Members of Port Alberni’s city council are joining with two-thousand other municipal politicians from across B-C in Vancouver this week for the annual Union of B-C Municipalities convention.
Nearly 50 workshops, clinics, forums and plenary sessions are scheduled, dealing with issues ranging from the opioid crisis to money laundering and emergency management.
Mayor Sharie Minions says she’ll be working on getting more money for policing.
“The City of Port Alberni has the highest policing costs per capita in the province, and we would like to see more provincial RCMP officers funded by the province, so that’s a push that we’re going to be making for the provincial government to support that request,” she said.
Minions expects cannabis and the opiod crisis will continue to dominate discussions.
She’ll be meeting with Solicitor General Mike Farnworth about policing, and will be part of a delegation discussing Bamfield Road issues with Premier John Horgan and Transportation Minister Clair Trevena.
Speakers include B-C Green party Leader Andrew Weaver on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Andrew Wilkinson on Thursday and Premier John Horgan providing the wrap-up address on the final day of the convention.
