Daniel Arbour, the director for Baynes Sound-Denman/Hornby Islands (Area A) of the Comox Valley Regional District, has been elected to the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
The FCM is known as the national voice for local governments in Canada. Its 74-person board includes eight seats from B.C. Arbour was the lone coastal candidate of five B.C. seats up for grabs.
“FCM is known as a very effective organization, in their influence of federal policies,” he said. “How do we piece it so that at least in the solutions, we try to have the three levels of government aligned in whatever approaches and programs that we put out. Let’s put our resources together to have some impact.”
READ: Comox Valley Regional District director runs for FCM board
The FCM website lists 15 focus areas, including housing, infrastructure, the opioid crisis and Indigenous partnerships.
“I’m sure top of mind right now in B.C. is Reconciliation,” Arbour said. “We’ve heard this week that a lot of the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations that came out haven’t been followed…We need to put dollars in programs where our mouth is when it comes to Reconciliation.”
Locally, he said there is plenty of work ahead in terms of managing the marine environment, from fish farms to shellfish to wild fisheries.
“There’s still a lot of question marks and anxiety in communities around what the future holds,” Arbour said.
His director seat will be confirmed at the virtual FCM AGM on Friday.
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