2021 Order of BC Inductees Announced

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Editor's Note -- Congratulations to TNG Tribal Chair Joe Alphonse on being awarded the Order of BC.  Very few people in the Cariboo-Chilcotin have received the Province's highest honour....

Sixteen exceptional people will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the Province’s highest form of recognition, Lt. Gov. Janet Austin, chancellor of the order, has announced.

“As representative of the Crown in British Columbia and as Chancellor of the Order of British Columbia, I am delighted to welcome 16 new members to the order,” Austin said. “Their extraordinary leadership has been a source of strength for communities across the province. In difficult times, they have connected us through art, culture, public service and more. As we move with optimism toward the future, their achievements will be a foundation of success for future generations. It is with great honour I share congratulations to these remarkable individuals.”

This year, 257 British Columbians were nominated. Since its inception, 475 British Columbians have been appointed to the Order of B.C. Members have been appointed from all regions of the province and in numbers generally proportionate to a region’s population.

“Each one of this year’s Order of British Columbia recipients has made tremendous contributions to their communities,” said Premier John Horgan. “I want to extend my congratulations and honour them for their leadership and dedication as community leaders. Trailblazers in medicine, that carried us through an incredibly difficult pandemic with expertise, grace and of course, kindness. Inspiring philanthropists, determined protectors of the environment and powerful Indigenous leaders. We are all truly grateful for your leadership.”

This year’s recipients are:

• Chief Joe Alphonse of Tsilhqot’in Nation
• Joe Average, MGC, of Vancouver
• Brenda Baptiste of Osoyoos
• Frances Belzberg, OC, of Vancouver
• Dr. Debra Braithwaite of Victoria
• Ajay Dilawri of Vancouver
• Debra Doucette (Hewson) of the District of North Vancouver
• Dr. Bonnie J. Fraser Henry of Victoria
• Carol A. Lee of Vancouver
• James McEwen, OC, of Vancouver
• Andrew Petter, CM, QC, of Victoria
• Dolph Schluter of Vancouver
• Dr. Poul Sorensen of Vancouver
• Arran and Ratana Stephens of Vancouver
• Marvin Storrow, QC, of Vancouver

Over the years, the B.C. government has worked to increase awareness of the Province’s highest honour to ensure that outstanding people from all walks of life and from all parts of the province have an opportunity to be honoured. The Province has received more than 6,200 public nominations for the Order of B.C. over the past 32 years.

Recipients of the Order of B.C. are selected by an independent advisory council. The 2021 advisory council consisted of:

• Robert J. Bauman (chair), Chief Justice of British Columbia;
• Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly;
• Philip Steenkamp, PhD, president and vice-chancellor, Royal Roads University;
• Silas Brownsey, deputy minister, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat;
• Brian Frenkel, president, Union of British Columbia Municipalities;
• Shirley Chan, OBC 2020; and
• Ruth Williams, OBC 2020.

The Order of B.C. investiture ceremony for 2020 and 2021 recipients and invited guests is tentatively scheduled to be held at Government House in Victoria in December 2021.

Learn More:

The Order of British Columbia: http://www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca

This year, the Province’s other honour, the Medal of Good Citizenship, will recognize people who have gone above and beyond to offer help and kindness to others during the COVID-19 pandemic without expectation of reward.  Nominations must be received by Sept. 19, 2021, and must have a COVID-19 response focus to be considered for this year. For more information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/medalofgoodcitizenship

Anyone can submit a nomination. More information, nomination forms and submission instructions are available online, by telephone at 250 387-1616, or by email: bchonoursandawards@gov.bc.ca

Two backgrounders are available online:

• Biographies of recipients: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/8-2_obc_bios.pdf
• Order of British Columbia: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/8-2_obc.pdf

For a French translation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021IGRS0023-001503#translations

WL News - Oct 25th edition

a) Election Announcements or News:

City of WL - Mike Bouchard wants a seat on Council - see here
                     Danica Hughes wants a seat on Council - see here

Editor's Note - Ms. Hughes, on the Rush, suggested that "certain candidates" were running to line their own pockets rather than serving the community interest.  I profoundly regret her making that comment.  Let us all keep the debate to policies or positions that candidates advocate for, and not what a candidate(s) personal motivation is for running.  Interesting that she came right out and endorsed Kerry Cook for Mayor.  I wonder if that will hurt her bid for a Councillor seat or not...

