Editor:
An amazing opportunity is knocking at our door and that comes in the way of Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT).
New and innovative programs that will 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 for the province of B.C.
We all need to remind ourselves that this opportunity isn’t just for us in leadership or administration, it is for the current and future students that will be accessing these programs and services; from the high school student looking into trades or those adults looking to improve their employment opportunities. As an elected leader of the Lake Babine Nation these people, my members as well as the constituents of Burns Lake are our priority, as they will be gaining the skills and education to become active members of society. It is our role to advocate and support our students to achieve their dreams; it is also our responsibility to learn, participate and make decisions that will benefit our communities.
Lake Babine Nation has a very large population and to ensure alignment with our plans for job creation and economic development we need capacity building for our members. We need a post-secondary partner that is willing to work with our Nation to provide the programs that will support the jobs we have available as well as planning for the future. We thought that relationship was healthy with the CNC but, as most are now aware, that relationship and shared vision has been replaced by an administration which is out of touch with the needs of this entire community. Thankfully NVIT has extended their hand in partnership to Lake Babine Nation and we are working collaboratively with them on programs which can supplement the cuts which CNC arbitrarily implemented as well as for future growth and need of the area.
Our hope, as a Nation, is that we can extend our hand of partnership to our neighboring Nations, the municipality, the regional district, school district and industry to work together as a team for the future of Burns Lake. In the spirit of Reconciliation we are hoping that we can all move forward together. In order for any community project or initiative to be successful we need a unified community that supports the overall needs of every single person who may seek to improve their education and future.
We commend the Rural Post-Secondary Education Committee (RPEC) for keeping the CNC Prince George campus accountable to our community and their continued voluntary countless hours of work ensuring our communities are fully involved.
We have extended an invitation to all interested parties, including the mayor and council, to further discuss and hope that we can begin to work to bring this to fruition together.
Sincerely,
Darren Patrick
