After last week's Housing Forum in Vancouver, this week takes Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond to Victoria for Resource Benefits talks

Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond and the other co-chairs of the
Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance are in Victoria this week
hoping to further the project along.

The resumption of the BC Legislature this week, has made for an opportunity for a trio of Northwest municipal leaders to head for the provincial capital to continue the work on the Northwest BC Resources Association  initiative.

Prince Rupert Mayor Pond, is joining Terrace Mayor Sean Bujtas and Smithers Mayor Gladys Atrill this week in Victoria, Mr. Pond noting of the latest themes to the NWRBA work at last Monday's Council Session. 

Resource Benefit Alliance Initiative 

"There are, you know even once we replace the pipes and we get things caught up we need to maintain them and we all know this, that there isn't yet enough money in our budget to do the maintaining of assets.

And we're absolutely committed to making sure that we never fall behind again, get caught up, never fall behind again.

The Resource Benefit Alliance is for those that do not know about it, is communities  of the There Regional Districts  from Vanderhoof, over to Haida Gwaii, banding together and saying to the province, we need additional revenues. 

You're making a ton of money off of projects  within this area, we need a piece of that because those projects  are pounding the living daylights out of our roads,  they're placing demands on our housing, they're placing demands on other infrastructure. 

We need some piece of that revenue that you're picking up so that we can do the business of making an incredibly liveable, exciting community; that allows industry to succeed, which allows more tax revenue to flow back to the province right, so this is circular.

Resource Benefits Alliance I'm one of the co-chairs, Mayor Bujtas and Mayor Attril  from Terrace and Smithers are the other two co chairs. 

I'll be in Victoria, next week with those co chairs in the halls of provincial government making that case and being in front of them to say; if we're going to be able to do the things that you hope that we're going to do, we  need some help to get it done.

It's not asking for a favour, its just asking to be empowered  and enabled to get the job done, to be given the resources,  the tools we need to get the job done"

 

Yesterday, Mayor Atrill of Smithers provided for a Coles Note's of what's ahead for the trio.

For his part, Terrace Mayor Bujtas posted a video of what the collective plan to address with the Premier and Cabinet Ministers.

Over the weekend Mayor Pond also shared a few snapshots of his travels both to Vancouver and Victoria. 

First noting of the work ahead this week.

 Mr, Pond also highlighted some  of the Housing Forum from mid week.

Of note from those meetings, the first face to face opportunity for the mayor to discuss Prince Rupert's infrastructure funding request with the Federal Minister Sean Fraser.

The Mayor also made a side trip to a resource forum, as se noted last week, Mr, Pond reintroduced the proposed development of Watson Island as an Energy hub for potential investors.

Mayor Pond promotes Watson Island as Energy Hub at Vancouver Forum

You can follow Mr. Pond's  Social Media stream to see what comes of this week's travels.

More on Council themes can be reviewed through our Council Discussion page.