The city’s priorities will be on the forefront when city council meets with Premier Christy Clark and cabinet ministers at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention at the Vancouver Convention Centre Sept. 16 - 20, Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook said Thursday.
“There are about eight different priorities, such as mid-term timber supply, our community forest application or crime,” Cook said.
Additionally, the city has been asked to present at a mid-sized community forum on Tuesday, where Cook will talk about the “resiliency of our community.”
Thirdly, the Rural B.C. Steering Committee, of which Cook is a member, is meeting with the premier and a number of cabinet ministers and putting forward some recommendations that support rural B.C.
Cook will present for Rural B.C. during a breakfast session and the committee will also have a booth.
“We want to get across the important role that rural B.C. plays. This is huge,” Cook said, insisting a healthy rural B.C. means a healthy B.C. and that the province needs a rural B.C. strategy.
Williams Lake’s UBCM resolutions
Two resolutions from Williams Lake will be on the roster during the UBCM conference.
One asks for compulsory consumer labelling of food containing genetically modified organisms.
In its comments, the UBCM Resolutions Committee said UBCM considered but did not endorse a similar resolution in 2009. However, in 2012 the membership endorsed asking the provincial government to legislate the prohibition of importing, exporting, and the domestic production of fruit and plant material containing genetically engineered (GE) DNA.
The second resolution requests changes be made to allow for the consideration of the prolific nature of offenders during prosecution.
The resolution committee noted that previously UBCM has not pconsidered a resolution requesting a change to the court system.