Conservative Local Political Party established!

The Vancouver Sun reports that a municipal Conservative Civic Party (not affiliated with the BC Conservative Party) has been registered to run candidates in local elections in Fall 2026 - more here

According to the Vancouver Sun, candidates could run in locations such as: 

Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Delta, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, the Township of Langley, Maple Ridge, Prince George, Richmond, Saanich, Surrey, Vancouver, Vanderhoof, and West Vancouver 

While political parties in the Metro Vancouver Region (West Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, etc.) has occurred in recent history -- it is certainly new territory for Prince George and Kamloops .... 

In Prince George (and to the best of my knowledge) -- if attempted in Fall 2026, this would be the first time in that City's history that a slate/civic party would occur

While in Kamloops (again, to the best of my knowledge) -- if attempted in Fall 2026, this would be the first time in that City's history that a slate/civic party would occur although "civic alliances" have been attempted -- namely "Action 88" during the 1988 local election as well as "Vision Kamloops" during the 2014 local election -- click here.  Former Kamloops Mayor Mel Rothenburger looks into the history of civic political parties in Kamloops - click here

While it is still too soon to know how this development will impact on 2026 Local Elections -- in locations like Kamloops, it is fair to say, given recent developments on Kamloops Council, that the 2026 Local Election in Kamloops will likely be lively, both in terms of those running for the 9 seats on Kamloops Council (1 Mayor + 8 Councillors) as well as the "community conversation" to occur in mid to Fall 2026 in the leadup to the October 17th, 2026 local vote while I expect that there will be no impact in 2026 local elections in the Cariboo-Chilcotin as political parties are generally rejected for those running for Mayor or Councillor (we never see this occur for those running for Regional District Area Director or School District Trustee) 

TNRD Board Requesting Provincial State of Emergency

Courtesy of the Thompson Nicola Regional District:

Editor's Note -- the Squamish Lillooet RD Board has also called upon the Province of BC to declare a Provincial State of Emergency regarding the BC Wildfires situation at its' Special Meeting of July 7th, 2021

At its' regular Board meeting held today, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Board of Directors unanimously passed a motion to ask the Government of British Columbia to declare a Provincial State of Emergency in response to the wildfire situation in BC.

The motion comes as 308 active wildfires are burning in the province, and 13% of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is under an Evacuation Order or Alert. A total of 876 properties in the region are currently impacted by an Evacuation Order, and 2,359 properties are impacted by an Evacuation Alert.

The TNRD Emergency Operations Centre has already declared six States of Local Emergency, and has 15 active Evacuation Orders and 19 active Evacuation Alerts in place.

For further information on the wildfires impacting the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, visit www.tnrd.ca/emergency-services and www.bcwildfire.ca.

Draft 2012-2016 City of Kamloops Financial Plan available

The City of Kamloops Draft 2012-2016 Financial Plan has now been released for public review.  You can review the 5 parts to the Plan here

Also - the kick-off to the public engagement for the 2012 City of Kamloops Budget Process starts on Tuesday, Feb 14th at 9am in Kamloops Council Chambers (#7 Victoria Street West)

Additional meeting dates as follows:

Tuesday, Feb 28 at 7 pm
Parkside Lounge, Interior Savings Centre, 300 Lorne Street

Tuesday, Mar 6 at 7 pm
Parkside Lounge, Interior Savings Centre, 300 Lorne Street

Tuesday, Mar 13 at 7 pm
Parkside Lounge, Interior Savings Centre, 300 Lorne Street

Tuesday, Apr 3 at 9 am
Kamloops Council Chambers, #7 Victoria Street West

Broadcast Times

Budget Meetings can be viewed on Shaw Cable at the following times:

Meeting of Feb 14 broadcasts on Thurs Feb 16 - 9 pm
Meeting of Apr 3 broadcasts on Thurs Apr 5 - 9 pm

Interior Savings Centre Budget meetings:

Meeting of Feb 28 broadcasts on Sun Mar 4 - 2 pm
Meeting of Mar 6 broadcasts on Sun Mar 11 - 2 pm
Meeting of Mar 13 broadcasts on Sun Mar 18 - 2 pm

Meanwhile - in Williams Lake, the Draft 2012 Capital/Operations Budget documents should be available this Friday afternoon at the City of Williams Lake website - click here

Williams Lake Council will meet Tuesday at 6:00pm in Williams Lake Council Chambers (450 Mart St) to discuss the above 2012 Capital/Operations Draft Budget

If you live in either Kamloops/Williams Lake - please take advantage of your community budget meetings - your input will effect what your local elected official says your property taxes will be in 2012!

