B.C. Liberals leader hopefully Ellis Ross visited with Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir during his visit in Kamloops (Twitter/@ellisbross).

By Aaron Schulze

Liberal Leadership Race

B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Ellis Ross visits Interior, pushes for change in forestry management, wildfire response

Aug 18, 2021 | 12:18 PM

KAMLOOPS — One of six declared candidates for the B.C. Liberal Party leadership race made his way through the Interior this week.

Ellis Ross, Skeena MLA and former Haisla Nation Chief Councillor, says residents in Kamloops, Merritt, Logan Lake and Monte Lake were welcoming and enthusiastic during his visit. However, he says it’s unfortunate he came at a time when wildfires have caused anxiety and stress.

“We took a break from our campaign trail to go out there and listen to these people,” Ross says. “One of the things I heard from them is we’ve got to change the way we do forestry management and forest fire prevention. We already came up with that idea in light of what happened in Lytton. When I was telling the crowds out here in Kamloops… that’s what we heard from British Columbians, the B.C. Liberals have to change.”

Ellis says he’d like to see a government partnership between rural loggers and ranchers, forest management and wildfire response. Within his own party, Ellis would like to see the B.C. Liberals change as a party, brand and name.

“How the B.C. Liberals got their start was listening to the grassroots. The biggest complaint against the B.C. Liberals is we stopped listening. Even though I’m new to this game, I’ve only been [MLA] since 2017, I agree. I accept that criticism,” Ellis says. “If the B.C. Liberals members are really looking for change not only at the leadership level, but at the party level, I can bring that change.”

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Ellis believes travelling through B.C. and hearing the grassroots and constituents’ opinions and weaving them into fabric of B.C.’s plans can work for the province.

“I’m not the kind of leader who addresses things from the top down, I’m the kind of guy who goes out to the membership and ask their concerns and interests… it’s what worked for me in the past and I believe it can work for the future of British Columbia,” he says.

Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone has already endorsed Kevin Falcon in the B.C. Liberal leadership race, while Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar says he will remain neutral.

Ahead of the Feb 5., 2022 leadership vote, Ross says he intends to visit as many communities in B.C. as possible to learn more about local issues. He wants to speak with all residents, not just B.C. Liberal members.

“It’s time to put away the political weapons for a while and actually truly build a strong province, which B.C. should be,” he says.