Unsatisfied with the wildfire response in recent years, Sicamous council wants to take its concerns up the ladder to the B.C. government, which ultimately calls the shots.
At the July 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, Coun. Pam Beech raised the issue of smoke from the fires which, if they're not threatening a community or structures, are sometimes just left to burn, which creates more smoke.
"I would like... them to understand that the smoke, it's not just the imminent fire, it's the density of the smoke that can threaten public health seriously," she said. "And in our case, the economic sustainability of a community when those reports get out far and wide."
With tourism and health concerns on the line, Beech wants the matter addressed at a higher level as the boots on the ground are just following orders handed down to them.
“I absolutely agree with you, I think that the province needs to be held accountable. I’ve learned a lot in the last few days just in talking with BC Wildfire, and when I’m snapping at them they’re going ‘Colleen you’re preaching to the choir here’,” Mayor Colleen Anderson said.
“This is, it’s a health issue, it’s a climate change issue because all the smoke is going into the environment, which is totally reversed. They want us to be driving electric vehicles, but they can’t put a forest fire out because they want it to burn. So it’s a stupid thought process and it’s a stupid system.”
Anderson suggested that council start writing letters to the province and outlining their concerns and request, stating that it's "a provincial issue and perhaps changes need to be made to the governing body that is calling these shots."
“This particular government has done us no favours. They’ve taken things away and cut back, and they’re pushing down to... departments that don’t have enough resources to fight 300 fires in the province.”
In addition to letters, Beech asked about any possible action council could take at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention in September. Though the deadline to submit resolutions and request ministerial meetings has passed, corporate officer Sarah Kyllo explained council could ask to meet with the staff of the relevant ministry.
"I think anything extra we can do at UBCM at this point would be really imperative, because this needs to be addressed," Beech said, making a motion to pursue such a meeting. "We're not going to get less of these wildfires, this is becoming a norm, so we've got to find the right people to talk to."
