Submitted by the Village of Valemount
A Village delegation, comprised of Councillors Hollie Blanchette, Donnie MacLean, Pete Pearson, Mayor Owen Torgerson, and CAO Wayne Robinson attended the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Convention, held in Vancouver, September 23-27, 2019.
The Village delegation met with provincial cabinet ministers, BC Assessment Authority, the Resort Municipality Community Collaborative, BC Mayors Caucus, members of the Legislative Assembly, other municipal leaders, and took part in seminars and education sessions pertinent to the Village of Valemount.
Highlights include the following:
Meeting with the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions on the topic of receiving local program funding for to improve mental health services for boys and men.
Meeting with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure discussing BC North Bus scheduling; the need for improvements to highways 5 and 16 to enhance highway safety; and, the potential increase in heavy traffic in the Valemount-area due to Hwy 1 closures 2020-2024.
Meeting with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing about the current lack of housing for residents, transient and low income workers; and difficulties surrounding curtailment of Rural Dividend Fund.
Meeting with Minister Katrine Conroy, requesting that BC Hydro reassess the existing feasibility report to construct a weir across Kinbasket Reservoir in order to eliminate dust events impacting the Village and to spur development opportunities around Kinbasket.
Meeting with Liberal MLA Bond, Green MLA Furstenau, and Green Party staff about how the two MLAs can work together, across party lines, to move forward on Valemount’s geothermal potential.
Attending council members voted on resolutions brought forward to the UBCM for those initiatives to be brought forward to the BC Government.
