The Cariboo Regional District, City of Williams Lake and Williams Lake Indian Band have formed a new working group.
The group is comprised of elected officials and staff from all three organizations and evolved out of a forum held at Sugar Cane on Thursday, Jan. 16, states a joint press release from the organizations.
“This was an excellent meeting, and I would like to thank Chief Ann Louie and the Williams Lake Indian Band for bringing us together,” CRD Chair Al Richmond said.
“This event was just the beginning and we look forward to continuing to build our communities together,” Richmond said.
The three-and-a-half hour forum was part of a Community to Community forum sponsored by the province.
The focus of the meeting was to improve communications between all three organizations and look for other opportunities to work together.
“This was an excellent day and hopefully the beginning of meaningful collaboration between these three governments,” Chief Ann Louie said.
“We need to work together with mutual respect for the betterment of all our communities and the entire region. Once we establish the working group envisioned by this Community to Community Forum, the real work can begin.”
The group will begin meeting within the next 30 days with a mandate to identify areas of mutual interest and potential shared services which could be addressed collectively to benefit all residents of the region.
“The City of Williams Lake places a very high value on partnerships, and this working group involving our neighbouring governments is an excellent example of working together,” Mayor Kerry Cook said.