SBF

End of Week News Wrap... Dec 23rd edition

In Prince George:

Residents in the Haldi and Leslie Rd areas initiate legal proceedings against the City of Prince George over rezoning changes to allow a women's recovery centre - see here.  Meanwhile - the City of Prince George explains what happened at the last PG City Council on this topic - see here.

Finally - the PG Free Press does a good editorial explaining why the letter from the City of PG does nothing to settle the Haldi Rd rezoning issue and why there is likely a lack of trust between PG residents/PG City Council on this or other rezoning issues in the future - see here

In Quesnel:

Phase 2 (Trades) at CNC (College of New Calendonia) opens - see here

In Williams Lake:

WL Mayor Kerry Cook initiates weekly column (and I'm glad to see this and hope it continues) - see her inaugural column here

Williams Lake Tribune states their "Santa list" for 2012 - read here

Local schools work towards preventing bullying - see here

Local RCMP reports breaking up fights at a local high school/CRD Library among other things in their weekly report - see here

Fire at local sawmill total $15-20,000 - see here

RCMP respond to shooting in 4000 block of Mackenzie Avenue - see here

Kamloops Daily News reported on the salary for School District #73's (Kamloops) Superintendent which you can read here.  You can look up your local school district information on pay for the local Superintendent here.  This is an additional requirement imposed on School Districts' in BC (report to Public Sector Employers' Council), if they make above $125,000 per school budget yr (July 1st - June 30th).  This is above/beyond the SOFI (Statement of Financial Information) (report out on staff salaries above $75,000).  SOFI requirement also imposed on all local governments

In School District #28 (Quesnel) - they report that Sue-Ellen Miller (Superintendent) made $159,764 for the school year ending June 30th, 2011.  She also made $158,072 for the school year ending June 30th, 2010 and $149,641 for the school year ending June 30th, 2009.  You can read the full details here

Meanwhile in School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) - they report that Diane Wright earned a salary of $165,908 for the school year ending June 30th, 2010.  For the school year ending June 30th, 2010 - she earned a salary of $169,035.28.  For the school year ending June 30th, 2009 - she earned a salary of $150,719.31 plus a principals' salary of $9,872.90.  She took over from Wayne Leckie who retired on July 31st, 2008 who made for the school year ending June 30th, 2009 - $72,319.29 - see more full details here

In 100 Mile House:

Local hemp projects facing financial and equipment challenges - see here
Recent decision by 100 Mile Council upsets local watershed stewardship group - see here
Parents at local Christian school "against clock" to save their school - see here
CRD Area 'L' Director Bruce Rattray reports on his website that the 2012 Area 'L' Town Hall is scheduled for Monday, February 6th at the Watch Lake Community Hall starting at 7pm

In Kamloops:

Kamloops City Councillor Arjun Singh explains at YourKamloops.com why he voted the way he did on the controversial "Solar Hot Water Ready" regulation - see that explation here

From UBCM (Union of BC Municipalities):

They report that techinical briefings on the new RCMP Contract for British Columbia will commence on Jan 11th in Richmond, Jan 12th in Prince George and Jan 18th in Kelowna. See full details here

Regional News Wrap - Dec 15th edition

In Prince George:

* PG Free Press congratulates Mayor Shari Green for her new Select Committee on Business (see here).  However, the City of PG will be the recipient of a lawsuit from Haldi Rd residents after PG Council adopted a bylaw to permit a women's recovery centre with next to little notice to the public - see here.  PG Free Press wonders where Cariboo-PG MP Dick Harris spends his time...? They have the answer here.  Finally - Macleans' looks at the top 100 Cities in Canada and who's the most dangerous City in Canada...? See the full list here.  But for the record in BC - Prince George made #1, Victoria made #2, Kelowna made #7, Surrey made #10, Nanaimo made #12, Chillwack/New West made #14/15 respectively, Kamloops made #16, Vancouver made #18, and Langley Township made #20.  Prince George RCMP take issue with the #1 ranking - see here and here.  Country wide - Nunavut was the most dangerous place to be in Canada, BC was sixth dangerous with Ontario being the most safest place to be in Canada

In Williams Lake:

* CRD Board: Not enough time to discuss Natural Resource Roads Act - see here.  Editor's Note - Like the Ministry of Natural Resource Operations... I wonder what the CRD was up to given the time to comment on this was from Oct 17th until Dec 15th?? Just asking...

