Discussion of the issues that affect you on a local, provincial and federal level
Friday, June 21, 2024
Broadband internet upgrade funding announcement celebrated by Cariboo RD Board
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Cariboo RD Board Highlights - June 20th mtg
CCRHD Board Highlights - June 20th mtg
Present: Chair A. Richmond/Vice Chair M. Sjostrom and Directors Bachmeier(via MS Teams), Massier, Forseth, Neufeld, LeBourdais, Wagner, Glassford, Pare, Anderson, De Vries, Coleman, Roodenburg, Rathor and Pinkney
Meeting called to order at 9:30am
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Cariboo RD Committee of Whole Session - June 19th mtg
Gibraltar Mine strike over!
Significant wage increases and equity measures are key features of a three-year collective agreement ratified this evening by Unifor Local 3018.
“Unifor members in Williams Lake have successfully negotiated a collective agreement that reflects their important contribution to the success of Taseko,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The bargaining committee showed great leadership in demanding new equity practices. The members’ solid support for their committee during this 18-day strike was critical to being successful.”
The contract increases wages 13% over three years. It introduces a Women’s Advocate in the workplace to champion equity and recognizes the federal labour code’s leave for Indigenous practices. Local 3018 was also successful at adding clarity and fairness to the drug testing incident procedure as well as additional transparency during the discipline process.
“Gibraltar mine is an economic powerhouse in the region, and the community will realize benefits from this collective agreement for years to come,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle.
Taseko owns and operates the Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine. It is the second largest open-pit copper mine in Canada and the largest employer in the Cariboo region.
Local 3018 represents 550 workers at the copper mine north of Williams Lake in British Columbia.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
Working Group Formed to Discuss Challenges Facing Atlantic Power’s Williams Lake Plant
On June 17th, 2024 -- multiple stakeholders and representatives from various levels of government, including Premier David Eby and staff from three provincial ministries, attended a Special Williams Lake City Council Meeting held in Williams Lake Council Chambers. At the meeting, a cross-government working group of senior officials committed to working with the City, Atlantic Power and Utilities and other partners to explore short- and long-term solutions to challenges facing Atlantic Power’s Williams Lake plant.
In January of 2024, Atlantic Power gave notice to cease operations in Williams Lake in January of 2025 due to an inability to be profitable under its current contract conditions with BC Hydro. Atlantic Power opened its Williams Lake plant in 1993 and is an independent power producer utilizing wood waste generated from sawmills and logging debris.
“It was exceptional to hear the commitment from Premier Eby to ensure this complex issue within the province will be given the attention and coordination it deserves,” Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor said. “We heard from the community about the far-reaching impacts to the business community. The company provides not only direct jobs, but supports many contractors and suppliers in the community. The economic impacts of this and importance of working together to find a solution are significant.”
The tri-ministry working group will consist of staff from the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and the Ministry of Forests. Premier Eby indicated that the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation will be leading the coordinated effort.
At the Special Meeting, Council heard presentations from Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce President Paul French, representatives from United Steel Workers Local 1-2017 Jessica Garreau and Andrew Deley, Tsi Del Del Biomass Ltd. Manager Joe Webster and board member and Tsi Del Del Coun. Percy Guichon, Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson, and Atlantic Power and Utilities Vice President of Operations Sean Gillespie.
“We are asking the Province to treat this matter with the urgency that is required,” Rathor said. “The deadline for a final decision is October 15, 2024, which is before the Provincial election, and it is imperative we find a solution prior to the summer break for the legislature and the election being called in early September.”
In addition, Council opened the floor to speakers from the gallery to inform Council of how a closure of Atlantic Power’s Williams Lake plant would impact the community. Throughout the meeting, community support for working to find a viable solution for Atlantic Power to continue operations in Williams Lake was unified.
“Members of the community have expressed profound dismay at the thought of a viable, operating plant and good corporate citizen being shuttered during a time when the Province is looking to increase electrification across British Columbia,” said Beth Veenkamp, Manager of Economic Development.
“While there are new forms of electricity generation being developed, we are years away from any of those initiatives actually being built and producing power. Atlantic Power already provides this, and we will continue to urge the Province to see the benefits of supporting this local independent power producer.”
The deadline to rescind the notice that Atlantic Power served to BC Hydro is October 15, 2024, before the upcoming Provincial election. Having a new agreement in place before the election will ensure the company can continue to make fibre purchase agreements for its winter 2025 operations.
