The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Canada and Kootenay-Columbia may have voted the Conservatives from power last week, but for local officials, the Trans-Canada Highway remains the number one Federal issue.
“I’m looking forward to the Liberal government’s reaction when we start lobbying for increased funding and partnerships between the federal and provincial governments for upgrading the Trans-Canada Highway,” said Mayor Mark McKee.
Justin Trudeau led his Liberal Party to a majority victory in last week’s election, and the NDP’s Wayne Stetski was elected the MP for Kootenay-Columbia.
McKee’s comments were echoed by the Chamber of Commerce in a news release.
“The chamber congratulates Wayne Stetski on his election, and looks forward to working with him on key regional issues such as improvements to our local infrastructure and the Trans-Canada Highway,” they stated.
McKee and the Chamber also brought up community infrastructure. McKee said he wanted to see what programs the Liberal government brings forward that Revelstoke can benefit from.
He was happy to see a majority government elected, but wasn’t worried about the fact Kootenay-Columbia elected an MP from the third party in parliament. “I’m always going to push and represent Revelstoke to its goals and aspirations. That’s what I have to work with and that’s the way people voted and that’s fine,” he said.
Randy Driediger, the president of the Chamber, said they support the Liberal’s plans for increased infrastructure spending.
Meanwhile, Avalanche Canada said they looked forward to working with the new government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a long-time supporter of the organization who helped found the Avalanche Canada Foundation in the late-90s after his brother Michel died in an avalanche in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.
“It’s very exciting that our new Prime Minister is someone who understands and appreciates Canada’s wilderness,” said Gilles Valade, Avalanche Canada’s executive director. “It’s also exciting that he is someone with whom we’ve worked with. In the late 90s, the Trudeau family helped to establish the Avalanche Canada Foundation, a registered charity that raises money to support the work of Avalanche Canada. In the mid-2000s, Justin Trudeau gave his time to a number of our early Avalanche Awareness Days events, lending his considerable star-power to ensure these events got media coverage.”
