Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski hosted a pop up office in Golden on May 17 at the Golden Seniors’ Centre.
Stetski was available to help residents with everything he provides at his offices in Cranbrook and Nelson, but in Golden. This included Government of Canada services related to passports, veterans affairs, employment insurance, Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Pension Plans, Old Age Security, guaranteed income supplements, and immigration, refugees, and citizenship.
Each year, Stetski comes to the community a few times to speak with constituents. Either in a formal setting, like the pop up office, or for coffee or pints and good conversation.
“The pupose of these is to make sure we bring the services we offer right to the communities where people live,” Stetski said about the pop up office. “Basically, if anyone is having a problem with the federal government… We encourage them to come and see us.”
Whatever the case is, people can give Stetski permission to act on their behalf to help resolve issues.
“We have access to phone numbers that the public don’t, in order to solve some of these issues,” Stetski said. “We have great staff and we help a lot of people.”
Stetski says he tries to set up pop up offices in the community twice a year. Later that day, he travelled to Revelstoke to host the same event there.
As the 42nd Parliament comes to an end, the federal government pace begins to speed up, tightening Stetski’s schedule.
He has been busy at the federal level, but says he looks forward to his meetings in Golden and Revelstoke.
“I’ve been driving around the riding for 29 years now, and I never get tired of it,” he said.
On May 16, Stetski’s National Local Food Day went to the senate agricultural committee, where they were expected vote on the bill and advise of any amendments. If it is successful there, then it will go on to the Governor General and get signed off as law, marking the weekend before Thanksgiving as National Local Food Day.
