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Hello and Hadih,
The question I’ve been asked most often over the past couple of weeks is “what’s next?”
What comes after the Voices For Change Safe Streets Rally?
The “next” is happening in the form of more questions, more conversations, more ideas, that have been rippling across the city since then. I’ve been heartened by the energy and enthusiasm, particularly among people who share little in common politically and ideologically who are now putting aside their differences to talk about working together to make things better.
So how do we, as a Chamber of Commerce and working with our partners in the local business community, keep the political pressure on our local, provincial, and federal government to do more faster to address the public safety crisis?
Meetings and announcements are steps in the right direction but they should not be mistaken for arriving at the desired destination. Promises to build a psychiatric care facility and to reform the bail process and update the Criminal Code are empty words until they are implemented.
Along with the Chamber’s advocacy committee chair Dr. Ron Camp, I’m heading to Vancouver in December for a BC Chamber lunch with Premier David Eby and his ministers. If we don’t have more details, particularly financial and timeline commitments, announced by then about the psychiatric care facility promised for Prince George, we’ll be demanding that information from the Premier and his health minister. And if we do have details, we’ll praise them for a positive first step, while urging them to keep going. More Crown prosecutors. More care options for those suffering from mental health and/or addictions. More support of municipalities. These are all reasonable requests to address this emergency situation.
Prince George city council’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy and relationship building with their elected counterparts in Victoria and Ottawa has been helpful but must continue with increased frequency and urgency. As a Chamber, as local business owners and operators, as workers, customers and residents, we can support mayor and council with our loud and insistent voices, through letters, phone calls and emails to them, to our local MLAs, and to our Members of Parliament. Ask them to reply to you, stating what they’re doing to make things better and ask them to commit to specific actions, measurable results and a timeline for those actions.
To help with that, we’ve launched a new Connect with Elected Leaders page on our website. You can find direct contact info and helpful tools to get started here: https://www.pgchamber.bc.ca/connect-with-elected-leaders/
That’s how the Chamber is working to keep the momentum going to bring about the safer streets we all deserve.
Want to partner with us or share your ideas and thoughts? Drop me a line and let’s talk.
All the best to you and your business,
Neil
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