Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Yesterday, Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena and Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, stood with Tyler Gibbs — the son of Diane Chandler, a 60-year-old woman who died alone in her room at Foxglove, a provincially-funded supportive housing facility operated by RainCity Housing in Surrey. Her body remained undiscovered for 11 days. “What happened to Diane Chandler is not just a tragedy, it’s a failure of every safeguard that was supposed to protect her,” said Rattée. “This government calls it supportive housing. But where was the support? Where was the oversight? Where was the care?” Gibbs only learned of the details surrounding his mother’s death once he inquired during her cremation a month later. During that same time, Tyler learned that the facility had mistaken Diane for another tenant during a wellness check, another resident who tragically passed away a few days after this incident. “If the staff thought that this other resident was Diane, where did they think ...

Screen shot from Island Health Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena and Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions and Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Official Opposition Critic for Rural Health and Seniors’ Health, are raising urgent concerns regarding the planned relocation of the Ledger Inpatient Program for Children and Youth from the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health to the Eric Martin Pavilion at Royal Jubilee Hospital. The Ledger Program, which provides intensive inpatient mental health care for vulnerable children and youth, is currently housed in a purpose-built facility designed specifically for pediatric needs. Its existing location offers critical therapeutic amenities such as outdoor recreational spaces, a dedicated on-site school, occupational therapy rooms, and creative studios. Reports now indicate that the program is being moved to a facility historically used for adult psychiatric care, causing concerns about safety, suitab...

Claire Rattée, Conservative Party of British Columbia Candidate for Skeena, announced her unequivocal support for the construction of a new treatment center in Terrace. Rattée emphasized the urgent need to prioritize effective treatment solutions over the dangerously misguided approach of handing out free drugs. “Terrace has urgently needed a recovery center for far too long. As someone who has overcome addiction, I understand the critical need for safe and accessible treatment options for those struggling. This project is deeply personal to me because, without the treatment access I had while living in the Lower Mainland, I might not be where I am today,” Rattée shared.  “The nearest center is over six hours away, which is impractical and unacceptable, especially considering Terrace has the second-highest rate of unregulated drug fatalities in BC It’s time to prioritize recovery and harm prevention over harm reduction.” Rattée criticized the current approach of handing out free d...

. . . . Sharon Hartwell is not afraid to go up against a veteran representative of the area. Stikine NDP MLA Nathan Cullen has held the position since 2022 but prior to that was the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley from 2004 until 2019. “I’m not concerned about Nathan, he has his policies and his politics and that’s fine. That’s his voice. That’s his concern. Mine is different,” she said. “So people will have to make that choice. But I’m not going to make this over NDP or whatever. This is about the people in the riding. They’re going to make that choice” . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP has new challenger in northwest B.C. seat in provincial MLA Ellis Ross Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach has responded to the announcement of Ellis Ross as the Conservative candidate for the next federal election. Bachrach argues that the Skeena MLA has hitched his horse to the wrong wagon ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Opinion: Ellis Ross is major loss to Kevin Falcon's team as MLA announces run for federal Conservatives BC United tried this week to put a happy face on the news that high-profile MLA Ellis Ross was bolting to the federal Conservatives ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... Ross dismissed the assertion BCUP is following Rustad’s lead, instead saying it’s a simple matter of economics, that the NDP is ignoring the skyrocketing cost of living. “It’s typical of this NDP government,” Ross said. “They will talk about everything but the central issue, and that’s affordability. When you have families with jobs going to the food bank, we have a problem. When they can’t afford their rent, we have a problem. But instead of figuring out this issue, they raise the carbon tax" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

I have always believed in democracy and that as Canadians we have a tent big enough include all our political persuasions, and that we can achieve more working together with respect. I saw John Diefenbaker mentioned on your blog, and thought you might like to hear or share, a couple of stories I have about him.   We were living in Kitimat during one federal election when John was the leader of the Conservative party. I still remember painted footprints on the sidewalks with the words “ Follow John ”, ingenious!   But I digress.   Our candidate for the NDP on this election was Frank Howard who was the MP for Skeena for many years. We had worked with Frank for a long time and admired him immensely. The conservative candidate was a fellow named Art Bates, the manager of the TV station in Terrace.   Many of us in the NDP were fully aware of Frank’s background. As a troubled youth, who went from a very bad family situation into the foster care syste...

BC Liberal MLA, for the riding of Skeena, Ellis Ross I’m a 55-year-old Aboriginal man born and raised on a reserve on the west coast of British Columbia. I had no intention or desire to be a leader but was always asked to step into these roles as I grew up. There is nothing remarkable or outstanding about my history. In fact, in looking at my younger years, including my younger adult days, my story is typical of thousands of Aboriginals that came before me and continue on to this day. My first realization of hopelessness came when I was approximately 14 years old standing in front of our condemned fire hall and it occurred to me that I had no future and that I would be doomed to wander the streets of my village doing drugs, drinking alcohol and getting into trouble. I decided right there that I would quit doing drugs. Instead, I poured my physical and mental health into basketball. In our village, basketball is highly popular, and it is the same with neighbouring communities. I...