The past week had enough news for several full page write-ups complete with a colour photo spread each.
For reasons that we’ll leave for another editorial, the week that was won’t get the treatment we’d like to give it.
Instead, this editorial will try and cram a bit more content in about the past week.
The Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN) finds itself in the middle of a lot of hot topics up north, and it seems to be charting a path towards greater influence in provincial conversations surrounding resource development and forestry policy.
As it should. The RDBN should be much more than an administrative body dealing solely with mundane, everyday issues like bylaw enforcement and building permits. After provincial electorates, the various regional districts are the largest elected bodies representing the people of their regions.
There’s no other opportunity for the elected representatives of widely spread but economically and socially interdependent communities to get together and form a united position on shared issues. The RDBN in particular is one of the most interesting regions on the map.
Stretching from west of Smithers and bordering the Peace River District in the east, the RDBN is home to communities and First Nations heavily committed to forestry, mining, fisheries, ranching and tourism. Our diverse region is also a critical connector between the intensive gas exploration in the Peace River Region and proposed liquid natural gas liquification and storage plants on the coast.
It is good to see the RDBN asking hard questions about air quality, timber supply and fisheries in the face of increasing industrial pressures. The RDBN is uniquely equipped and staffed to inform good provincial policy.
Another area where the RDBN can lead the way is in consultation with First Nations through the region. At some point, somebody will have to get it right and establish protocols of consultation with First Nations before announcing resource projects as if indigenous approval were a foregone conclusion. Watching industry, the province and First Nations ‘consult’ on industrial projects now is like watching a troupe of blindfolded dancers share a stage while each moves to their own private choreographer.
On a lighter note, it was great to see the work being done at Kager Lake to improve access for anyone with mobility issues. Widening the boardwalk along the pathway means a lot not only for wheelchair access, but for the use by those who need walkers or other aids to get around.
Once the work is complete, there will be flat access right from a small parking area to the boardwalk which leads onto the rest of the Kager Lake trail circling the lake.
The trail gets a little steep in some sections well past the boardwalk, but the improvement to out-and-back use will be significant. Hopefully more area residents will get out and enjoy the walk once it’s complete.
Passing along a message from one of the local trail ride organizers, drivers need to remember that the Kager Lake road is also the access road for many residents to their homes. We need to not let our enthusiasm to hit the trails override considerate driving habits through the area.