City council

Council urges workshop with government

Dec 5, 2022 | 8:29 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Council has set the wheels in motion on a Notice of Motion from Councillor Kyle Sampson with respect to the community’s public safety, addictions and the housing shortage. Specifically, there are three pieces to the motion.

Firstly, the motion “ … directs staff to organize a workshop to develop a strategic framework inclusive of current, and potential initiatives the City and other community partners have undertaken/identified to present to the provincial representatives mentioned in the next motion.

Secondly, the Motion “… formally requests that representatives from the Ministry of Social Development & Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions, the. Inistry of Health, the Attorney General and the Ministry Responsible for Housing, Northern Health, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and BC Housing come to the City of Prince George to engage in meetings with Council for an opportunity for the Ministries to inform Council, City staff and the public of what steps and initiatives the Provincial Government is and will be taking to address the crisis our community is facing …”

And thirdly, the Motion “… directs Administration to develop a meeting format with input from Council and Ministry staff that would allow for fulsom discussion, information gathering, potential site visits, as well as for participation from our locally elected provincial, federal, First Nations, regional district representatives, and relevant City staff personnel.”

“Premier [David] Eby says he wants to hit the ground running,” noted Councillor Sampson. “We are in a crisis.”

Council ultimately adopted the Motion, but not before much discussion around the timing.