Join the E-Newsletter – Notes on City Council

Coastal Community

Prince Rupert is a great community. What makes it great are the people here. In a strong community, everyone relies on everyone else. That means that everyone is welcome and everyone is included. This should be universal, meaning that “everyone” means everyone. Government should focus on what connects people — not what divides us. We are connected by where we live and by the simple fact that we must rely on each other to meet our needs.

Include Everyone

A strong community treats everyone fairly and provides everyone with equal opportunities. A community free from all forms of discrimination is stronger for everyone. This kind of community listens to different viewpoints, lets people say what they really believe, and respects differences.

To build this kind of community requires everyone to chip in and do their part. A lot of responsibility comes with community, especially given that we are relying on each other for our livelihoods, health, and quality of life. We depend on doctors and other health care providers, the hospital and its staff and specialists, and other medical professionals, including our dentists, eye doctors, pharmacists, and therapists.

We also rely on fishermen and fisherwomen, truck drivers, retailers, cooks, cleaners, veterinarians, auto mechanics, plumbers, builders and contracts, dock workers, plant managers, rail workers, teachers, childcare providers, recreation staffs and lifeguards, fast food workers, Walmart staff, trash collectors, volunteers, recyclers, road maintenance crew, and everyone else in the community. We should celebrate everyone’s important role in making Prince Rupert a great place to live and work.

Focus on Fixes

Fix Health Care

• We need to fix our city’s health care system — with a shortage of doctors and other health care professionals, the closing of the emergency room, and loss of specialists, fixing the city’s health system should be a priority for all levels of government
• Health care is provincial function of government, with funding from the federal government — but given that the system is breaking down, the City of Prince Rupert should continue to work with other rural communities throughout BC to help find solutions to the health care staffing issues throughout the province.

Keep Fixing Infrastructure

• The city is undergoing a huge infrastructure rebuild that will help provide clean water for decades to come — keeping this on track and ensuring that we maintain an effective public utility system will build a foundation for future growth, keep rates low, and maintain property values of homeowners and businesses

Fix Senior Housing

• At the heart of our community are seniors and elders — and we need to make sure that our city’s oldest residents can remain here if they want, which requires affordable housing for seniors, access to medical care, continued nursing home and assisted living care, and continued programs to support seniors and elders

Keep Celebrating our Town

• There’s lots to celebrate when it comes to our community — including our arts and performance venues, school musicals and other student arts, climbing wall, basketball courts, curling, golf, racket ball court, and other recreation centres – plus great hiking trails (more would be great, too), and many churches and civic clubs that are always giving back to the community

Image Source: Miko Fox