[0:00] Okay, welcome everybody. I will uh I

[0:04] will call the committee the whole

[0:05] meeting uh to order for May the 21st.

[0:08] I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge

[0:10] that this meeting is being held in the

[0:13] Northern Rockies Administration Center

[0:14] which is in the heart of the traditional

[0:16] territory of the Den Cree and Dan

[0:19] people, our friends, neighbors and

[0:21] treaty partners. Um, we further uh

[0:25] recognize our rights and the rights

[0:27] contained within that treaty and we also

[0:29] celebrate the contributions and enduring

[0:31] pres presence of the matey people in our

[0:32] region. Please be advised that this

[0:34] afternoon's meeting is being is

[0:36] available to the public to attend

[0:38] virtually and is being streamed and

[0:39] recorded.

[0:42] Uh, are there any staff additions? No.

[0:45] Okay. Any council additions?

[0:48] Okay. The agenda is pretty

[0:49] straightforward. I think our first

[0:51] discussion is uh is committee the whole

[0:55] report 1226 talking about the uh UBCM

[1:00] convention

[1:02] um meeting schedule. So I will turn it

[1:05] over to staff.

[1:16] » Um thank you mayor. So, this is our

[1:20] run-of-the-mill annual discussion about

[1:23] um the topics and ministries that

[1:26] council would like to to um submit

[1:29] requests to for UBCM this coming fall.

[1:32] So, we look back to last year and and um

[1:37] gave a bit of a some thought around

[1:40] council's strategic priorities and the

[1:42] progress made to date and created some

[1:44] suggestions there um for your

[1:46] consideration. But as always, these are

[1:50] this is council's opportunity to meet

[1:52] with the politicians of the province to

[1:55] advocate and lobby as you see fit. So,

[1:58] open for discussion. One add one one

[2:00] additional note. Um Christa Vanderstein

[2:04] brought it to our attention this

[2:06] afternoon that the TAC has requested

[2:09] council

[2:10] um

[2:13] council resolve to write a letter to the

[2:15] province around permitting. So they've

[2:17] created a open um a public portal for

[2:20] permitting for some some tourism

[2:22] operators but not really tourism

[2:25] operators that would be impacted at at

[2:27] our level. and like a fraction of the

[2:31] overall tourism um industry. So their

[2:35] hope is that that could be opened up to

[2:36] all tourism operators to streamline that

[2:38] process because things like hunting out

[2:41] hunting, guiding, outfitting um

[2:44] backcountry access is still a very

[2:46] timeconuming process for the permitting

[2:49] um to be approved or not. So

[2:53] >> um that'll be coming at the next council

[2:55] » um that'll be coming at the next council

[2:55] meeting but just something to bear in

[2:57] mind as you discuss uh the ministries's

[2:59] overall.

[3:03] » Okay. Any thoughts? We'll throw one at a

[3:06] time. I mean for sure the Minister of

[3:08] Forest,

[3:10] we've got lots to talk about with the

[3:11] Ministry of Forest. Uh some things we

[3:14] can talk about open, some things maybe

[3:16] not so much. So uh again asking for

[3:20] supply review. I think what you've got

[3:21] in here is is good and then in camera we

[3:25] can talk about uh a couple other things

[3:27] that I think need to be spoken with.

[3:29] Ministry of Force

[3:32] uh Ministry of Health. How many how many

[3:35] times have we asked for a meeting and

[3:37] not got it? Is it what are you on? Nine

[3:39] years now. Well, last year she was you

[3:43] know she thought to try to get us in at

[3:45] the last minute but we weren't able to.

[3:47] So, let's try to get one right up right

[3:49] at the start this year. And uh and

[3:52] again, all all the issues that we want

[3:54] to talk about with the Ministry of

[3:56] Health, particularly around the CT

[3:57] scanner and and how we're how we're

[4:00] making headway with that.

[4:03] >> Questions, comments?

[4:07] » Questions, comments?

[4:07] I mean, housing, municipal affairs,

[4:08] that's we have we have to do that the

[4:10] IDCA agreement.

[4:13] Um,

[4:17] have we ever really heard back about the

[4:18] fire safety act? Did they

[4:21] >> Yeah.

[4:21] » Yeah.

