Look at BC Election 2024 | Cariboo-Chilcotin Region

With just over 4 months before BC voters go to the polls to elect 93 MLA's for the 43rd Parliament of British Columbia this October -- the election scene is beginning to warm up and the provincial parties are making their pitches to voters' for their vote

On the Provincial Scene:

338 Canada - BC projects:

NDP (incumbent provincial government) -- 58 seats (range between 44-72 seats possible)

BC Conservatives -- 33 seats (range between 20-45 possible) 

BC Greens -- 2 seats (range between 1-3 seats possible) 

BC United -- 0 seats (range between 0-1 seats possible) 

Within the Cariboo-Chilcotin Region:

a) Cariboo-Chilcotin provincial MLA candidates

BC Conservatives (incumbent) -- Lorne Doerksen

BC United -- unknown

BC NDP -- Micheal Moses (also a Williams Lake City Councillor)

BC Greens - unknown 

338 Canada-BC projects that Lorne Doerksen will be successfully re-elected in October

Current Electoral Support in Cariboo-Chilcotin:

BC Conservatives -- 41% (down 10%)

BC NDP -- 27% (up 7%)

BC United -- 22% (up 7%)

BC Greens -- 7% (up 4%) 

Full 338 Canada - BC analysis for Cariboo-Chilcotin here 

b) Prince George - North Cariboo provincial MLA candidates

BC Conservatives -- Sheldon Clare

BC United (incumbent) -- Coralee Oakes

BC NDP -- unknown 

BC Greens -- unknown

338 Canada projects that there will likely be a new MLA in the new riding of Prince George-North Cariboo

Current Electoral Support in Prince George-North Cariboo:

BC Conservatives -- 40% (down 10%)

BC NDP -- 27% (up 7%)

BC United -- 25% (up 8%)

BC Greens -- 5% (up 3%) 

Full 338 Canada - BC analysis for Prince George-North Cariboo here

My Final Analysis:

While the provincial electoral scene in Cariboo-Chilcotin/PG-North Cariboo is not yet fully known until the BC election gets formally underway in late September -- candidates for provincial office in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region will be hitting all of the different events in the Cariboo-Chilcotin over the summer before the formal election period commences in late September... 

Certainly -- I will be asking the candidates about their views on how they view the relationship between BC's Local Governments' and the Provincial Government including financial and other supports... 

It will be an interesting election to follow, especially with the rapid rise of the BC Conservatives over the last number of months but I strongly encourage everyone to get to know all provincial MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) candidates and especially getting to the all candidates forums this provincial election cycle before casting your vote for your preferred candidate for MLA for the provincial electoral districts of Prince George-North Cariboo and Cariboo-Chilcotin ... 

~SF

Grants to reduce wildfire risks around Cariboo-Chilcotin communities

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Editor's Note -- Cariboo-Chilcotin Grants issued as follows: 

Cariboo Fire Centre ($490,010 for six grants): 

Canim Lake Band: $149,950 to assist with education, inter-agency co-operation, fuel management 

?Esdilagh First Nation: $61,000 to assist with education, inter-agency co-operation, emergency planning 

Lhtako Dené Nation: $47,060 to assist with education, development, FireSmart for residential areas, fuel management 

Nazko First Nation: $64,000 to assist with education, planning, FireSmart for residential areas 

City of Quesnel: $40,500 to assist with education, FireSmart for residential areas 

District of Wells: $127,500 to assist with education, planning, cross-training, FireSmart for residential areas

The B.C. government has provided more than $490,000 in grants to six local governments and First Nations in the Cariboo Fire Centre to support wildfire risk reduction initiatives and help keep communities safe.

These Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) grants are part of a total of more than $15 million provided to 118 recipients throughout B.C., following the latest application intake in the program’s FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category.

“Mitigating wildfire threats is crucial to help safeguard people, homes and businesses throughout the province,” said the Hon. Katrine Conroy, BC's Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Since the Community Resiliency Investment program was established in 2018, our government has approved 366 grants to local governments and First Nations totalling over $37 million.”

Funding provided through CRI’s FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category helps Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments reduce wildfire risks around their communities. Recipients can use the money for wildfire risk reduction and fire prevention activities related to the FireSmart program’s nine eligible funding areas:

• education
• vegetation management (reducing accumulations of flammable materials on the landscape)
• community planning
• development considerations (looking at ways that local governments could regulate development to incorporate FireSmart principles)
• inter-agency co-operation
• FireSmart training and cross-training
• emergency management planning
• FireSmart projects for critical infrastructure
• FireSmart activities for residential areas

Eligible applicants facing a lower wildfire risk can apply for up to $50,000 through the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category, while applicants facing a demonstrated higher wildfire risk can apply for up to $150,000. They can apply for funding to cover up to 100% of the cost of their wildfire risk reduction projects.

Mitigating wildfire threats is a shared responsibility of the provincial government, local governments, First Nations, industry, stakeholders and individual British Columbians. The Community Resiliency Investment program helps increase community resiliency by funding activities that promote FireSmart education, planning and opportunities for partnerships through regional FireSmart committees.

The Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) administers the $60-million FireSmart Community Funding and Supports grant program and it processes grant applications in partnership with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C. The next application intake opens on June 30, 2021. More information about the application process will be available on the UBCM website.

General Voting Day/42nd BC General Election

Today, voters across the 87 British Columbia Provincial Electoral Districts are voting, on General Voting Day, for a MLA/Member of the Legislative Assembly.  This after mail in ballots/absentee ballots having been distributed and returned to Elections BC and 7 days of Advance Voting.  

You can locate your specific polling station here while Elections BC has General Voting Day tips for you, the voter, here

After voting closes at 8pm tonight -- preliminary results will be available on the Elections BC website here while final vote results are not expected until November 16th

My personal thanks to the candidates who put their names forward for consideration of election along with their support teams.  All of them must be congratulated for participating in their own way in the thing we call our provincial democracy.... 

Looking forward to hearing the results after 8pm tonight!

SF