PENTICTON, B.C. – Quesnel City Council has had a good first two days at this year’s Union of British Columbia Municipalities annual convention. Members of Council had the opportunity to meet with several Cabinet Ministers on Tuesday, bringing their concerns to the attention of senior government.

“The annual UBCM convention gives us the chance to ensure the concerns of local government, and specifically those of the residents of Quesnel, are heard at the provincial government’s level,” said Mayor Nate Bello. “We also get the chance to lobby for various initiatives that will help Quesnel as it strives to diversify its economy and further develop the social fabric of our community.”

Councillors Ron Craigmyle, Coralee Oakes, Ron Paull, Mary Sjostrom and Sushil Thapar are attending the convention with Mayor Bello. As of Tuesday morning, Council has met with Minister of Agriculture and Lands Stan Hagen and Minister of Technology, Trade and Economic Development Ida Chong. Council also met with representatives from Northern Health.

Council spoke about the North Cariboo Multi-Centre with Minister Chong, who agreed there is an economic development component to the project. The parties also spoke at length about funding opportunities such as Building Canada fund, Northern Development Initiative and Western Economic Diversification.

At the Northern Health meeting, Council presented a number of topics for discussion, including the current state of the Intensive Care Unit at G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital, a community renal care plan and the potential for a centralized community health care centre. It was a productive meeting with a promise from Northern Health to look into the issues and to speak with Council further.

Council shared its meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Lands Stan Hagen with the Cariboo Regional District, offering an opportunity for regional directors to share some of their concerns with the Minister.

“We will continue to lobby senior government about topics of concern to our residents, such as the ongoing work we’re doing regarding the North Cariboo Multi-Centre and health issues,” added Bello.