Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Delays hindering, not helping, Lytton’s recovery

 

Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart and the BC Liberal Caucus continue to appeal to the NDP government, whose failure to respond to the Lytton wildfire recovery in a timely manner has left residents and business owners who lost everything stuck waiting for desperately needed supports.

 

“It has been 198 days since the fire swept through the village, destroying homes and businesses, and upending the lives of hundreds of people,” said Tegart. “For months now, Lytton residents have been waiting for the support they were promised and the resources needed to start the process of rebuilding their lives.

 

There is good work being done by the people on the ground to get services back into the village, but many of the key overarching supports promised by the provincial government are nowhere to be seen. They promised to fund the removal of debris from properties, but now, nearly 200 days later, not one permit has been given out to start this process.

 

For most residents and business owners, the only difference between July 1, 2021, and today, is the snow that’s now on the ground.”

 

The Insurance Bureau of Canada recently reported that while the insured costs of recovery and reconstruction in Lytton were originally estimated to be $78 million, ​they have ​now increased to $102 million, due in large part to the reconstruction delays in the town.

 

“It is unacceptable that hundreds of people are now facing their 200th day without a home, while so little progress has been made by the province to get rebuilding underway,” added Tegart. “Now, with this revised estimate from Insurance Bureau of Canada we can clearly see the financial costs of the delays, in addition to the emotional toll on those impacted.

 

It’s time for our government to treat the situation with the urgency and care these British Columbians deserve and expedite the recovery and reconstruction process today.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interfor Moves Headquarters Out of BC as Forestry Crisis Continues

NDP policies are driving businesses out of B.C., and the forestry industry just suffered yet another calamity. Interfor, a BC company founded more than 60 years ago and now one of the world's largest lumber producers, is moving its headquarters from Burnaby, BC to Atlanta, Georgia. As BC’s forestry sector faces mill closures and mounting uncertainty, this move is another warning sign that the crisis is deepening and conditions are fatal. “This is the NDP’s record: endless job losses with no hope in sight for the forestry sector,” said Ward Stamer, Shadow Minister for Forestry. “Interfor still has three mills in BC which are now in serious jeopardy, and it is likely we will see even more companies pull out of BC. The NDP government is suffocating the forestry industry with high taxes, excessive regulations, and permitting delays, while DRIPA has made it impossible to plan for the future.” “Decisions like this are sadly not surprising given the NDP’s indifference if not hostility tow...
Post a Comment
Read more

Okanagan Farmers Face NDP-Created Water Crisis ~~ BC Conservatives

Okanagan farmers are facing a water crisis as government-imposed restrictions threaten to kill their crops and destroy one of B.C.’s most important agricultural industries. In perhaps the most water-rich province in the country, our farmers have been left high and dry by the NDP government. For nine weeks, Okanagan and Shuswap farmers have proposed solutions, only to be met with NDP foot-dragging. Now forest fires have come to these regions as they are simultaneously reckoning with a water crisis that has been made worse through years of government inaction. Vernon-area farms have lost 70 percent of their water, while Kelowna and Summerland growers face severe restrictions. This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue. Ian Paton, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, said the NDP is once again forcing farmers to pay for its own failure to plan. "Farmers and ranchers must be listened to when decisions affecting their livelihoods are made, and under the NDP, they aren’t," said...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Hypocritically Admits Natural Gas Power Was Needed All Along ~~ BC Conservatives

The NDP just got caught buying back the exact kind of power plant it spent years telling British Columbians they didn't need. The NDP government announced today that BC Hydro is purchasing the Island Generation natural gas facility in Campbell River, an admission that its electrification-only energy policy was never realistic. The 275-megawatt plant was originally privately owned yet kept to a minimal backup role under the NDP, operating just 15 days a year on average. Now, with demand outpacing what the NDP's plan can support, the government is spending taxpayer funds on the very gas capacity it once treated as obsolete. "You cannot electrify everything and pretend natural gas doesn't matter," said Larry Neufeld, Shadow Minister for Energy.  "Buying back a gas plant they once wrote off is proof their own plan couldn't keep the lights on. It's a step towards more energy reality, but the government needs to go further and scrap the impending province-w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more