New FESBC Projects in Cariboo-Chilcotin

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Editor's Note -- Cariboo RD Area "C" Director John Massier sits on the Board of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC 

Workers and communities throughout B.C. are benefiting from Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) supported projects that reduce wildfire risk and increase fibre supply, keeping local mills and energy plants running in the face of U.S. tariff threats and unjustified softwood lumber duties.

With $28 million from the Province, FESBC is supporting 43 new and expanded fibre-recovery projects and 31 new and expanded wildfire-mitigation projects.

“In tough times, I want workers in our forest sector to know I’ve got their back,” said the Hon. Ravi Parmar, BC's Minister of Forests. “Whether it’s better utilizing existing sources of fibre or helping protect communities from wildfire, the projects are supporting workers and companies as they develop new and innovative forest practices.”

Projects are taking place in all eight of the Province’s natural resource regions, helping create jobs, reducing wildfire risk and supporting B.C.’s pulp and biomass sector. They will be complete by the end of March 2025, in advance of wildfire season.

Fibre-recovery projects take wood fibre that would otherwise be burned or abandoned and put it in the hands of mills and forestry companies that can use it, helping keep forestry workers on the job. Through the Province’s continued investment in FESBC, the projects they support have delivered 44,000 logging truckloads worth of fibre out of the bush since April 2024. That fibre would once have been burned in slash piles and is instead creating jobs and revenue for local businesses.

“These projects are putting local businesses and people to work reducing wildfire risk and recovering fibre for local pulp mills, and pellet and energy plants,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC. “FESBC received strong proposals from across the province and we are pleased to support this strong group of proponents in their forest-management activities.” 

Government continues to take action to support the forest sector in the face of U.S. softwood lumber duties and tariff threats, including through the recently formed Softwood Lumber Advisory Council, streamlining the permitting process and continuing to advocate to the federal government.

Quick Facts:

Founded in 2016, FESBC is fully funded by the Province to support forestry projects at the community level.

As part of Budget 2024, B.C. announced FESBC would get an additional $60 million over three years to continue community-focused wildfire risk-reduction and fuel-management projects, as well as improving utilization of biomass from harvested timber.

Since 2016, $79.6 million has been invested in 201 community wildfire risk-reduction projects through FESBC.

FESBC Projects in Cariboo-Chilcotin:

100 Mile House 

Project: Forest Grove Fireguard 

Applicant: Kenkeknum Forest Tenures LP 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Forest Grove Interface Fuel Break Fuel Reduction 

Applicant: 100 Mile House Natural Resource District 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Pressy Lake CP394 Rehab/Fibre Utilization 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: Tinmusket Wildfire Risk Reduction Project 

Applicant: SXD Limited Partnership 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Quesnel  

Project: CPP – Fibre Recovery and Utilization 2024-2025 

Applicant: Cariboo Pulp and Paper 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: Nazko East Fire Management and Stand Enhancement 

Applicant: Nazko First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Williams Lake 

Project: 2023 CCR – Chilcotin Fibre Utilization Project 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: CCR Fibre Utilization 2024-2025 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) 

Purpose: Fibre supply 

Project: CCR Wildfire Risk Reduction and Fibre Utilization 

Applicant: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Dugan Lake - Horsefly Junction Fuel Treatment Development 

Applicant: Williams Lake First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Flatrock WRR Tactical Plan Prescription/Treatment 

Applicant: Williams Lake Community Forest LP 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Kantelberg Trial 

Applicant: UBC 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Tatlayoko Fuel Break - Hand Treatments 

Applicant: Eniyud Community Forest Ltd 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: WLFN – Chimney Fuel Reduction 

Applicant: Williams Lake First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: WRR Treatment W0588 

Applicant: Woodlot Product Development Council 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: WLFN – Redeau Lake - CP 8 Fuel Reduction 

Applicant: Williams Lake First Nation 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

Project: Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club 

Applicant: Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club Prescriptions 

Purpose: Wildfire mitigation 

New Urgent Primary Care Clinic in Williams Lake

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

People living in Williams Lake and surrounding communities will have increased access to team-based primary health care at the new Williams Lake Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC).

“Our government is committed to making sure everyone in our province has access to quality health care that’s close to home,” said the Hon. Josie Osborne, BC's Minister of Health. “This new UPCC means people living in Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, and East and West Cariboo regions will have increased access to same-day primary health care so they can receive the care they need, while also easing pressure on emergency rooms and hospitals.”

The new UPCC opened on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. The 490 square-metre (5,300 square feet) clinic is located at 47 Cameron St. When fully operational, it will provide urgent and episodic primary care, in person and virtually, seven days a week, including statutory holidays, 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

The UPCC will offer same-day care for people who need access to health care within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department. The UPCC is available to people who do not have a primary-care provider, as well as those who are unable to schedule an appointment with their primary-care provider within a convenient timeframe.

