A decade and more for health care concerns in Prince Rupert, yet today more than ever, there is still "Much Work to Do"

MLA Rice's 2013 mailer

In Politics it's often noted that everything old is new again, though when it comes to the current health care situation facing Prince Rupert residents, the old days are starting to look much more like the Golden Era of health care for the region.

The issues of today, surely more dire than the past, that an era where at least finding a doctor and arriving at an Open Emergency Department, seemed both to be something residents could be confident of.

Back when she was on the opposition side of the Legislature, a newly elected MLA named Jennifer Rice noted of a number of challenges for health care in the riding she was representing.  

Her debut speech to the Chamber sharing word of her appointment as the Critic for Rural Health Care , the presentation one with more than a few references to areas of health concerns that were relayed. for those who sent her to Victoria.

Among the themes of health care from her debut address, Ms. Rice noted of a need for a Walk in Clinic in Prince Rupert. A proposal that would surely benefit the community and take the excess load off the hospital, but yet still remains as elusive as ever.

Some commentary from that speech from the then opposition side of the Chamber was focused on advocacy, highlighting the lack of action by the previous Liberal Government which spanned a decade previous (which now would now make Health Care service attrition for Prince Rupert residents that of a 20 year slide)

The debut address also noted of the BC Liberal Party of the days fondness of photo ops over fairness ...  though once in power, this current NDP government has taken the photo op to new heights and possibly even larger volumes.  

The Check list of the passions outlined from MLA Rice's debut speech to the Legislature has seen some  mixed success over the years.  

The desire to slow the development of an LNG industry in Prince Rupert from moving forward was achieved; so much so that it was quashed, with none of the proposed developments for the area ever coming to completion. 

Something that has shifted the centre of  focus for the LNG industry to Skeena and Kitimat in particular; along with redefining the progress of the LNG terminal builds towards a First Nations led model.

On the Highway of Tears shuttle themes of which she was very passionate on while in opposition, the City of Prince Rupert chose not to support the provincial model of BC transit options for communities along the Highway 16 corridor.  And as the program has evolved, the MLA seems content with that decision and the transportation program currently available here today.

Since forming  the Government and most recently as Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, the MLA has seen some successes  on themes of health from her early years home mailers.  

But still,  as the last month has shown,  it's on Heath Care where there is still the largest of concerns at the moment for Prince Rupert residents. 

With the local hospital in somewhat of a crisis situation with departing physicians and other notable issues; the community is clearly worse off today, than it was ten years ago when it comes to security of many core health care services once taken for granted.

The North Coast MLA and the Provincial Government have less than seven months to reverse that increasingly concerning situation in Prince Rupert, before voters get to deliver their verdict on the success or failure of their work.

As her clarion call of 2013 to constituents put it, they  "Have much work to do" ...

Then again with a voter participation rate in the North Coast  that saw just one in three potential voters casting a ballot in 2020,  the NDP can likely weigh the options towards just  how much action is really required and how many photo ops and how much message making will suffice.

Those with an interest in history, can explore all of current of representation in Victoria over the last decade through our archive page here.