Premier David Eby said he’d visit Fort St John while city council was at a conference of local governments. Councillors also brought the natural resource sector and local healthcare shortfalls to the province’s attention.
To represent Fort St John at the Union of B.C. Municipalities in the provincial capital, Mayor Lilia Hansen was joined by four of her fellow city councillors. To Hansen, the meeting of municipalities and members of the legislative assembly represented an opportunity to connect on shared goals and issues.
“The issues we’re bringing forth in Fort St John are shared amongst many other municipalities. We had the support from north to south, and that doesn’t always happen,” said Hansen.
She said the premier accepted an invitation to visit the natural resource sites in the north Peace.
“In order for us to have further discussions (and) to say ‘these are our needs and wants’ we (need) to show the reasons why. He can come up here and have an in-person look,” said the mayor. “It makes a difference when you can see something in-person versus just sitting across a table and having that conversation. I think the dialogue would be different.”
City council brought six issues to the table for discussion. There was an emphasis on the resources the community has to offer, with three pertaining to the sector.
“One of our resolutions we brought forward was on efficient resource permitting. We’ve heard from multiple industries how the inability to get a timely permit has affected their project – it causes indecisiveness for investment,” explained Hansen.
Healthcare was also on the mind of city council, especially after several temporary closures of emergency departments across the Peace. None of the recent closures have impacted the Fort St John Hospital, but the city is experiencing staffing shortages causing longer waits. To combat this, they led a discussion on streamlining the process for out-of-province and internationally certified healthcare workers to be validated in B.C.
Councillors also discussed the affordability of housing. Hansen said the issue isn’t as drastic as other cities, but “not all housing can fit everyone’s budget. So, we need to look at how we (can) make sure everybody has a roof.”
She suggested ways the city could receive sustainable funding to partner with co-operative housing organizations.
“Another resolution we brought forward was addressing RCMP staffing and contract costs,” said Hansen. “We value public safety, but the rising cost of policing is quite high. It’s one of the largest line items in any municipal budget. We’re asking for more transparency when we receive invoices – but we’re also asking for a seat at the table.”
While Hansen and other members of city staff were in Victoria, city councillors Trevor Bolin and Jim Lequiere held down the Fort (St John). They continued conducting the council’s business and hearing from residents. Hansen said feedback from residents informs discussions at meetings like UBCM.