“This UPCC will make a real difference to the lives of people living in and around Williams Lake by providing timely primary health care,” said Debra Toporowski, parliamentary secretary for rural health. “We know how important it is to have access to health care close to home, especially in rural areas, and we will continue to strengthen our health-care system to accommodate the growing demand.”

As hiring progresses, people will be cared for by more than 18 full-time-equivalent health-care providers, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, Indigenous patient navigators and administrative staff.

“We are excited to welcome patients to the new urgent and primary care centre in Williams Lake,” said Diane Shendruk, vice-president clinical operations, Interior Health. “This UPCC is the first in the Interior to have a dedicated smudging space, which reflects our commitment to reconciliation by bringing Indigenous wellness practices into health care.” 

The project will have a total capital cost of more than $4 million, with the ministry funding $2.67 million and the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District funding $1.37 million.

This UPCC marks the 41st UPCC open in the province since 2018, which combined have had approximately three million patient visits. Planning for nine more UPCCs is underway, with the goal of establishing 50 UPCCs in communities throughout B.C. This work is part of B.C.’s Primary Care Strategy, which is bringing more team-based primary-care services to people in B.C.

Al Richmond, board chair, Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Hospital District stated –

“This clinic is critical to easing the workload of the emergency room at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital, especially for those without a family doctor. Having separate spaces for emergency care and urgent care will produce the best outcomes for health-care staff and patients accessing these services.”

Chief Willie Sellars, Williams Lake First Nations, and board director, Interior Health further commented –

“The opening of the Williams Lake Urgent and Primary Care Centre is a significant step toward improving health outcomes for Indigenous people and the broader community. Many of our community members are without family doctors and this facility will help fill that void by providing access to timely care. I’m proud to see this commitment to culturally safe health services that will make a real difference in people’s lives.”

Quick Facts:

The Williams Lake UPCC is the 11th UPCC operating in the Interior Health region, including Ashcroft, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Rutland, Vernon and West Kelowna. 

The Williams Lake UPCC is planning to facilitate more than 42,000 visits per year.

Interior Health UPCCs have provided care to more than 754,000 visitors since 2018 when the first UPCC opened in the health authority.

Learn More:

To learn more about UPCCs in the Interior Health region, visit:

https://www.interiorhealth.ca/information-for/patients-and-visitors/urgent-and-primary-care-centres

To read about B.C.’s primary health strategy, visit:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/bcs-primary-care-system

and

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010

To learn more about the Province’s health human resource strategy, visit:

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464

Steve's Meeting/Expense Calendar - February 2025

In the month of February 2025 -- I attended the following meetings/events:

* Feb 5 - met with Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare and his constituency assistant in Williams Lake to discuss road safety issues in Electoral Area "D" of the Cariboo Regional District then left Williams Lake in the afternoon via a Pacific Coastal flight with a number of my Cariboo RD colleagues for Richmond, BC (Metro Vancouver) to attend the 2025 UBCM Electoral Area Director Forum

* Feb 6-7 -- attended the 2025 UBCM Electoral Area Director Forum in Richmond, BC.  Costs to attend paid directly by the Cariboo Regional District via the Regional District's Electoral Area Administration Budget

* Feb 11th -- attended a meeting of SD27 (School District #27) Finance Committee as the Committee discussed the next steps of the former Wildwood Elementary property 

* Feb 13th -- attended a Williams Lake Chamber of Commerce event at the Tourism Discovery Centre in Williams Lake 

* Feb 22nd -- attended the McLeese Lake Library Open House

* Feb 26th -- meetings of Central Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus/Central Cariboo Joint Committee 

* Feb 27th -- attended the monthly Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce meeting, Cariboo Regional District's Finance/Budget Committee meeting and then a regional trails strategy session hosted by the Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast Tourism Association

* Feb 28th -- attended meetings of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Hospital District/Cariboo Regional District Boards' 

In addition, responded to inquiries from Cariboo RD Area "D" residents via phone/text, social media and email

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In the month of February 2025 -- I submitted the following expenses:

* Feb 6th/7th -- $166 for daily attendance at 2025 UBCM Electoral Area Director Forum in Richmond, BC.  All other costs to attend the Forum paid directly by the Cariboo Regional District

* Feb 26th -- $83 for meetings of Central Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus/Central Cariboo Joint Committee 

* Feb 27th -- $206 for attendance at the Cariboo Regional District's Finance/Budget Committee meeting

* Feb 28th -- $206 for attendance at meetings of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Hospital District/Cariboo Regional District Boards'