[4:22] >> No, no update since last year.

[4:25] » No, no update since last year.

[4:25] >> Since we talked to them last year.

[4:26] » Since we talked to them last year.

[4:26] >> No.

[4:27] » No.

[4:27] >> No. besides I mean they've indicated

[4:31] » No. besides I mean they've indicated

[4:31] that they're working on it in the

[4:32] background at that time and uh where

[4:36] where our aware of our stand and all

[4:39] indications are it's going to change but

[4:41] we intend to from a staff perspective

[4:45] get an update when we go back if you

[4:47] don't have one in the meantime.

[4:51] » Well, we we've got to sort that out. So,

[4:53] I guess we should try to talk to them

[4:54] again. Just say we haven't heard back. I

[4:57] think I think it makes sense if there's

[4:58] no if if if the situation hasn't been

[5:00] resolved. I think it makes sense as from

[5:02] an elected official perspective to to

[5:04] have that conversation again with

[5:05] ministers so that we can keep our finger

[5:07] on the pulse.

[5:08] >> Yeah.

[5:09] » Yeah.

[5:09] >> Last year we were had a lot of things we

[5:11] » Last year we were had a lot of things we

[5:11] were concerned about with the RCMP, but

[5:13] most of that has seemed to have worked

[5:14] itself through.

[5:15] >> Yeah.

[5:15] » Yeah.

[5:15] >> The situation. So,

[5:18] » The situation. So,

[5:18] okay.

[5:21] uh economic development, we always need

[5:24] to be talking to them about rail.

[5:27] Always.

[5:29] I I think it would be good that we put

[5:32] our uh delight study in front of them.

[5:35] you know, talk about,

[5:38] you know, I don't know if we'll get into

[5:39] the policies of the provincial

[5:40] government, how they've been negatively

[5:42] impacting the resource industry here,

[5:44] but, you know, it's pretty clear to me

[5:46] that based on that delight report that

[5:49] we're making a transition from a

[5:51] resource-based economy to a

[5:53] service-based economy. And uh at least

[5:56] in the in the near term until something

[5:59] happens either we see a new government

[6:01] or or we start to see some some

[6:04] different policies around carbon

[6:06] particularly the carbon taxes that's got

[6:09] these guys hamstrung for the most part

[6:12] cuz they have to generate their own

[6:13] electricity.

[6:15] So, uh, yeah. So, I guess we should

[6:17] continue talking to them about that

[6:21] and any support we can get for the rail

[6:23] and potential, uh, idea of becoming a

[6:26] logistics hub here.

[6:33] I see here is environment and climate.

[6:36] Is that actually BC Hydro? Like did that

[6:39] fall under them

[6:41] or does it fall

[6:43] >> or sorry energy? What have I

[6:45] » or sorry energy? What have I

[6:45] >> Where did we put that?

[6:47] » Where did we put that?

[6:47] >> Yeah, you put that Ministry of

[6:48] » Yeah, you put that Ministry of

[6:48] Environment and Climate Solutions.

[6:50] >> Sorry, that should have been Energy.

[6:52] » Sorry, that should have been Energy.

[6:52] >> Yeah,

[6:53] » Yeah,

[6:53] >> Ministry of Energy.

[6:54] » Ministry of Energy.

[6:54] >> Yeah.

[6:55] » Yeah.

[6:55] >> Yeah,

[6:58] » Yeah,

[6:58] >> we missed We both missed that.

[7:02] » They change so often. I thought maybe

[7:04] it'd just be under a new one now.

[7:06] Well, we have ministry environment

[7:08] already a second time here. So, yeah,

[7:10] myself and Jay both missed that as we

[7:12] were going through this.

[7:16] But yeah, so there's a couple of things

[7:17] here. I mean, the hydro rightway

[7:19] vegetation issue is

[7:22] to me that's a compliance and

[7:23] enforcement issue that that probably

[7:25] falls someplace else, but but but we can

[7:28] bring that up. uh energy planning you've

[7:32] got here response to economic growth.

[7:36] I wonder if we should be talking to them

[7:40] about these um data hubs

[7:43] and their procedure around

[7:48] um encouraging data hubs in the north

[7:50] and the need for electricity.

