Sechelt’s mayor says the trip to Victoria to expand several infrastructure services on the Sunshine Coast was very productive but there is still more work to be done.
John Henderson, along with members of council and the mayor from Powell River made the trip on Oct. 22 to discuss key solutions relating to water conservation, highways and BC Ferries.
In a report Henderson highlighted some of the key asks Sunshine Coast residents were asking including more capacity on ferries, extended environmental water flow needs and advocating for a highway to be built from Langdale through to Trout Lake.
Councillor Donna Bell says she agrees the trip was productive and it allowed council to express their concerns to ministers, and network to grow the community.
“Rural communities do tend to be forgotten, so it is very important we get ourselves out there,” she says. “They noticed we were well prepared and came up with solutions, which they liked.”
Councilor Darren Inkster echoed the same tone as Bell, by saying even though Sechelt is a small community it was a step in the right direction and the future is promising.
“They hear from approximately 200 communities in BC, including some large ones that have their ear often,” he says. “So, I look forward to the next steps, what they will do with the information, and how we check in with them to see what they have done with the information.”
All those who attended believe progress was made, but say the province still needs convincing to embrace the solutions offered.
