Lake Babine Nation (LBN) is not waiting to find out if a campus of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) will be successfully established in Burns Lake.
According to LBN councillor Darren Patrick, who’s in charge of LBN’s education portfolio, the nation is already having discussions with the NVIT executive to bring some programming to LBN in case the proposed campus is not established in Burns Lake.
“We’re attempting to bring at the very least some programming [to LBN] if the campus is not implemented in Burns Lake,” explained Patrick. “We’re trying to bring in some specific programming to meet the needs of our nation.”
However, Patrick said the programming would not be restricted to LBN members.
“We hope that anything we can bring in, we’re hoping it won’t be just for LBN,” he said. “We’re hoping that the surrounding six First Nations and the Burns Lake community would jump on board with us.”
A local group called rural post-secondary education committee (RPEC) has been working to establish the proposed NVIT campus in Burns Lake. IF RPEC’s plan is successful, the NVIT campus would replace the Lakes District campus of the College of New Caledonia (CNC).
Patrick said he is okay with that, adding that an NVIT campus would be in the best interest of everyone in the community.
“The College of New Caledonia is not in touch with the needs of the community,” said Patrick. “Clearly CNC has burned their bridges and their time is done in Burns Lake.”
In a recent letter to the editor, Patrick said NVIT would offer new and innovative programs that would not only meet the needs of the students and employers in and around the community, but potentially of northern B.C.
“A new way of doing things in rural post-secondary education is on its way and we can lead the way,” read the letter.
If RPEC’s plan is successful, Patrick said LBN would then support the new campus completely, as opposed to pursuing programming specifically for Lake Babine Nation.
“We’re not looking for control, we’re just looking to have a voice, and NVIT assured us we would.”
Letter of support and conflict of interest
Last week, Lake Babine Nation (LBN) councillor Darren Patrick asked village council for a letter of support.
The letter would support a partnership between LBN and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), as well as future funding applications to bring NVIT programming to LBN members.
Burns Lake councillor Susan Schienbein didn’t participate in these discussions since her husband works for the College of New Caledonia and she identified this as a conflict of interest.
However, Burns Lake Mayor Chris Beach, who works as a teacher for Lake Babine Nation, did not step out of the meeting for these discussions.
“I think that we should go ahead and give them [LBN] this letter of support,” said Beach during the meeting.
When Lakes District News asked if this constitutes a conflict of interest, Sheryl Worthing, chief administrative officer for the Village of Burns Lake, said that it does.
“Given the relationship between LBN and the mayor, he should refrain from participating in any decision that will benefit his employer,” said Worthing. “I have just advised the mayor and he agrees that he will recuse himself from any future discussions regarding the decision to write a letter of support.”
The Community Charter provides conflict of interest rules for local government elected officials who have a financial or another interest in a matter to be discussed and voted on. Elected officials may not remain or attend any part of a meeting during which the matter is under consideration, participate in discussions, vote or exercise influence on this matter.
After councillors Kelly Holliday and John Illes said there were unanswered questions about LBN’s partnership with NVIT, council decided to schedule a meeting with LBN before writing a letter of support.