[7:53] I I think that's a very so since we're

[7:56] we're act in the background we're having

[7:58] those discussions right now with hydro

[7:59] but I think it's important to have that

[8:00] discussion at that venue for sure and

[8:03] the other interesting dynamic what's

[8:05] we're seeing the shift and but not quite

[8:06] sure from a provincial perspective but

[8:08] federally it was announced last week

[8:10] that from a energy perspective

[8:15] um the feds are supporting nuclear and

[8:18] natural gas generated power

[8:21] which is a 180 from where the province

[8:24] of BC is

[8:26] >> with our long-term plan or the BC

[8:29] » with our long-term plan or the BC

[8:29] Hydro's long-term plan with this

[8:30] particular generating station. So, the

[8:32] question is what does that look like?

[8:34] like cuz it's it's a complete

[8:37] >> opposite of what of what the feds are

[8:41] » opposite of what of what the feds are

[8:41] saying and we're being told from a hydro

[8:44] perspective that I think it was 2040 at

[8:45] least that that that that particular

[8:47] generating station

[8:49] >> um needs to uh transition into something

[8:53] » um needs to uh transition into something

[8:53] other than natural gas. And then the

[8:56] other piece in our initial conversations

[8:57] when we talk potential data hubs or AI

[8:59] hubs or whatnot um there seems to be I

[9:04] very initial conversations but lack of

[9:06] clarity in terms of where we sit as a

[9:08] community because we're not we're not on

[9:10] the grid right so there's regulations

[9:13] that provinially they have in terms of

[9:15] who can tie into the grid and what that

[9:17] maximum amount is or or uh from a from a

[9:21] kilowatt perspective or megawatt

[9:23] perspective I guess Um,

[9:26] so we we have more work to do

[9:27] internally, but I think it makes sense

[9:29] as we move forward that that

[9:30] conversation occurs at the minister

[9:31] level too, especially considering that

[9:34] the other issue we have a long-term plan

[9:35] is that there's there's no growth

[9:37] projected. Meanwhile, there's this

[9:39] opportunity there potentially to, you

[9:41] know, we have a perfect environment when

[9:42] it comes to potentially around data hubs

[9:46] um or cooling, right? Because we have

[9:48] natural cooling six months of the year.

[9:50] Um, so I think there's a lot to be asked

[9:52] and try to kind of

[9:54] >> and that adds to the electrical

[9:55] » and that adds to the electrical

[9:55] requirement, right? Because most places

[9:57] are using uh they're using cooling

[10:00] system, right? Yes. So they have to have

[10:01] extra power just just to cool where here

[10:04] you they've got a reduced requirement

[10:06] for that. So when I was at the uh

[10:09] economic development uh forum,

[10:13] they uh I I sat in on a session that

[10:15] talked about powering the future and uh

[10:18] the province is changing its well the

[10:21] province/BC hydro is changing their uh

[10:24] their mind with respect to data hubs but

[10:26] because it requires so much power

[10:29] they're making these companies apply to

[10:31] them and they'll get they'll pick

[10:34] winners and losers with respect to who

[10:35] gets power and who doesn't, right? So,

[10:37] it's not just a straight outright ban

[10:39] anymore that they can't connect if

[10:42] they're part of the grid or they can't

[10:44] connect to the grid if if that's the

[10:46] technology that they're that they're

[10:47] trying to support. So, they're they're

[10:49] changing that philosophy to uh oh yeah,

[10:53] you know, you you can make an

[10:54] application to us now. We'll have a

[10:56] certain window of opportunity and uh

[10:59] we'll pick whoever whoever can fit.

[11:01] >> Yeah. A lot of the latest conversation I

[11:03] » Yeah. A lot of the latest conversation I

[11:03] have with BC Hydro with Bob Gammers PR

[11:06] which was only a couple couple of weeks

[11:07] ago specific to that is what it looks

[11:10] like they're doing is having an

[11:12] opportunity for free bringing up for

[11:14] lack of better words 400 megawatts of

[11:16] power.

[11:16] >> Yeah.

[11:17] » Yeah.

