亚洲天堂 Lake Council held several discussions with provincial ministers about forestry, healthcare, and housing needs at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference held last month in Vancouver.
This year, a central focus for the Council was advocating for essential changes to the forestry tenure system, said Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake Chief Administrative Officer Sheryl Worthing.
Council representatives emphasized the necessity of keeping logs local and urged for the rejection of timber tenures as standalone assets, aimed at boosting economic resilience and community sustainability.
In addition to discussions with various ministers, the council engaged in several informative sessions covering critical topics such as affordable housing, emergency preparedness, rural healthcare access, and climate action strategies.
The insights gained during these sessions highlighted a commonality among rural municipalities, Worthing said.
"Our representatives found that in every session, there were many rural municipalities facing the same concerns and shortages that we are, with a lack of affordable housing, increasing rates of homelessness, negative impacts from forestry industry regulations, the need for greater funding for emergency response and recovery and a shortage of medical professionals."
The collaborative atmosphere at UBCM enabled the Council to connect with representatives from other municipalities, reinforcing the collective voice of rural communities in addressing these urgent issues, Worthing said.
The outcomes of the meetings with ministers and the resolutions put forth during the conference will not be clear until after the upcoming election (Oct. 19), Worthing said.
"However, any time you have an opportunity to meet with Ministers and ministerial staff and to collaborate with other municipalities to have one voice, it strengthens the ability of all municipalities to meet the needs of their residents," she added.
