By Keith McNeill
Al Fortin Candidate for Barriere town council Al Fortin is seeking a third term as a member of Barriere town council.
It is that knowledge that he feels is the most important asset he brings to the table. The first term is just for learning, he said.
The biggest issue he found while at the recent UBCM convention was downloading by senior levels of government.
BC Wildfire Service is cutting back stationing crews in outlying areas, which means local governments must spend more on FireSmarting their neighbourhoods. Similarly, homelessness, illicit drugs, and healthcare are all being downloaded.
First Responders are playing a bigger role in Barriere as ambulance service declines, leading to burnout.The same situation is happening all around B.C., he said.
Also at UBCM he found that all municipalities are having concerns about senior levels of government. The North Thompson Valley is not alone on this. He felt more centralization might help with the healthcare issues.
There’s no sense having all the facilities understaffed. Clearwater’s hospital’s emergency room is closed so often a person has to phone first to see if it’s open, he noted.
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