[11:17] >> And having companies essentially bid or

[11:20] » And having companies essentially bid or

[11:20] and and didn't really know he didn't

[11:22] really know what that would look like

[11:23] besides possibly maybe the part of their

[11:25] proposal is how much they're willing to

[11:27] pay per megawatt. But at 400 megawws and

[11:32] looking at what sometimes for an

[11:34] investment perspective to make the

[11:36] investment work from what we're hearing

[11:37] you're anywhere from 80 to 100 megawatt

[11:39] requirement so that might allow more

[11:42] >> yeah on the AC grid and when I ask what

[11:44] » yeah on the AC grid and when I ask what

[11:44] are we included in that bigger picture

[11:47] or separate because we're not in the

[11:48] grid they didn't have an answer for that

[11:50] so we are working on having a follow-up

[11:52] discussion

[11:53] >> yeah regards to that so

[11:55] » yeah regards to that so

[11:55] >> so that fits with the long-term energy

[11:56] » so that fits with the long-term energy

[11:56] planning and the conflicting policies

[11:58] between the feds and the province

[11:59] >> 100%.

[12:00] » 100%.

[12:00] >> Okay.

[12:02] » Okay.

[12:02] Well, this list is starting to get

[12:04] longer and longer.

[12:10] uh and Northern Health I think the

[12:13] dialogue is probably happening well

[12:14] enough that we don't need to spur a

[12:17] meeting with them right based on the

[12:20] dialogue that we're having around

[12:23] primary care and our committee and them

[12:25] and then uh and then the CT scanner. I

[12:29] mean those are the main issues we've

[12:30] been trying to push. So, I don't know

[12:31] that we need a meeting at at UBCM, but

[12:34] you know, for sure I'll defer to uh

[12:37] Deputy Mayor Gerwing on that. You got

[12:39] any thoughts, Ray?

[12:42] >> Yeah, I do have a few thoughts on that.

[12:44] » Yeah, I do have a few thoughts on that.

[12:44] Um, I know we've been have been

[12:46] concentrating on the CT scanner, but

[12:48] depending on what happens with our

[12:50] primary care situation in the community,

[12:54] there might be an opportunity to

[12:59] speak more formally with Northern Health

[13:02] and I don't know if they'll have a board

[13:03] representative there. Um, just in terms

[13:06] of nurse practitioners and the health

[13:10] authorities stance on that by time

[13:12] September rolls around, I know that

[13:16] there are some

[13:19] clinics in other health authorities that

[13:22] are run by nurse practitioners.

[13:25] I don't know that there's any in the

[13:28] Northern Health region, but the little

[13:30] bit of research I've been able to do

[13:32] since I've learned a few things at the

[13:34] NCLGA

[13:36] is that if you work with your health

[13:38] authority, there is an opportunity for

[13:41] nurse practitioner primary care clinics.

[13:45] Um so as we are doing that research, um

[13:49] September might be a good chance to um

[13:52] talk to Northern Health about that. If

[13:54] we don't talk to them prior to that, you

[13:57] all have a good conversation going with

[13:59] Northern Health now. So, it might be a

[14:02] mute point, but if it's not, then that

[14:04] would be an opportunity for us to

[14:06] discuss things like that.

[14:11] » So, primary care. So, I'm going to put

[14:13] them on the list. You can always cancel

[14:14] it. I was going to say we we can always

[14:15] request a meeting and then if if similar

[14:17] to just the recent NCLJ conference if we

[14:20] don't see there's a need to based on

[14:21] other discussions or continue

[14:23] discussions we can always cancel.

[14:25] >> Yeah.

[14:25] » Yeah.

[14:25] >> Yeah.

[14:26] » Yeah.

[14:26] >> Yeah. I think the other point too is

[14:28] » Yeah. I think the other point too is

[14:28] that um

[14:31] staffing at the Fort Nelson General

[14:33] Hospital might be something we want to

[14:36] talk about and

[14:38] extended absences that aren't

[14:41] necessarily covered by a human on site.

[14:46] Um

[14:47] unless we deal with beforehand, I don't

[14:50] know.

[14:50] >> At the management level.

[14:52] » At the management level.

[14:52] >> Yeah.

[14:55] » Yeah.

[14:55] Okay.

[15:01] Well,

[15:03] we might have to split up and do some of

[15:05] these meetings.