Mayoral Candidate Walt Cobb accuses WL City Hall of "deceit" on the fluoride referendum question - see the video here

Brice O'Neill says "too little, too late" on current WL Council's action with regard to economic development - see here

CRD - Both Stacy Wong (see here) and Bill Carruthers (see here) explain their reasons for running for the Electoral Area 'E' Directorship

School District #27 - Both Jackie Austin & Heather McKenzie explains why they want to become the new Zone 4 Trustee - see here (Austin) and here (McKenzie)

b) Other News...

TNG Tribal Chief Joe Alphonse reports out on their recent trip to Ottawa re: lobbying effort to kill 2nd Prosperity Mine Proposal - see here

Event on using the Internet safely tomorrow evening at the Gibraltar Room - see here
WL and District Chamber of Commerce questioned on why no free forum for WL Mayoral candidates - see here

Joe Alphonse: Trip to Ottawa "Worthwhile"

Courtesy of the Rush:

Tl’etinqox-T’in Chief Joe Alphonse says a trip to Ottawa this week to lobby against Taseko’s Prosperity Mine Proposal was a worthwhile venture.

He says it was worthwhile because it gave his people a chance to tell their side of the story.

Alphonse was in Ottawa with a delegation of First Nations Chiefs from the west Chilcotin and says he met with a number of government agencies, environmental and first nations groups.

He says the group failed to convince the government to cancel Prosperity’s upcoming environmental assessment though.

Alphonse says government bureaucrats indicated their hands were tied and that Taseko is within their rights to re-apply.

That assessment is due to begin no later than November 7th. Taseko’s first application ended with a rejection by Ottawa last year.

Joe Alphonse and 2nd Prosperity Mine Proposal

From the Rush:

First nations groups are in Ottawa starting today to try and pressure government officials into cancelling an environmental review of Taseko Mine’s latest Prosperity mine proposal.

Tl’etinqox-T’in Tribal Chair and Chief Joe Alphonse says he and others will be meeting with various government people, the Assembly of First Nations, various environmental groups and media outlets.

Alphonse and his colleagues are not pleased Ottawa has decided to review another mine application. In fact he calls the latest proposal “a joke, a farce, and a manipulation of government process.”

Ottawa recently announced they would start a new environmental review process no later than November 7th.

I regret profoundly Mr. Alphonse's comments and I would have hoped that he would allow the federal review process to go forward to review Taseko Mines's 2nd Prosperity Mine proposal and postively engage himself and the TNG (Chilcotin National Gov't) in that review

Weekly News Review - August 27th edition

In Quesnel:

* Country singer George Canyon supports a Multi-Centre in Quesnel - see here
* Local resident questions need for late payment on $100 mininum payment on property taxes - see here
* QCEDC reports on upcoming Job Fair on Thursday, September 8th and Friday, September 9th - see here.  Also they report that QCEDC can assist with grant writing - see here

In Williams Lake:

* Non-Profit Groups appear before Skip Trippett Commission about Community Gaming Grants - see here
* Controlled fire burns on Fox Mountain - see here
* Human remains found on outskirts of Williams Lake - see here
* Federal Environmental Assessment agency accepts 'revised' Prosperity Mine proposal - see here
* TNG Tribal Chair Joe Alphonse (Chilcotin National Gov't) says 'no proposal for a mine near Fish Lake, no matter what, is acceptable to us' - see here
* Tribune columnist Dean Fulton on BC Teachers tactics on their desire for a new collective agreement - see here
* Karen Roberts/Nancy Giesbricht thanks everyone for helping with putting on the 2011 Canada Day celebrations - see here
* Ranching community not happy with HST Defeat - see here
* With HST Defeat - Donna Barnett comments here and Cariboo-Chilcotin BC NDP Candidate Charlie Wyse comments here.  Editor's Note - Hey Charlie, the reason it takes 18 months to go from HST to PST/GST is because tax policy on provincial/federal level is complex and it takes time and care to ensure the switch is done in a thoughtful and fair way to all sectors, but gov't will respect the will of the public on the HST Vote

In 100 Mile House:

* OSB Ainsworth Plant in 100 Mile sustains fire damage - see here
* Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA speculates on possibility of fall election - see here
* South Cariboo Labour Council 'too small to survive' - see here

In Kamloops:

* Former Langley Township Councillor and BC Director for the Canadian Taxpayer Federation reviews why the HST failed to pass muster with the public and what Victoria should do next - see here (see also a column today from Province political columnist Mike Smyth on same here)

* Kamloops City Councillor Nancy Bepple pleads with Kamloops residents to vote in November's civic election - see here (Good advice for Cariboo-Chilcotin residents vis-a-vis civic votes in Wells, Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House and Cariboo Regional District elections)