Three of the five resolutions the Cariboo Regional District submitted for consideration at the Union of BC Municipalities received endorsement.
“We were successful getting an agreement to work with our ranchers and the province to deal with noxious weeds on range land,” CRD chair Al Richmond said in an interview Monday.
The resolution had been proposed previously, and rejected, but passed this time because of persistence, he said, adding the CRD was awarded an honourable mention for the resolution itself.
Another passed resolution asked the government to focus more on rural B.C.
“We are largely resource based and really need the help,” Richmond said.
The CRD was also successful in getting the UBCM membership to approve ways to make residents more diligent with smoke alarms, and timing fire insurance renewal with smoke alarm checks.
Two resolutions didn’t get debated because the debate session ran out of time, Richmond said.
One dealt with raising more funds through the SPCA to protect animals.
The other one suggested moving Heritage Week from winter to an “easier” time to hold an event in the Cariboo Chilcotin.
Both of those resolutions were referred to the UBCM executive committee, Richmond said.
The CRD met with Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone to lobby for improved transportation routes into the Nazko area to access mines.
In a meeting with Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Training Skills, the CRD received a commitment from the minister to work on tax relief for seasonal resort owners.
“We also urged her to help with the Nazko Gateway Project because of the number of jobs it would bring into the Cariboo,” Richmond said.
There are four mines considered to be in the region.
Richmond said one mine will provide between 300 to 500 jobs and a lot of spin-off jobs through indirect employment within the service industry.
Richmond said he has no idea what people are thinking by suggesting four-year terms for local government politicians.
“It’s not the first time it’s been passed,” he said. “They went down to two, then to three, they’ve passed four before, and it’s been passed again.”
The CRD was part of a six-community partnership that received an excellence award for collaborating on the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School commemoration project.
“It was really nice to see what everyone can do when they work together,” Richmond said.
Esk’etemc (Alkali Lake) Chief Fred Robins and Phyllis Webstad from Stswecem’c Xgat’tem (Canoe Creek) also travelled to Vancouver to accept the award, Richmond added.