Lara Beckett is the new president of the North Central Local Government Association after she was acclaimed in the position Thursday evening at the 2019 NCLGA convention in Williams Lake.
Area C director for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, Beckett moves up from being first vice-president, which she was for one year, and a director at large prior to that.
Art Kaehn and Tom Greenaway with new 1st VP Sarah Storey and new President at the #NCLGA2019 AGM! Congrats! â¦@CaribooRDâ© â¦@CityWLâ© â¦@RDFFGâ© pic.twitter.com/1oJz0JzeMr
— NCLGA (@NCLGA) May 9, 2019
“What I love about NCLGA is that even though we are spread vast distances apart, we’re a pretty small community up here,” she told the Tribune.
“There are 380,000 people across the whole region which covers two thirds of the province and yet, no matter what the issue is we support each other and we work together as best we can — even if it’s not an issue particularly in my area, here at NCLGA we all work together to make sure that issue is resolved in the best way we can.”
Top of mind for everyone is caribou recovery, she responded when asked what will be her first priority as president.
Read more: B.C. and feds engage public on caribou recovery plan in Williams Lake
“The province understands our feelings about consultation on this whole issue and certainly the next stage is the herd plans,” Beckett said.
“Communities know that they can and will be involved with those herd plans and that’s where the detail is really going to hit the ground on what needs to happen, on the ground, on the map, to protect caribou and then look at the concerns of the communities and what that might mean for recreating, industry and that kind of thing.”
Caribou recovery will be a big issue for the next few months, she added.
Her regional district had a resolution approved during the sessions Thursday, that asks for accident zones to have a speed limit of 30 kilometres an hour.
“On the highway people don’t slow down,” she said. “You’ve got your first responders out there trying to direct traffic and deal with whatever incident it is and those people are at risk when the traffic does not slow down. We are asking for that consistent speed — that’s what it is for playgrounds, for children, give the same recognition to first responders that their safety is important.”
Sarrah Storey, mayor of Fraser Lake was elected first vice-president, Cori Ramsay, a Prince George city councillor was elected second vice-president, and Cariboo Regional District Area D director Steve Forseth was re-elected as a director at large.
Beckett replaces President Gord Klassen who gave his annual report to delegates on Thursday, May 9.
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