[15:06] >> Well, on some of these points too, we

[15:08] » Well, on some of these points too, we

[15:08] want to probably want to talk to if we

[15:10] are lucky enough to get a meeting with

[15:12] the minister. It would it would be a

[15:14] good opportunity for us to discuss our

[15:17] concerns on that end with her as well.

[15:24] Okay.

[15:30] Uh, Ministry of Environment and BC

[15:32] Parks,

[15:34] do you guys think you uh you got a point

[15:36] across at at NCLJ that we still need to

[15:40] talk to?

[15:42] >> I don't know. Can we talk about that?

[15:46] » I don't know. Can we talk about that?

[15:46] >> It was a good discussion.

[15:48] » It was a good discussion.

[15:48] >> You all would be so proud of us.

[15:52] » You all would be so proud of us.

[15:52] I think it's fair to say that the the

[15:55] local parks director and uh and the

[16:00] members of council that were NCLJ had a

[16:03] a impromptu meeting on the street where

[16:07] where some very good discussion

[16:09] happened. Well, it wasn't on the street.

[16:11] It was part of a it was part of a it was

[16:14] part of the NCLA. had a the evening

[16:16] where they had a you know these food

[16:18] trucks come in and they had a bunch of

[16:20] local vendors and stuff and it was just

[16:22] kind of a a street sort of an affair and

[16:25] they were able to it was just funny but

[16:27] they they you know they they got some

[16:29] good points out with respect to with

[16:31] respect to Muncher Lake Park right and

[16:34] uh and this idea of $20 fee

[16:38] >> uh for folks from out of out of out of

[16:40] » uh for folks from out of out of out of

[16:40] the uh out of the province. So I think

[16:42] it was a it was a good discussion but I

[16:45] suppose we would want to speak to the

[16:47] minister if if we don't see any action

[16:50] on on those

[16:52] even though you guys got you know some

[16:55] pretty good feedback from the guy who

[16:57] really is pushing on you know on our

[16:59] behalf. Anyway,

[17:00] >> I've had some happy locals hearing the

[17:02] » I've had some happy locals hearing the

[17:02] news of the extra charges for out of

[17:04] province.

[17:06] >> They think it's a good thing. Yeah, I've

[17:07] » They think it's a good thing. Yeah, I've

[17:07] had a lot of people come to me tell me

[17:09] how how they appreciate it because of

[17:11] the lack of camping we have in our area.

[17:14] They're hoping that it'll limit the out

[17:16] of province so that we can enjoy our

[17:17] background or back country again.

[17:21] >> Yeah, I think I've I've heard some of

[17:23] » Yeah, I think I've I've heard some of

[17:23] that too, but the point that we made is

[17:26] we're spending money on tourism. So

[17:28] we're asking encouraging

[17:32] that tourism economy which and then on

[17:35] the other hand the province institutes

[17:37] this charge without speaking to anybody

[17:39] and then what I don't know maybe you all

[17:41] realized it but I didn't it's like so if

[17:44] you you're let's just say you're coming

[17:46] from the Yukon you stop at the hot

[17:48] springs so that's like 40 bucks or 49

[17:51] bucks for that if you're out of province

[17:53] right you spend a night or two at the

[17:55] hot springs and then you go to Muncho

[17:57] Lakes So then you have to pay that 20

[17:59] additional dollars again and then you

[18:02] stop at Summit Lake to you know do the

[18:04] hikes around there that's another $20.

[18:07] So what I have been hearing both sides

[18:11] for sure and there's pros and cons I

[18:13] fully realize but if we are going to be

[18:17] encouraging that tourism economy people

[18:19] are just going to be driving right

[18:21] through because I don't know that people

[18:22] are going to be spending 60 extra bucks

[18:25] in addition to the 60 so 120 bucks right

[18:29] I don't I don't know whether they will

[18:30] or not or they'll just drive straight

[18:32] True.

[18:37] » So for sure it's something that we can

[18:39] continue to bring up if we don't see any

[18:41] uh any movement on on those.

[18:44] >> Yeah.

[18:44] » Yeah.

