Columbia Revelstoke NDP MLA Norm Macdonald says the Legislative Special Committee on Mid-term Timber Supply will hold its public meeting in Williams Lake on July 5 from 4 to 9 p.m.

“We’ve wrapped up our meetings and there will be some more work done by the ministry staff, and information added to the website,” Macdonald says, adding upcoming discussions with communities, First Nations and local leaders that take place over the next few months will really only be the beginning of discussions.

“Many of the issues that are being raised are big issues and communities really have to authentically be empowered to address them,” he says.

Macdonald adds the process has been interesting, as committee members “get their head around the challenges communities face.”

Cariboo-Chilcotin Liberal MLA Donna Barnett says staff did a good job of giving the panel technical briefings.

“If we don’t understand what’s there, then we never will because staff did a very good job. We’ve known this was coming since 2006, and people that have been involved had a very good idea about the projections out there.”

The task now will be to take the options to the community, public, and stakeholders, and listen to what they have to say, and go back and make a report.

Written submissions are also an option and as of Friday, Barnett has already been forwarded one written submission from chair John Rustad.

“People are very interested,” she says. “This is a very complex issue and something that has to be addressed. From my perspective we’re there to listen with an open mind and take it from there. Who knows what will happen in the end?” she says.

The Williams Lake meeting will take place in Conference Room B #118 in the Pioneer Complex at 351 Hodgson Rd. in Williams Lake.

The meeting date for 100 Mile House is July 5 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and for Quesnel July 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.