THURSDAY, JULY 6 2017 VOL. 74, NO. 27
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Horgan to form gov’t, promises northern visit ALEISHA HENDRY AND MATT PREPROST ahendry@ahnfsj.ca
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Fireworks light up the night sky over Surerus Park in Fort St. John on Canada Day.
Annual Peace paddle takes on hopeful tone The 12th annual Paddle for the Peace comes as government changes hands ALEISHA HENDRY ahendry@ahnfsj.ca
A change in government has organizers of the annual Paddle for the Peace in a more hopeful and lighter mood. In its 12th year, the paddle launches from the confluence of the Peace and Halfway Rivers on Saturday. The BC NDP, which will form a minority government in the coming weeks with the support of the BC Greens, is expected to send the $8.8-billion Site C dam project to the B.C. Utilities Commission for immediate review as part of its transition.
“We’re more hopeful. We’re anxiously anticipating the BCUC process,” said Andrea Morison, executive director of the Peace Valley Environment Association. “We’ll see how everything plays out, and hopefully it plays out very quickly and they get on with the process.” The NDP and Greens announced a deal to join forces in the legislature to topple the Liberal government back in May. On June 29, they defeated the government in a non-confidence vote on Premier Christy Clark’s throne speech. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon accepted BC Liberal leader Christy Clark’s resignation and asked NDP leader John Horgan to form government. Green Leader Andrew Weaver and his caucus were in the Fort St. John area
recently for a tour of the river valley and areas that will be impacted by the dam. Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is returning to take part in the paddle this year, while Morison said invites have been sent to the Greens, as well as the BC NDP to attend. Invites have also been sent to the federal ministers of the environment and aboriginal affairs, as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Any NDP MLAs that come, we’ll give a tour of the valley the day before (the paddle) and get them to meet with people who are impacts and talk to people how that feels for them and what they’re looking forward to and give them a good sense of the values that are in that valley and what stands to be lost.”
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NDP Leader John Horgan will be the next premier of B.C. after the Liberal government led by Christy Clark was defeated in a confidence vote in the legislature last week. No party won a majority of seats in the May 9 election. But the 41 NDP MLAs and three Greens signed an accord to work together on a range of issues and use their majority of votes to defeat the 43 Liberals on a confidence vote at the earliest opportunity. They used that advantage June 29 to overthrow Clark in a 44-42 confidence vote on the throne speech. It has left Peace River Liberal MLAs Dan Davies and Mike Bernier on the outside looking in, as the NDP looks to build its transition team, send the $8.8-billion Site C dam for an economic review, and reconvene the legislature around Labour Day. “It’s kind of upsetting when both parties—the Greens and the NDP—both say they want stable government for as long as possible,” said Davies, who won 9,707 votes in Peace River North on Election Day. “We’ve just extended this time of uncertainty, which our province doesn’t need right now. Things are about as shaky as you can get.” After meeting with Lt.-Gov Judith Guichon, Horgan told reporters he was looking forward “to working harder than I’ve ever worked before,” with plans to form a cabinet as soon as possible to tackle high-level priorities such as the drug overdose crisis, education and the softwood lumber dispute with the United States. “(Guichon) wanted to make sure … that the continuity was going to be there and the systems and structures that we hold so dear here in British Columbia were going to be in good hands,” Horgan said. “I assured her that I would do my level best to make sure that continuity continues.” Still, Davies remains wary the NDP minority will hold. He doesn’t want to see an election any time soon, but said it’s likely inevitable at this point. “We have the strongest opposition now in history, with the weakest government in history. That’s just the way the numbers have fallen,” he said. With the Site C project falling into a now-opposition riding, Davies said his job hasn’t changed. “My job is to advocate for that project,” he said. “There was a clear message sent in this riding that people don’t want to see that project stopped.” See HORGAN on A5
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