[18:44] >> Uh waterlands resource stewardship. I

[18:46] » Uh waterlands resource stewardship. I

[18:46] mean for sure the bison elk management

[18:49] discussions that we're having at the uh

[18:51] the northern Rockies round table. I

[18:53] think it's important that we bring

[18:54] those. And what's not on here is support

[18:56] for that table. Right. The the province

[18:59] continues to say that they won't support

[19:00] that table. And you know, I think

[19:02] there's enough people there and we have

[19:03] enough topics here that we shouldn't

[19:06] just be lumped in with the with the

[19:08] Northeast uh round table stakeholders

[19:10] group. But you know, I think there are

[19:12] issues here that are specific to our

[19:14] region that that that table is is

[19:17] important enough to to be supported. So

[19:19] we'll I think we continue to uh to beat

[19:22] that drum whenever we're down there as

[19:24] well.

[19:29] So good report. We've added a few things

[19:31] in there. I think that

[19:34] yeah, I don't know if we'll get them all

[19:35] or not, but you know, if if they end up

[19:37] starting to be too close together, then

[19:39] obviously we'll have to we'll have to

[19:40] split our delegation up and and do

[19:43] multiple meetings at the same time.

[19:47] We're in Vancouver, right? Yeah. So,

[19:49] it's the venue's close anyways.

[19:51] >> Yep.

[19:53] » Yep.

[19:53] >> But it's I know it's it's a lot with

[19:56] » But it's I know it's it's a lot with

[19:56] this many topics.

[19:58] um I won't be able to keep it all

[20:00] straight. So we'll need leaders in these

[20:03] meetings to right so you can so so they

[20:06] can focus on on the particular topics

[20:08] because it'll just be too many for you

[20:10] know for the mayor to to try to remember

[20:13] everything.

[20:14] So if we break up if we get all these

[20:17] meetings and we break up then we can uh

[20:19] I think we'd be a little more focused.

[20:21] I guess we should discuss um who from

[20:24] council is thinking about attending. So

[20:27] that might guide what we want to do as

[20:29] well.

[20:30] >> No.

[20:33] » No.

[20:33] >> So we're talking middle midepptember

[20:35] » So we're talking middle midepptember

[20:35] September

[20:38] >> 14th I think. Uh bear with me here.

[20:41] » 14th I think. Uh bear with me here.

[20:41] Sorry. 14th

[20:42] >> 14th

[20:43] » 14th

[20:43] >> 14th to 18th. Yeah. It's earlier this

[20:45] » 14th to 18th. Yeah. It's earlier this

[20:45] year. It's an election year a week

[20:47] earlier.

[20:47] >> Yeah.

[20:48] » Yeah.

[20:48] >> And it's in Vancouver. Do I plan on

[20:51] » And it's in Vancouver. Do I plan on

[20:51] attending? I don't know. Has anybody

[20:52] else looked at the calendar that far

[20:55] forward?

[20:57] >> Okay.

[21:00] » Okay.

[21:00] >> Yeah. Council Roer, have you

[21:02] » Yeah. Council Roer, have you

[21:02] >> uh I will if I can. Uh I I'm not going

[21:05] » uh I will if I can. Uh I I'm not going

[21:05] to know for sure until a little bit

[21:06] closer, but uh count me as very

[21:09] interested for sure.

[21:10] >> Okay. I'm in the same boat. I'd like to.

[21:14] » Okay. I'm in the same boat. I'd like to.

[21:14] >> Okay. Well, being that it's in the lower

[21:17] » Okay. Well, being that it's in the lower

[21:17] mainland, I believe we're going to be

[21:20] actually down there until the 11th. So,

[21:24] I'll see what what happens down the road

[21:27] a little ways.

[21:28] >> Right.

[21:29] » Right.

[21:29] >> Then I can make a decision.

[21:30] » Then I can make a decision.

[21:30] >> It's at the end of something you're

[21:31] » It's at the end of something you're

[21:31] already doing down there. So, maybe you

[21:33] can tack it on.

[21:34] >> That's

[21:35] » That's

[21:35] >> Yeah. Okay. Well, that's uh

[21:39] » Yeah. Okay. Well, that's uh

[21:39] Council Ging, I'm sorry, Deputy Mayor

[21:41] Guring, have you given a thought?

