By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Election season is in full swing as B.C. residents prepare to cast their ballots for the provincial general election, taking place on October 19th. The Goat interviewed each of the three MLA candidates running in the Prince George-Valemount riding about how they plan to advocate for Robson Valley residents. This is our interview with NDP candidate Clay Pountney.
Residents can register to vote at elections.bc.ca/register until 11:59 p.m. on October 7th.
Advance voting is taking place from Thursday, October 10th, through Wednesday, October 16th (advance voting places will be closed for Thanksgiving on Monday the 14th). Advance voting is taking place at Elks Hall, 172 Holdway Street, in McBride and the Valemount Community Hall, 101 Gorse Street, in Valemount.
Experience
Clay Pountney served as Chief of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation for one two-year term. That experience, along with his involvement in local music and sports organizations, is what motivated him to run in the election. He hopes to continue the work of the current NDP-led administration while advocating for the needs of northern B.C., he said.
“As a chief, I was meeting regularly with the City [of Prince George] and the Regional District to try to identify issues and work together to solve those problems,” he said. “I think I can still be a piece of that moving forward for the community up here. I know it’s a bigger job, but I believe I’m the guy that can do this.”
Prior to his time on Lheidli T’enneh Council, Pountney worked in several industries, from roofing to forestry to oil and gas – all of which have informed the perspective he brings to politics, he said.
“You need people from all facets of life for good decision making,” Pountney said. “You can’t have just people who’ve been in politics their whole career.”
What he’s heard
Pountney says health care and economic concerns are among the biggest issues he’s heard from PG-Valemount residents. He says he will advocate for more resources to be allocated to the University Hospital of Northern B.C., so residents of the surrounding region can access more health care services close to home.
“We should be the capital of the north for health care,” Pountney said. “We need the satellite hospitals and the doctors and nurses there, but we do need another major hub [alongside UHNBC] to service the north.”
Top of the agenda
Pountney said if he’s elected, his first 100 days will be a learning experience. But while learning the ropes of working as an MLA, he plans on making health care and housing his top priorities. In particular, he wants to assess how the NDP’s commitment to build 300,000 homes over the next 10 years will include northern B.C., and determine how other NDP policies will apply to the PG-Valemount riding.
“We have needs up here for those parts of the platform – housing, healthcare, pieces like that – and it’s looking at what [policies are] coming, and then [translating] that to what will be happening up here over the next couple of years.”
Education
Providing enough funds for necessary school infrastructure projects and keeping small schools open is a crucial part of ensuring that rural schools are on par with their urban counterparts, Pountney said.
He brought up his previous advocacy around equity in education during his time as Lheidli T’enneh chief. In 2021, he pushed for a forensic audit of School District 57 to create more transparency about how funds sent from First Nations to the District were being used, especially targeted funds for special needs students. He emphasized the need for collaboration between school districts and provincial and local governments.
“It wasn’t a fight [with the District],” Pountney said. “It was me and everybody else learning together, and trying to find solutions to address those issues.”
Forestry
Having previously worked in forestry and silviculture, Pountney sees the forestry industry as an important cornerstone of the northern B.C. economy. He wants to protect the province’s remaining old growth forests, while harvesting other forests sustainably.
“Growing up in Prince George, we had this saying that one pulp mill job helped put food on the table for about eight different families because there’s a trickle down effect,” he said. “A lot of people have made a livelihood doing forestry, so we don’t want to see it go away… It’s taking a step back and looking at it from a lens of sustainability.”
Climate Change
Pountney says he supports the NDP’s efforts to target big polluters by regulating businesses with high greenhouse gas emissions. He also hopes the forestry industry will adopt practices to make forests more wildfire-resistant, such as planting more deciduous trees.
“I talked to people in smaller communities here and they said that previously there was always a handful of fire crew [on hand] to be in the initial attacks,” he added. “I think that’s something we have to look at for all communities moving forward.”
Local Business
Pountney said he will consult business owners in Blue River, Valemount and McBride to best determine how they can be supported after this summer’s highway closures significantly reduced tourism in the region.
“You have to come listen to the people [in these communities] and look at the ideas that are being put around… I know a lot of these community members probably have a pretty darn good idea of what they need.”
Closing comments
For those who were planning to vote for BC United candidate and incumbent MLA Shirley Bond, Pountney says he will bring the same open communication that residents enjoyed with Bond. He plans on making multiple visits to the Robson Valley before election day, and says he will continue to attend community events throughout the riding if elected.
“Being an MLA, you have to give up a lot of your life for your constituents, which I’m ready to tackle,” Pountney said. “It’s not about sitting behind a desk, it’s about getting out there and chatting with people.”
Pountney also emphasized the importance of listening to experts while making policy decisions.
“It’s kind of walking a fine line,” he said. “You have to do your due diligence and listen to a lot of experts and a lot of local people to find really good solutions.”
