Dave Formosa, mayor
City of Powell River
We live in and respect the traditional territory of Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation. We thank them for their friendship, partnership and tolerance as we continue to move forward in our new relationship of trust and understanding. We wish Tla’amin continued community and nation peace and success for the future.
This past year, your city council has worked diligently for the betterment of the residents of Powell River. We met with key government officials and provincial ministers regarding BC Ferries operations, land-based aquaculture, the liquid waste management plan, BC Hydro rates, Freda Creek community power, and instituting the two per cent hotel tax in Powell River, to name but a few.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Revitalization committee was formed to bring together the best of the past and embrace and nurture the new community building arts/culture education, social and economic development and quality of life. I greatly appreciated the committee members for their dedication and commitment to the process of generating ideas and concepts for an exclusive, rejuvenated economic revitalization of Powell River.
As always, we persevere in our efforts to investigate avenues to boost our economy, create new jobs and increase the tax base with our city’s corporate goal and premise of living within our means. Council remains committed to encouraging and supporting business development in Powell River. We welcome your comments as we must work together to ensure a sustainable future.
To city staff, I am grateful for all that you do. Your continued dedication to provide services to our community is most appreciated. As council sets the priorities for the upcoming year, we know that we can count on all staff to carry out council’s direction in a professional, competent manner.
Particularly at this time of year we must be thankful of where we live and be kind to one another. From my family to yours, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Colin Palmer, chair
Powell River Regional District Board
This new year will bring some interesting challenges for the regional board as we receive the results of a number of studies which commenced in 2013.
We will be working with City of Powell River council to tackle the issue of the future of Powell River Public Library. Our transportation study will involve council as will the recreation study, both of which will have far-reaching consequences.
We hope to see the completion of Willingdon Creek Village by the end of 2014 and we will be adding more beach access points all over the region during the year. The recycling efforts will be completely changed by the spring as manufacturers and retailers in BC take responsibility for packaging and containers they produce.
On Texada Island we will need to address the water supply system at Shelter Point Park including the challenges brought about by a major archaeological report which means a significant First Nation village was located where the park is. Van Anda Improvement District has asked the regional board to investigate further the possibility of its fire department becoming a regional department.
Area A, north of the city, is starting its discussions on the establishment of an official community plan while Lasqueti Island has at least nine important items it needs to address in 2014.
We will be looking at the next phases for bike paths on Padgett Road and one on Texada. This will also complement a regional bike strategy.
We have had a good year of cooperation with the Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation Band Council and the city as well as strong coordination on local ferry issues which threaten the very viability of the whole region.
The regional board members wish everyone a Happy New Year.
Jeanette Scott, chair
School District 47, Board of Education
As I read the current headlines of news stories from school boards around the province, I am reminded of Charles Dickens’ famous opening line from A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times...”
In many ways, in our local school district, 2013 was the best of times: Powell River’s foundation skills assessment reading, writing and numeracy results at the grade seven level were all at or above provincial averages; First Nation students’ results in four of the six tests were better than the provincial average; the pass rate for Powell River students in grade seven was at or above the provincial average in English and science; First Nation students’ results were at or above the provincial aboriginal education average in English 10, math 10 and science 10; and a number of our graduating students received scholarships.
We opened the Outdoor Education Centre at Haywire Bay as well as the new Westview Elementary School and we ratified a contract with the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
When the board discussed the ministry of education’s new personalized learning curriculum at a visioning retreat held earlier in the year, we considered a number of initiatives presently in place locally. We concluded that, in many Powell River classrooms, this plan is already the reality as a significant number of our students are being given a variety of opportunities “to gain the essential learning and life skills necessary to live and work successfully in a complex, interconnected and rapidly changing...and increasingly globalized world.”
But, at the same time, decisions at the provincial level not to fund wage or BC Hydro increases means that there will be continued budget pressures which, along with cuts to our ferry service, inevitably will affect student learning and will have particular impact on our most vulnerable youth.
Nevertheless, your Board of Education—Steve Formosa, Mary James, Aaron Reid, Jeanette Scott and Doug Skinner—remains open to the possibility of greater expectations for our students and for the community in 2014.
John Weston, MP
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding
This time of year is a time to appreciate what peace we have, and express hope for greater peace on earth.
As I reflect on the year just passed, many other reasons cause me to say thanks. I am grateful for all the caring people, regardless of political stripe, who expressed concern for the eye surgeries I underwent.
I’m grateful for progress on national health and fitness, as the Bill we introduced makes progress in Parliament. Hopefully, this Bill will follow the successful path of the Tackling Crystal Meth and Ecstasy Bill which constituents helped me enact. At the same time, I acknowledge the brave people recovering from alcohol and drug addictions who go public to tell their stories.
I am grateful for progress in fisheries for the partnerships reflected in our activist roundtable group in our riding; for recreational partnerships encouraged by the new program under the 2013 budget; and for the Pacific Salmon Foundation, which also received extra help in 2013.
For the environment, I’m grateful for the reminder from the Future of Howe Sound Society and others that we must look at our environment and economy as Siamese twins, linked together for our future welfare and for that of future generations.
In the economy, I’m grateful to those who acknowledge the need to keep our youth here, at home in Powell River, in good jobs. I am grateful for effective enterprises and organizations here that have in the past five years worked with me to obtain an extraordinary amount of help from the federal government, in their efforts to improve the quality of life in our community. On the national scene, I am happy we’ve seen about a million jobs created since July 2009, although there’s still much more to do.
Finally, I’m grateful for the many staff and volunteers who rally together with me each day in our mission “to serve passionately and effectively,” in our wonderful community, the most beautiful place on earth.
I wish for all a happy, healthy and successful 2014.
