Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The government used to fund rapattack crews for wildfire response in Clearwater. Sadly, this government dropped the rapattack crew in Clearwater a couple of years back. The district of Clearwater has now been forced to use their own municipal funds to set up and pay for a rapattack crew to protect their community this summer. Why is the Premier forcing communities to protect its citizens from a wildfire because this government won’t? And how many other communities will now have to fund their own wildfire response teams? ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

  Taxing everyday working people into poverty will not change the weather   KAMLOOPS (March 31, 2024):   As David Eby’s NDP government prepares to raise the BC Liberal initiated provincial carbon tax tomorrow, BC’s Conservatives remain the only party committed to eliminating this unfair tax on residents. With gas prices already averaging $1.70 per litre across the ridings of Kamloops Centre and Kamloops North Thompson, how much are people in Clearwater, Kamloops, and Barriere already paying in taxes? According to the Government of Canada * , it amounts to 38.81 cents per liter; tomorrow, it will reach over 42 cents as the provincial government implements a further 3.3 cent increase to the carbon tax . Speaking to this latest increase to hit families, Kamloops North Thompson Conservative candidate Ward Stamer noted, “ A good t wo-thirds of the economy in the North Thompson is driven by ranching and forestry, and both will be hit hard as the carbon tax -- on fuel ne...

A BC senior is sounding the alarm about rural health care after she was discharged from hospital at night with no way to get home. Janis Hart, 77, fainted and went into convulsions at her home in Clearwater on Tuesday night. She was rushed to the local hospital and then transferred to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Hart said she was diagnosed with swelling of the brain and given a prescription before being discharged around 9 p.m. Wednesday. By that time, it was dark out and Hart said her husband isn’t able to drive safely at night. Hospital staff made no arrangements for her to make it the 120 kilometres home, she said . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

Barriere Mayor Ward Stamer says he is optimistic the provincial government will implement mandatory dashboard cameras on commercial vehicles following talks with BC’s transportation minister. Last year, Stamer and Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell championed a resolution, approved at the Union of BC Municipalities conference, asking the province to review the feasibility of mandating all commercial semi-trucks registered in BC to have dash cams installed and in operation while driving on provincial roads. The rationale of the resolution is that dash cams can encourage commercial truck driver accountability in adhering to safe driving practices. The province recently issued a response to the resolution, stating it's reviewing feasibility of this initiative and consultation with stakeholders will occur likely in the first half of 2024 . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

Kamloops MLAs Todd Stone and Peter Milobar say a BC United government will spend at least $200-million on infrastructure and safety upgrades on Highway 5 in the North Thompson. Speaking on NL Newsday, Stone – who is currently the MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson but running for re-election in the newly re-drawn Kamloops-North Thompson riding – says the plan includes adding three new passing lanes, at least one new full-amenity rest stop, and a Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station near Clearwater ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The big losers in this whole WE scandal mess are students and charities who would have been mutually benefiting each other by now had the new $912M Canada Student Service Grant program not drowned in scandal. The Prime Minister announced the program April 23, and on June 25, we learned WE Charity would manage it. Since then it’s come to light that Justin Trudeau’s family members were paid $566,000 for involvement in WE Charity events, and Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s two daughters also have WE ties. Additionally, WE paid $41,000 for two vacations for Morneau’s family in 2017, money he only repaid last week. So both Trudeau and Morneau are under investigation by the federal Ethics Commissioner for potential conflict of interest and are in the hot seat with questions from three different House of Commons committees, not to mention the media. It’s basic stuff that elected officials recuse themselves from discussions, decisions, debates or votes on issues where they might have ...

Just two days ago, Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, announced that up to 25 British Columbians, affected by the downturn in the forest sector, were going to receive training and work experience in asphalt paving and heavy construction. In making the announcement he commented that, “ We know that heavy equipment operators and similar construction occupations will be in great demand over the next 10 years.  The provincial government is working with industry and unions to hire trainees and provide training for new career path opportunities that will allow British Columbians to support themselves and their families ”. With a government grant of nearly half a million dollars ($450,000) the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115, in partnership with Emil Anderson Construction , Dawson Blacktop and Dawson Group will be delivering road-building and heavy-construction training programs for 25 individuals ...

The forest industry was in crisis throughout  most of 2019 and will continue to get worse ~~ John Rustad According to a BC government media release yesterday, displaced (doesn’t that sound so clinical?) forestry workers are now able to access direct, hands-on supports at job placement co-ordination offices five forestry reliant communities in interior and northern BC. These dedicated offices are in 100 Mile House, Fort St. James, Fort St. John, Mackenzie and Clearwater, and each of the offices is staffed with a co-ordination officer who is a displaced forestry worker. According to the Labour Ministry, these co-ordinators will be able to understand what individuals, who are seeking assistance in finding new jobs or training opportunities, are experiencing.   I asked BC Liberal Forestry critic John Rustad about his thoughts on this, and he was quick in stating that while he was happy to see this type of help, for struggling forestry workers, he wondered w...