With the provincial government committed to major investments in housing and new mental health supports, a City Council delegation is seeking to find common ground on opportunities for the City of Penticton to work with the province.
“We are a new council, with clear priorities, and we want to make sure the provincial government is aware of our desire to work together to deal on these challenging issues,” says Mayor Julius Bloomfield. “It’s important to put Penticton’s problems and solutions in front of the people who are going to be making funding decisions. As a municipality, we are now facing big city problems and we must have partners to deal with them appropriately. Face-to-face meetings with the ministers ensures the province is aware of our needs and our willingness to find answers.”
During the two-day trip to Victoria, the delegation will meet with:
- Premier David Eby
- Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and representatives from BC Housing
- Lisa Helps, the premier’s special advisor on housing
- Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside
- Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth
- Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang
- Members of the Official Opposition
The mayor and Councillor Amelia Boultbee, along with one staff member, will be in Victoria on Monday and Tuesday. The total expected cost is $5,000