Castlegar mayor moves forward on climate change; Highway 3 improvements
By Kyra Hoggan
The UBCM (Union of B.C. Municipalities) conference was a productive venue for Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff, who not only garnered support in addressing industrial taxation issues, but also met with Premier Gordon Campbell as part of the Highway 3 improvement coalition, and was selected as a member of the B.C. Mayors’ Climate Change Caucus.
Chernoff said the meeting with the premier regarding the Highway 3 corridor was both positive and productive.
“It was a really good meeting – he (the premier) was very receptive to our vision,” Chernoff said. “They invited us to do a presentation to the joint caucus meeting of B.C. and Alberta provincial governments – we don’t have a date for that yet.
“We’re also going to be meeting with provincial minister Shirley Bond regarding costing for our priority list, as set out by the coalition,” he added. “We really think things are progressing. This coalition was dormant for a couple of years, but we’ve really stepped up.
“It’s a long-term project, but it’s feasible.”
He said the coalition means a lot of extra work, but he’s sure it will be worthwhile in the benefits it secures for Castlegar and her residents.
Also at the UBCM, Chernoff was one of five mayors selected for the executive team heading up the B.C. Mayors’ Climate Change Caucus.
“Our mandate is to provide visible, inspiring local leadership on climate change that goes beyond politics as usual,” he said. “Our other mandate is to educate newly-elected officials (comprising 43 per cent of municipal leaders in the province) on the value of acting on climate change and what can be done at a municipal level.”
When asked why he, of all the mayors available, was chosen over leaders of much larger centres,Chernoff had this to say:
“I guess Castlegar’s leadership role on the environment made us stand out among other small communities when it comes to climate change,” he said.
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