By Victor Kaisar

TNRD Advocacy Tour

TNRD advocacy tour to include meeting with B.C. Premier David Eby

Nov 24, 2025 | 7:11 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) is embarking on another advocacy tour as it has a number of meetings scheduled with provincial ministers in Victoria.

External Relations Advisor Corbin Kelley said the tour also includes a meeting with Premier David Eby Wednesday (Nov. 26), where the TNRD expects to raise a number of topics.

“Our meeting with the premier will include both the inclusion of regional districts and more specifically electoral area directors in communication from his ministers,” Kelley said at the Nov. 20 TNRD meeting. “Because of our scheduling conflict with the Minister of Finance, we will also be raising the concern of the pipeline reevaluation with the premier and as well the concern around the Tiny House Warriors.”

Kelley will be joined by TNRD Board Chair Barbara Roden and CAO Scott Hildebrand on the three-day tour as the trio plan to press the issue on several other topics as well.

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“The first one being healthcare delivery in the [Thompson Regional Hospital District] and that’s a joint meeting with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Infrastructure,” he said, noting Hospital Board Chair Mike O’Reilly and Vice-Chair Merlin Blackwell will be at that meeting.

“There are certain things that we will continue to advocate for, doesn’t mean that we are going to get them, but we do need to look at are the needs for the residents of the TRHD,” O’Reilly told CFJC Monday (Nov. 24). “We are looking specifically at cancer services, and cardiac care for patients of the Thompson Regional Hospital District and dealing with the short medium long term plan of the OBYGN crisis that we are currently involved in.”

The healthcare meeting is set for Tuesday while the remainder of the conversations will take place on Wednesday.

“Our second meeting is on small water utility system funding. That’s a joint meeting between the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Minster of State for Rural Communities and Local Government as well as the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development,” added Kelley.

“Our third meeting will be Public Safety and Solicitor General regarding highway safety, specifically the out-of-the-art province ticket enforcement.”

TNRD representatives were also in Victoria in early March for a similar series of meetings with the provincial government. These tours are part of the TNRD’s efforts to take its lobbying efforts beyond the UBCM and directly to the provincial government.

“These meetings are critical to advancing the region’s priorities with Victoria,” Hildebrand said.

“We are hopeful that these meetings will help get some additional wins with Victoria,” Kelley added, noting the TNRD is also working to realign some of its advocacy efforts during the final year of the current board’s term.

“We want to make sure that we’re being most successful with the advocacy that we’re pursing that the topics are a top priority to really try and some additional things across the finish line,” Kelley said.

According to Kelley, a report will go before the Dec. 12 Committee of the Whole meeting so directors can have their say on what the TNRD’s advocacy priorities should be.

“We’re wanting to make sure that going into 2026 those will be the best possible use of staff time,” Kelley said. “Our goal is to have as many wins under the current strategic plan, while being as strategic with our advocacy to the provincial and federal governments.”

– With files from Michael Reeve/CFJC Today