Telkwa Mayor Darcy Repen pulled his hat out of the race for MLA of Stikine to focus on needs in the village – primarily a need for water system upgrades and a new water tower.
He says if there was a fair grant system and a fair share of resources from the province, the village’s financial woes would be finished.
The Moose spoke to Repen in downtown Smithers as he was highlighting the work of the Resource Benefits Alliance to the public ahead of the provincial election.
“We’re saying to the provincial government, we have all this activity happening around us and all that money goes to Victoria and we only get a trickle back…that needs to change,” says Repen.
“We need some back payment to get us started here…and we’re asking for the past five years for the revenue that flowed out of our region and have some of that paid back. And we’re looking for an agreement moving forward.”
The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, the City of Terrace, the Districts of Kitimat, Stewart and New Hazelton, the Village of Hazelton, and all RDKS Electoral Area Directors formed the Northwest British Columbia Resource Benefits Alliance.
Their aim is to pursue resource benefit sharing negotiations with the provincial and federal governments in respect of major resource development in Northwest BC.