* Ad-Hoc Committee seeks input on locations for dog park - see here.  Editor's Note - I believe the time to have properly discussed this was when the public was discussing the Parks, Trails and Outdoor Recreation Master Plan or PTORMP.  Is the City of Williams Lake now willing to re-open the OCP after its' adoption??  Sure sounds like it...

* TNG Tribal Chair Joe Alphonse/Xeni Gwet'in Chief Marilyn Baptiste comment on proposed changes to length of terms for First Nations' Bands - see here

* Independent MLA Bob Simpson comments on what he and his staff have been up to since the BC Legislature adjourned the Fall Session in November - see here

* Lots of letters discussing the "New Prosperity" mine proposal - see here, here and here
* WL Sportsmens' Assocation President expresses concern about delay to pass new Federal Law to eliminate the Gun Registry - see here
* Local business owner complains that the City of Williams Lake takes too long to issue a building permit - see here.  Editor's Note - not the kind of positive press WL Mayor Kerry Cook and her Council needed, just after the recent election and also her comments on the new contract between the City/CRD for Building Inspectors which is partially likely as to why this owner waited so long for the building permit.  Still - the City should look into this, apologize for the delay and tighten things up to ensure a repeat of this situation doesn't occur again...

In Kamloops:

* Kamloops Councillor Donovan Cavers' proposal for standing votes at Kamloops Council meetings' was resoundly defeated in a 8-1 vote.  Meanwhile - Kamloops Daily News editor and former Kamloops Mayor Mel Rothenberger takes both Kamloops Councillors' Donovan Cavers/Arjun Singh to task for some of their proposals at recent Kamloops Council meetings' - see here

In BC:

* UBCM names members' to the new RCMP Management Committee that'll oversee the new RCMP Contract - see the press release from UBCM here.  Our local City Administrator Brian Carruthers was not appointed to the Committee.  In fact, the Committee seems to be dominated by elected or appointed officials in the Metro Vancouver or Vancouver Island areas.  Our closest reps is Mayor Lori Ackerman of Fort St John, Mayor Peter Milobar of Kamloops and Area 'C' Director Grace McGregor of the Kootenay Boundary Regional District

Also - UBCM Executive at their Nov 24th/25th meeting received a briefing from Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender on status of the new RCMP Contract.  Approval-in-Principle was given, subject to approval by Federal/Provincial Cabinets (Executive Councils').  Local governments to receive briefings in 1st Quarter (Jan 1st - March 31st) of 2012.  Local governments above 5,000 in population to be askedpopulation would be given until March 31, 2012 to determine whether or not they wished to sign a Municipal Police Unit Agreement with the Province for RCMP services. He (Fassbender) pointed out that the Province is developing a Companion Document to go with the new RCMP agreement and intends to hold a technical briefing on the new RCMP agreement for local governments

Standing Votes in Kamloops Council Chambers...

In an intriguing proposal -- newly elected Kamloops Councillor Donovan Cavers is proposing at tomorrow's (Dec 13th) Kamloops Council meeting the following:

NOTICE OF MOTION:

WHEREAS We need regular exercise to keep our brains exercised during a meeting;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the raising of hands be replaced with rising (Standing Votes)

If the above motion passes, then it'll be the first time, to the best of my knowledge, that Standing Votes will be used to vote at City Council or Regional District Board meetings.  It should be noted, that in BC, that only Vancouver Council members' are required to stand while speaking but not to vote.

My guess -- the motion will fail although it is likely to get support from fellow Kamloops Councillor Arjun Singh

SBF

Voter Apathy & Mayors' Race

Today, Kamloops Daily News Managing Editor Mel Rothenburger (former Kamloops Mayor) takes on the issue of voter apathy & Peter Milobar (current Kamloops Mayor) being within 3 days of being acclaimed for an additional 3 year period (Dec 1st, 2011 - Nov 1st, 2014)  as Mayor of Kamloops