[21:44] Uh well, we'll see. I mean, if we get a

[21:46] meeting with the health minister, I will

[21:49] endeavor to ensure that I am there at

[21:52] least for that. Um yeah, but I'll know

[21:55] closer to the time as well.

[21:58] >> All right.

[21:59] » All right.

[21:59] How about rooms? Have we have we have we

[22:02] got a block of rooms already enough?

[22:05] >> Yep.

[22:06] » Yep.

[22:06] >> Yeah, we made arrangements for plenty in

[22:08] » Yeah, we made arrangements for plenty in

[22:08] the fall of last year after UBCM. should

[22:13] >> um

[22:14] » um

[22:14] before council moves on from the

[22:16] ministries. So with regard to the topic

[22:18] that was raised or that will be raised

[22:20] by the TAC

[22:22] um is there a desire to look at seeing

[22:26] if we can get a meeting with the

[22:28] Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture?

[22:34] » Yeah.

[22:35] >> Okay. I think that the topic will be

[22:37] » Okay. I think that the topic will be

[22:37] covered off under some of like it could

[22:39] be an additional topic to ministries

[22:41] that are already on the list but tourism

[22:43] wasn't on the list. So

[22:45] >> we can always pitch rail as tourism too.

[22:47] » we can always pitch rail as tourism too.

[22:47] >> Correct.

[22:50] » Um and then the last question is just

[22:52] around additional attendees. So last

[22:55] year we had the

[22:57] the benefit of the chiefs attending with

[22:59] us. So um that's something we can extend

[23:02] the invitation again. Um but we'll wait

[23:06] maybe to see what the outcome of the

[23:08] election is before we do that.

[23:09] >> Yeah.

[23:13] » Yeah. And and see who we're actually

[23:15] going to meet with, you know, because

[23:17] they they'll uh they'll want to know who

[23:20] we're meeting with, right? And and

[23:21] whether or not it fits it fits their

[23:23] agenda or not.

[23:26] Yeah. But sometimes we don't know that

[23:27] till too late,

[23:32] right? Sometimes they don't tell us who

[23:34] we get a meeting with till

[23:38] we're pretty close to

[23:40] >> August anyways.

[23:43] » August anyways.

[23:43] Couple of weeks before

[23:48] uh their election is July. No, it's

[23:52] early this year, right? Yeah, they moved

[23:53] it up early.

[23:54] >> July 13th, I think. I think it's it's in

[23:56] » July 13th, I think. I think it's it's in

[23:56] July.

[23:57] >> All right. Well, we'll prepare a report

[23:59] » All right. Well, we'll prepare a report

[23:59] and and send it to the new council and

[24:01] and say, "Here's who we've asked. Are

[24:03] you interested?" I think that's probably

[24:06] the best way to participate with us.

[24:09] >> And just lastly, BC Hydro also reached

[24:12] » And just lastly, BC Hydro also reached

[24:12] out um because we didn't we didn't uh

[24:15] meet with them last year. We did the

[24:17] year before specific like directly with

[24:18] BC Hydro. So, I just wasn't sure if

[24:21] that's something uh

[24:23] because that's a separate meeting

[24:24] request also if we go specific to BC

[24:26] Hydro. So not sure if council wish would

[24:29] want to meet similar with the

[24:31] conversations uh that we earlier talked

[24:35] about uh with the uh ministry of energy.

[24:39] You want to have those direct

[24:40] conversations with or not.

[24:42] >> Yeah.

[24:45] » All right. Put them on the list. We'll

[24:46] see who we get.

[24:52] Full

[24:52] >> full court process here.

[24:55] » full court process here.

[24:55] All right.

[24:58] So, I think we've got everything.

[24:59] There's no additions. Any uh any public

[25:02] that want to ask any questions about

[25:04] that? Anybody in the room? No. Okay.

[25:07] Then we will go into a closed meeting

[25:08] for 91J, the community charter. We'll

[25:11] close this meeting uh for a discussion

[25:13] that we'll have with a private company.

[25:16] Okay. Thank you everybody. We are uh we

[25:18] are back in from the uh closed portion

[25:20] of the meeting. There is uh no report

[25:22] for us to rise with. So having said that

[25:25] then the committee the whole meeting is

[25:27] adjourned. Thank you very much.

Committee of the Whole (COTW) - 25 May 2026

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