleaned up the entranceway to the "old" Soda Creek Cemetery and both Soda Creek cemeteries are looking very good right now...
5) Dog Control Service - Commodore Heights/Pine Valley/Wildwood
Work on this item continues but it is slow work due to competing demands on CRD Staff time...
6) Old Wildwood School Site/Wildwood VFD Fire Training Centre
Work on these two items continues and as new information becomes available, I will report on those here and on my Area D Director Facebook page as well as the local "Wildwood Speak Up Facebook page... I have confirmed with new SD27 Superintendent Chris van der Mark that the playground equipment will remain at the former Wildwood school site and his and his administrative team along with SD27 Zone 5 Trustee Angie Delainey are aware of the community's great desire to acquire this property for community purposes....
7) Building Inspection in Area D (Tyee Lake/McLeese Lake areas)
Work on this item continues it is very slow work, due to how the item was approved for Tyee/McLeese Lake in 2006 and the provincial rules in relation to removing a RD Regulatory Service in an Electoral Area(s) and a failed June 2017 petition in portions of CRD Areas D/E to remove Building Inspection after it was imposed with no public discussion in 2006. Discussions continue with the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs, as to other options that may be available
8) Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Work on the Williams Lake Fringe CWPP or Community Wildfire Protection Plan continues. Next steps include signing of a MOU between Fraser Basin Council (who is facilitating the work), City of Williams Lake, CRD and other parties involved
9) Regional Connectivity Strategy
This Board and many Boards' before it have been long aware of the need to upgrade connectivity in the Region, especially when it comes to communications in emergency events, for both high speed internet and cell phone service.
To that end - Staff is working to bring back a proposal in 1st Quarter 2020 to develop the Regional Connectivity Strategy for the Cariboo Regional District (Electoral Areas). The Province, through Network BC, has given an indication that without a presented connectivity strategy - it is unlikely the CRD will qualify for provincial funding
10) Roads in Area 'D'
Work progresses on road issues with Electoral Area 'D'. Some of those include Roth Road in Soda Creek Valley, Forglen Road in McLeese Lake, Beaver Lake Road, Lynes Creek Road to Guide/Bremner Roads at Tyee Lake and Radio Range Road, adjacent to the Williams Lake Regional Airport. Work on these and many other roads within Electoral Area 'D' brought to my attention in 2019 will continue in 2020
11) Conventional Transit in WL Fringe area (portions of CRD Areas D, E, F)
Directors Angie Delainey, Maureen LeBourdais and myself have agreed to ask CRD Staff to look into feasibility for conventional transit for unincorporated communities like Wildwood, Pine Valley, Mountview, Lexington. I'm hopeful for an update from CRD Staff on this initiative in 2020
Other initiatives that I was involved with in 2019 included:
* Attended 2019 LGLA/NCLGA and UBCM (Local Government Leadership Academy, North Central Local Government Association and the Union of BC Municipalities) Conferences in Richmond, Williams Lake and Vancouver respectively
* Appointed to the NCLGA Board as a Director at Large in January 2019 to fill the remainder of a 1 year term and re-elected as a Director at Large at the 2019 NLCGA AGM in Williams Lake. I have been appointed as NCLGA Resolutions Committee Chair for the 2019-20 term. All meetings of the NCLGA Board take place in Prince George. Meetings in 2019 took place in January, March, July and November of this year
* Attended the 2019 Natural Resources Forum in Prince George from January 22-24, 2019
* Attended the 2019 BC Broadband Conference in Richmond, BC from April 30th to May 1st, 2019
* Attended Board on the Road in Tatla Lake (September 2019). The Board also held a similar event in Quesnel in June of this year however I was on my annual "Disconnect and Recharge" annual vacation at that time...
* Financial Contributions to Tyee Lake Community Association, Wildwood Community Association and Xat'sull Save the Salmon event via Xat'sull First Nations for events hosted or coordinated by these organizations who do great work on behalf of their local unincorporated communities within Cariboo RD Area 'D'
* Participate on the Gibraltar Mines Technical Advisory Committee
* Serve on the Regional District's Policy/Emergency Preparedness Committees in 2019
* Appointed Chair of the Regional District's Finance Committee by CRD Chair Margo Wagner for 2019
* Last month, lunch with Xat'sull Chief Sheri Sellars and her Band Administrator Craig Smith (who also serves as a Williams Lake City Councillor) along with CRD Areas E/F Directors Angie Delainey/Maureen LeBourdais and CRD Chair Margo Wagner
And much more....
Just a shoutout to Wildwood resident Phyllis Webstad for serving as Area D Alternate Director (who also serves on the Area D Advisory Planning Commission) - Even with her very busy calendar with the Orange Shirt Society - I sincerely appreciate her feedback and suggestions this past year -- they were all greatly appreciated
In 2020 - I plan to report out on what I'm up to as often as I can plus my monthly expenses/meeting calendar as well - both here and on my CRD Area 'D' Director Facebook page which you can view at
https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Forseth-CRD-Area-D-Director-530711320407846/?ref=hl
On my own behalf - I wish ALL of your families a very happy/healthy 2020
Respectfully submitted,
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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