Another successful Stampede weekend in Williams Lake, with nearly 16,000 people attending the rodeo alone over the four days! It was a lot of fun. On Friday, I met the Nemiah riders on Highway 20, and got to ride in a wagon for the last hour of the journey into the Stampede. It was great to see so many young people involved.
It was great to host MLA Donna Barnett and Coralee Oakes, not only a neighbour (in Quesnel), but the cabinet minister responsible for local government at the Stampede. A big thank you to all those who made this a successful Stampede: the Stampede Association, the BIA, the Rotary clubs, Knights of Columbus, the Arts Society, and all those sponsors and volunteers who help make Williams Lake shine, not just at Stampede time, but all year long.
Council has met with the Ministry of Forests, and will meet next week with forest licensees, as we formulate our position on a science-based review of the timber supply. Forestry has been a mainstay here for a long time, and we want to keep it a healthy, vibrant industry. Good news on that front, as West Fraser has recently taken out its building permit for the new planer mill, with a project value of $5.45 million. It’s fantastic to see West Fraser reinvesting in our city, and another sign of faith in the industry.
We lost an amazing lady last week. I knew Audrey MacLise as a realtor (she sold us our first house), as a mentor, and as a strong seniors and community advocate. She walked the walk and lived out what she believed. Audrey was very well respected, and truly made a difference in our community. She will be very dearly missed.
Performances in the Park kick off tonight and there will be great entertainers in Boitanio Park every Thursday night from now until Aug. 22.
Kerry Cook is the mayor of Williams Lake.