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By Victor Kaisar

TNRD Advocacy

TNRD eyeing meetings with new B.C. cabinet ministers in early 2025

Nov 25, 2024 | 10:46 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) is hoping to meet with six B.C. government ministers in a bid to continue advocating for its priorities, now that a new cabinet has been sworn in.

External Relations Advisor Corbin Kelley says the TNRD is hoping to “influence” the mandate letters that Premier David Eby will be issuing to his cabinet ministers next spring.

“We are looking to schedule meetings in early 2025 with the Chair [Barbara Roden] as well as provincial ministers to try and take our advocacy beyond UBCM, which is something that we’ve been talking about for quite some time.” Kelly told the Board.

“We’re wanting to make sure we can get the majority of advocacy priorities across the board especially when it comes to advocating for increased funding in Budget 2025 for projects that are important to the TNRD.”

The TNRD is hoping to schedule meetings with the ministers of Municipal Affairs, Emergency Management, Forests, Agriculture, Transportation and Transit as well as Infrastructure.

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“There has been many changes to ministries that the TNRD deals with directly including the Ministry of Municipal Affairs now being back in with the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Infrastructure being removed from the Ministry of Transportation,” Kelly said.

In a statement, the TNRD said some of its priorities include sustainable funding for small water systems, improvements to emergency egress routes, safety enhancements along the Highway 5 corridor, and improve internet connectivity in rural areas.

“The TNRD has focused on expanding advocacy efforts by building effective partnerships with senior levels of governments, while advocating collectively on common issues with local governments, First Nations, and non-government organizations,” the statement said.

“For local governments like the TNRD, advocacy is a key factor for the organization to secure funding, develop projects, and change policy or legislation from senior levels of government.”