Thoughts on BC Politics and More

A 17-year-old Indigenous boy, Vincent, died at Kitimat Hospital three weeks ago, a death that MLA Claire Rattée says was entirely preventable and the result of the NDP’s failures in emergency care and diagnostic access in Northern BC. A mother lost her son because the system failed him at every stage,” said Rattée, Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions. “He endured severe stomach pain for years, dismissed as constipation. Last month, he waited nearly five hours in the ER while turning blue before a CT was finally arranged in Terrace, but no ambulance was available. He had to wait for one from Terrace. This should never happen in British Columbia.” Vincent died at 10:48 p.m., before he was ever transferred for the scan that could have identified and treated his congenital hernia. The Kitimat community fund-raised for a CT scanner in 2023 to prevent tragedies like this. Construction did not begin until August 2025, and the scanner remains non-operational. Gove...

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...

The Skeena Sawmills sawmill and sister pellet plant, both closed and under receivership, are officially for sale as a package ... ... the Oct. 25, 2023 filing cites “weak international lumber markets” as the reason the sawmill shut down in July 2023, it also listed significant debts on the part of the sawmill and pellet plant. By far the largest secured creditor at nearly $110 million is a numbered company controlled by the same people who own ROC Holdings, Skeena Sawmills and Skeena Bioenergy ... 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...