Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Dragon Mountain Provincial Park rises in a forested hump above the farmland just south of Quesnel, with a gravel road to its summit and 600 metres of descending mountain bike trails through rocks, chutes and mature forest. The local builders of the trails did such a good job that Quesnel is now a mountain bike destination, with Dragon Mountain its star attraction. But where mountain bikers see a playground, wildfire experts see the makings of a disaster waiting to happen: a tangle of dead and dying Douglas firs and lodgepole pines; a forest floor littered with deadfall; west-facing slopes that dry out quickly; steep, uneven terrain; and a nest of communication towers essential to emergency services. “If there’s a forest fire on Dragon Mountain it would burn the whole thing” ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs says a defamation lawsuit filed by Pat Morton, the spouse of Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull, should be dismissed based on the province’s anti-SLAPP legislation. Morton and her son Kevin Christieson filed separate claims in B.C. Supreme Court on May 12 alleging that a letter the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, or UBCIC, wrote to Quesnel city council last year defamed them and brought “severe reputational damage, emotional distress and fear.” The UBCIC, which represents more than 100 First Nations in B.C., accused Morton of promoting and sharing the controversial book Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the Truth about Residential Schools) at the income tax business where she works ... CLICK HERE for the full story

  The Conservative Party of BC and Sheldon Clare, candidate for Prince George-North Cariboo, released the following statement on the disastrous and continued mismanagement of Highway 26 and a petition received by residents who live in the Wells and Quesnel area: “As British Columbians are thinking about packing up their cars and exploring the province this summer, the last thing they should be worried about is their own safety while driving on a taxpayer-funded road,” said Conservative Party of BC leader John Rustad. “We have heard loud and clear from the hundreds of residents along the Wells and Quesnel area who presented their concerns to the Conservative Party of BC regarding the terrible and dangerous state of Highway 26. It’s time for action to be taken.” “The NDP’s track record of fiscal mismanagement and failure to invest in critical infrastructure projects, like Highway 26, is simply not acceptable or sustainable,” he added. “The people living in, working in, and travelin...

The leader of the BC United Party has committed to build the long awaited interconnector in Quesnel should his party form the next government. Kevin Falcon made the announcement on Thursday (Jan 18) during a visit to Quesnel. “I am here to say that one of the very first things that we will get moving is, I know that the Ministry has done early design work on it, so really the only thing holding up this project is committed dollars and the Ministry moving forward, and we are going to hit send and make sure that that interconnector gets built" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Just recently forestry executives warned mayors at the North Central Local Government Association that the myriad of BC NDP government changes could lead to 8 to 10 mill closures. One of the reasons?   British Columbia has become the highest cost producer in North America, and is very vulnerable to changing market conditions. The Financial sector (Paul Quinn of RBC) stated, " Unfortunately, we believe that this government has very little idea of what's required to foster a globally competitive forest industry ." And the fall-out for forestry workers, in an industry that once dominated every other natural resource, is continued job losses, and mill closures in every region and area of the province – the latest being the closure of Tolko Industries Quest Mill in Quesnel.   Quest Wood Sawmill in Quesnel On that subject, Doug Donaldson the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, released a statement last ...

Alan Forseth ~~ Kamloops, BC ~~ May 14th, 2019 Yesterday, Conservative MP Dan Albas tabled a Private Member's Bill,  As he stated in presenting it to Members of the House of Commons, the Bill (C-447) was one he believed would give Canadians some peace of mind that their property is protected from criminal activity during an evacuation order due to flooding or forest fires. Albas observed that over the past couple of weeks we had seen the very best of Canadians, as people volunteered to help their neighbours struggling with flooding in Ontario, Quebec , and New Brunswick. “ In my home province of British Columbia, I’ve seen the same thing when people are fleeing high water or wildfires are welcomed with open arms into the homes and communities of their fellow Canadians ”, Albas observed before continuing. “ However, some people use disasters as an opportunity to abuse that trust, and prey on the vulnerable through theft and looting ”.  ...