See here

While we'll see Mayor races in Quesnel, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House - it looks like whoever runs in Wells (so far) for Mayor could potentially be acclaimed on Friday afternoon (after 4pm) unless two or more people for Mayor of Wells by Friday.  As of Friday - Quesnel's Mayor race was looking like an acclamation as well.  Since this past Saturday and today - both current Quesnel Councillor Ron Paull & former Quesnel Councillor Ron Craigmyle (2005-2008) says that they both want to be Mayor of Quesnel

SBF

Kamloops Council meetings not be taped between Oct 14-Nov 19

At this afternoon's Kamloops Council meeting during the Mayor's Report - Kamloops Mayor Peter Milobar advised Kamloops Council of Shaw TV's intention not to tape their meetings from Friday, October 14th until Saturday, November 19th for Civic Election Blackout purposes

As Shaw TV also tapes Williams Lake/Quesnel Council Meetings - I wonder if they'll impose the same blackout time period here as well...? :(

If so - that would be a major step backwards for those interested in what took place at Quesnel/Williams Lake Council meetings' but are unable to attend and now, if Shaw TV has their way, won't be able to observe the meetings' on TV

SBF

Update at 5:30pm - Tuesday, October 4th:


I've received confirmation that Quesnel Council meetings' will no longer be taped by SHAW TV as of Friday, October 14th until Saturday, November 19th.  I think it is fair to assume that Williams Lake Council will be under the same blackout period

Being Civil when discussing issues...

Over on his blog - BC Conservative Regional Director Alan Forseth writes a very thoughtful and useful blog post on how to politely discuss subjects without making it personal

View it here

Mid Week News - Sept 7th edition

In Quesnel:

The Rush reports that Quesnel Councillor Peter Couldwell calls it a day, after 21 years in office.  I agree with George Henderson that the next Quesnel Council will not be the same without him.  I want to extend my hope that Mr. Couldwell will rest easy, now he doesn't have the hectic meeting schedule after Nov 19th.  But I'm sure he'll find ways to keep busy

In Williams Lake:

* Welcome to Williams Lake columnist Jasmine Hjelden has an interesting idea on graffiti artists in WL and community service - see here

* Local MLA's says review of Pacific Carbon Trust necessary - see here
* New Property Tax Exemption rules not to be in place until Sept 2012 - see here
* Peter Fassbender: "Cities not afraid to drop RCMP" - see here.  Editor's Note - given BC municipalities would have to give 2 years notice to get out and the current contract expires next year, why hasn't there been an analysis (haven't seen one done yet throughout BC) of what a local or provincial police force would cost.  Further - Rich Coleman (then Solicitor-General), in 2003 said that there would be no new municipal police forces established, other than the ones that exists in places like Vancouver, Abbotsford, Victoria, Nelson

* Tribune columnist Diana French reviews the shutdown of the Soutn Cariboo Labour Council and unions in general.  See here.  Editor's Note - I'm somewhat saddened that we won't see the direct involvement of the local labour council and their push for candidates that support their views and I fear that it is not good for our local democracy... :(

* Interesting take on no fall provincial vote - see here
* Update on Deni House renovations - see here

In 100 Mile House:

* New work on school bus stops - see here
* Carbon Neutrality rule for local governments relaxed - see here
* District of 100 Mile nomination forms (Mayor/Councillor) available Monday, Sept 12th - see here

In Kamloops:

* Kamloops Daily News Editor Mel Rothenburger has an interesting take on the municipal race in Kamloops - see here
* BC Conservative Regional Director Alan Forseth has a couple of interesting blog posts - one on Gov't of BC spending (see here) and one on health care issues in rural BC - see here

In Revelstoke:

* Local paper does "interesting" editorial on municipal race for Revelstoke City Council - see here

Editor's Note - the editorial summarizes the type of Councils Williams Lake has had in the past and makes for good "food for thought"

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)

Vancouver City Council: Quit using replacement workers, Rocky Mountaineer!

Kamloops Daily News reports that 9 out of the 11 Vancouver City Council members signed a letter calling on Rocky Mountaineer Vacations not to use "replacement workers" to man the trains used by Rocky Mountaineer

See here

The letter was signed by Vancouver City Councillors Geoff Meggs, David Cadman, George Chow, Andrea Reimer, Heather Deal, Tim Stevenson, Kerry Jang, Ellen Woodsworth and Raymond Louie. 

However the letter was not signed by Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and NPA Mayoralty Candidate/Vancouver City Councillor Sue Anton

See the letter here with the BC Federation of Labour announcement here

SBF