At the meeting, Council committed to providing community updates on the progress of discussions during its regular meetings.
The meeting can be viewed on the City’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/CityWL.
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
WL Council Highlights - June 18th mtg
Monday, June 17, 2024
Special WL Council Highlights - June 17th mtg
Local governments receive grants to speed up delivery of homes
Thirty-eight local governments will soon receive a grant to create more efficient development approvals processes.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned in our work to deliver more homes for people, faster,” said the Hon. Ravi Kahlon, BC's Minister of Housing. “The Local Government Development Approvals Program was created so that local governments can improve the internal processes and development approvals, so that we can speed up the delivery of homes for people living and working in B.C.”
The Local Government Development Approvals Program, administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), was created to help local governments implement best practices and develop innovative ways to support non-profit housing organizations, developers and other stakeholders to speed up the delivery of homes.
“Our province continues to grow with more people than ever before choosing to call B.C. home,” said the Hon. Anne Kang, BC's Minister of Municipal Affairs. “We’re continuing to support local governments’ ability to move forward with housing, and this grant funding will help new homes get built faster and more efficiently throughout the province for many years to come.”
The following projects are examples of how the program will help local governments meet housing needs in their communities:
- The City of Burnaby will continue streamlining approval processes for simple and complex buildings. This includes developing business-process documentation and approvals guidance for staff and applicants, undertaking change-management activities and building staff capacity.
- The District of Peachland will initiate a development-approval streamlining project to clarify and improve the development-application process. The project will involve co-ordinating with neighbouring communities to increase consistency across jurisdictions and facilitating collaboration across departments to reduce application delays.
- The Regional District of Mount Waddington is developing a pre-application process so applicants are aware of varying requirements needed for their applications so there is less delay when asking for information.
- The Village of McBride is exploring ways to improve and expedite the development-approval processes and bylaws to get more homes and businesses built within the community quicker.
The Province has provided approximately $4.4 million toward the 2024 intake. The program was open to all municipalities, regional districts and the Islands Trust.
“Local governments throughout B.C. have been implementing changes to streamline development-approvals processes to address community-building goals,” said Trish Mandewo, President of UBCM/Union of BC Municipalities. “This funding will help catalyze that work and support local governments as they implement best practices related to permit approvals, inspections and more.”
Quick Facts:
- Applications for the 2024 Local Government Development Approvals Program closed March 8, 2024.
- To date, the Province has provided local governments with approximately $19 million to improve development programs through the Local Government Development Approvals Program.
Learn More:
For more information about the Development Approvals Process Review consultation, visit: https://www.ubcm.ca/lgps/local-government-development-approvals
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for people in British Columbia, visit:
https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
Friday, June 14, 2024
Cariboo-Chilcotin Local Government or Board of Education Meetings: Week of June 17-21, 2024
South Cariboo Regional Airport upgrades completed
The South Cariboo Regional Airport rehabilitation work included reconstructing the subbase and asphalt surfaces of the runway, taxiway, and airside apron, as well as converting to LED lighting for runway edge lights, apron lights, and navigation aids. This marks the first overhaul of the asphalt surfaces in 20 years, and allows the airport to provide critical connections to the sky for recreational pilots, BC Wildfire, RCMP, and BC Emergency Health Services’ Air Ambulances, which completed over 40 med-evacs each year.
“We are pleased to see the runway resurfacing and lighting upgrades completed. The runway surface had reached the point that Air Ambulance jets were no longer going to able to use the airport for medical evacuations,” said Cariboo Regional District Area "G" Director Al Richmond, also Chair of the South Cariboo Regional Airport Commission, “These aircraft will now be able to continue to offer vital services to the residents through the South Cariboo Regional Airport.”
These upgrades were made possible through extensive provincial and federal grant funding – $1.45 million from the BC Growing Communities Fund, $1 million from the federal Community Works Funding, and $2 million from the BC Air Access Program. The remaining costs were financed through short-term borrowing which will be paid back through taxation over the next five years.
The South Cariboo Regional Airport has been operated by the Regional District since 1981, and serves the BC Wildfire Service, BC Emergency Health Services, RCMP, and private aircraft operators. On average there are 1,000 flights per year served by the airport, increasing to over 2,500 flights during years with significant wildfire activity. The airport is partially funded by residents and property owners in Electoral Areas G, H, and L as well as the District of 100 Mile, along with revenue from airside hangar agreements, landing fees, and fuel sales.