Care to guess which of the following news story starts, from the BC Government News on Demand website, ran prior to the start of the BC provincial election -- and which have run since after the election? Effective immediately, the new allowable annual cut for the Quesnel Timber Supply Area is set at 2,607,000 cubic metres, chief forester Diane Nicholls announced today... Floodwaters and groundwater in many places in the Central Interior are expected to continue to rise, and the threat may not be over for some time... Effective at noon on June 15, 2017, the size of open fires will be restricted at all elevations throughout the entire Kamloops Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect the public... All travellers, including drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, are reminded that McKenzie Avenue will be closed while construction crews install the new Galloping Goose Trail bridge as part of the McKenzie ...

The other day, a friend posted a comment to something I had shared online.     They asked, " Why do politicians feel like they need to dress up when in photo ops?   The kind of dress up that I guess is supposed to say Look at me. I'm just like you " Well Christy Clark is NOT just like me ... or the majority of British Columbians ... and she really hasn't had to worry much about getting the kind of job the rest of British Columbians struggle to find; one where they can raise a family, and send their children to schools of higher education. I find her expensive photo ops, where she show up with her phony beaming smile, to be galling. Which is why at another one of her recent hard hat / safety vest events, in Quesnel this past Friday (April 21st) I found her comments to be irresponsible, or at the very least, careless.   Here's what she had to say :

This afternoon (March 21st), the race to become the 2017-21 MLA for Cariboo - North grew to four, with the introduction of Richard Jacques from the BC Green Party.   Mr. Jacques, who hails from Prince George, also ran in the October 2015 Federal Election for the Green Party of Canada in the riding of Cariboo - Prince George; he was not successful in that election. Richard Jacques, Cariboo - North candidate for the BC Green Party His bio from the BC Green Party website is as follows: Richard is married and has 6 children, the two youngest are still at home, the rest are pursuing post-secondary educational studies. Richard is currently completing his British Columbia Teacher Certification through Faculty of Education at UBC. After a tenure with the Manitoba Dept. of Corrections, Richard attended the RCMP Training Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan; he was later posted throughout the Province of British Columbia where he would spend many productive years in First Nati...

This past Thursday (March 9th) was 60 days exactly until BC Voters' go to General Polling Day on May 9th to elect 87 MLA's for the 41st Parliament of British Columbia Today (March 14th) is Day 55 to the 41st General Election of British Columbia. MLA Candidates in both Cariboo Chilcotin, and for the riding of Cariboo North, for the 2017 BC Election have not changed as of today: Cariboo North: Coralee Oakes (BC Liberal incumbent) will go up against Scott Elliott (BC NDP) Cariboo Chilcotin:  Donna Barnett (BC Liberal incumbent) vs. Sally Watson (BC NDP) vs. Rita Giesbrecht (BC Greens) Although there has not been an official media announcement (that I'm aware of), tomorrow night at the Quesnel School District Board of Education Meeting, SD28 Board Vice-Chair Tony Goulet will inform his colleagues that he is running in ...

Last night, I had the opportunity to meet one on one with BC Conservative Party Leader Dan Brooks, here in Kamloops.   He'd had a long drive, coming down from Vanderhoof, and I could tell the length of the day, and the miles, had worn him out.   Part way through the day, he let me know that he was going to be delayed. It seems that just a short distance out of Williams Lake, he'd received a phone call from someone in Quesnel wanting to talk to him about running as a Conservative candidate, in the Quesnel North riding, in the next election.   He turned the truck around and headed back North to meet with the individual, and then headed back on his way to Kamloops; no wonder he looked worn! What's with political life that it takes someone young and vibrant, and seems to wear them down before your eyes?   I remember the provincial campaign, in the late 70's, when Dave Barrett's NDP government went down to defeat after just one term.   I also remember B...