Cariboo—Prince George MP Todd Doherty visited Vanderhoof on Feb. 25 where he met with the district mayor and council to discuss “local issues and priorities.”
Mayor Gerry Thiessen said it was a positive visit. He said one of the major discussion points was how to deal with the impact of recent downsizing at the Canfor Plateau Mill west of Vanderhoof.
Thiessen wants to ensure any laid off workers receive education and training for employment in the new economy. Training to fill vacant jobs in the district also came up and they talked about summer internship programs for students to make sure that Vanderhoof residents qualify.
“We didn’t get any promises. But Mr. Doherty is a great advocate for the people of the area. We really appreciate being able to share with him some of the things that we’re going through,” Thiessen said.
“Many of our students were very fortunate in the past to get good quality jobs working at the mill — and we’re not sure if all those jobs will still be available.”
READ MORE: Despite challenges our Cariboo spirit is strong: MP Todd Doherty
Thiessen also stressed the need to support the local RCMP detachment. He said the current RCMP building either needs to be upgraded or replaced.
“In the future when funding becomes available, we’re wanting him just to have an understanding of some of the significance of that building and what it means to our community.”
Doherty didn’t respond to requests for comment from the Omineca Express. In a video taken at Riverside Park and posted to social media, Doherty encouraged more people to visit the district.
“One of my favourite spots to be here in our riding is right here at Riverside Park… It’s just a beautiful area and if you ever get a chance to visit our riding you’ve got to come to Vanderhoof. It’s a great place.”
Do you have a comment about this story? email:
michael.bramadat-willcock@ominecaexpress.com
Like us on Facebook