Special Willliams Lake City Council Meeting Scheduled for June 17 on Atlantic Power Corporation
The City of Williams Lake will be holding a Special Council Meeting on Monday, June 17 at 6 p.m. to address a lack of progress in a path forward for Atlantic Power Corporation to continue operating.
In February of 2024, Atlantic Power gave notice to cease operations in January of 2025 due to an inability to be profitable under its current contract conditions with BC Hydro.
Atlantic Power opened in 1993 and is an independent power producer utilizing wood waste generated from sawmills and logging debris.
“The impacts of a closure of the facility are far greater than the 28 direct jobs and the loss of an important corporate citizen,” said Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor.
“There are numerous community-based contractors and suppliers, as well as several Indigenous-led businesses that provide the wood fibre needed to produce this green energy. Council wants to host this special meeting to learn more about the community impacts so those issues can be brought forward to the Provincial Government, who is the key decision maker with respect to allowing a producing power plant to shutter when the Province is also purchasing power from other jurisdictions to keep up with demand.”
At the meeting, community members in attendance will be invited to speak to and to inform Council of how a closure would impact the community.
The Special Public Meeting will be livestreamed on the City’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/CityWL
Collective agreement ratified for CUPE 1050 in Quesnel
The City of Quesnel is pleased to announce that a new three-year collective agreement has been ratified with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1050, covering Public Works, Community Services, City Hall, and RCMP Detachment employees.
The new agreement is effective June 8, 2024, expiring on June 7, 2027. The wage increase over three years is 5%, 4.5%, and 4%.
“Council appreciates the continued efforts of the City’s management team and the union’s bargaining team to foster a positive relationship, which resulted in a respectful and successful bargaining process over the past few weeks,” said Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull. “Council values the outstanding work of our unionized workers who deliver quality services to our community.”
“I am delighted that we've reached an agreement and collaborated with the City of Quesnel to establish a fair contract for our dedicated employees, who are essential to keeping our city running smoothly. Thanks to everyone on both sides of the bargaining team for their hard work in achieving this successful outcome,” stated CUPE Local 1050 President, Peter Bond.
The collective agreement for CUPE 1050-01 still remains to be negotiated. This covers employees at the Arts and Recreation Centre.
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
WL Council Highlights - June 11th mtg
Monday, June 10, 2024
Look at BC Election 2024 | Cariboo-Chilcotin Region
Saturday, June 8, 2024
Collective Agreement Ratified for IUOE Local 882-B
The City of Williams Lake and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 882-B have ratified the terms of a new four-year Collective Agreement covering all unionized employees. The settlement provides for wage increases totaling 16.25% over the four years of the contract (5.75%, 4.5%, 3%, 3%). The City recognized that wage adjustments in the previous five-year agreement fell short compared to the actual rate of the consumer price index (CPI) by 6.71% and in good faith acknowledged that amount in the new agreement.
The collective bargaining process was completed in two days, although the teams from both parties prepared well in advance. Bargaining was successful, resulting in a member vote for ratification. The changes made to the agreement are fair and reasonable for both the Employer and Union. The new agreement will start on July 1, 2024 and expire June 30, 2028.
“It gave IUOE Local 882 a tremendous amount of pride being able to work with the City and its officials to collaborate and craft one of the best agreements to date with the City. Both sides should be proud of the results and the opportunity to strengthen their ties and commitments to their employees and make them a top employer,” said Haemant Sawh, IUOE Local 882 Business Manager and President.
“We have worked extremely hard to build a strong working relationship with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 882-B over the years, and this process reflects our trust and mutual respect for each other,” said Ashley Williston, City of Williams Lake's Director of Human Resources. “Both parties were able to have meaningful discussion and find solutions that were mutually agreeable.”
“The City of Williams Lake appreciates the dedication and hard work of all our employees and the value they provide to our community,” stated Gary Muraca, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Williams Lake. “I am extremely pleased that both parties were able to come to the table and reach a fair agreement quickly. The successful collective bargaining process is a testament to the relationship the City has with the Union, and reflects employee morale and the positive work environment fostered at the City. Council has been updated throughout the process, and the success of this agreement is reflective of Council’s commitment to fostering a healthy, inclusive and respectful workplace as outlined in their Strategic Plan.”