KELOWNA, B.C. – “Our MLA, the Premier of British Columbia.”
It’s becoming a familiar introduction in Kelowna, and was repeated yet again Wednesday as Christy Clark parachuted into the Okanagan Valley for more funding announcements.
“We were delighted to be able to support Skate Canada with a $100,000 commitment from the province to make sure this came to Kelowna,” says Clark.
Her morning announcement was a re-announcement of funding the Province had committed to snag the second competition in the annual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating® series. Other events take place in the US, China, France, Russia and Japan.
When asked why there was only $100,000 for the event, the Premier said, “In good management of people’s money means you spend what you need to make it succeed. We have succeeded in landing this competition for Kelowna.”
After meeting with Kelowna City Council at lunch, the Premier then put dust on her boots beside McDougall Creek, placing a ‘completion’ sign at the finished project. The Provincial government paid for $340,000 of the $585,000 project that will help prevent property losses due to flooding. The District of West Kelowna footed the rest of the bill.
“I said when I ran to become MLA for this community, we were going to make it happen,” says Clark. “And here we are today, not a year later, and it’s done. Promises made, promises kept.”
Clark doesn’t shy away from saying it’s a pleasure to be able to keep the promises that saw her re-elected and able to keep her job as premier of the province of BC.
“I am very grateful that the people here showed the confidence in me to elect me,” says Clark. “So I’m going to make sure I live up to the promises I made to people here.”
Kelowna is no stranger to being the center of BC politics. Bill Bennett lead the province for 11 years from Kelowna beginning in 1975. His father, WAC Bennett, held court beginning in 1952, holding office for two decades.
Both locally seated provincial leaders afforded the Central Okanagan city progress that hasn’t been forgotten.
“You might ask the question, ‘Did we benefit when Bill Bennett was MLA? Did we benefit when WAC Bennett was the MLA?’ Absolutely,” says Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray.
Gray notes all three Kelowna area MLA’s have commitments to the entire province. Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick is Agriculture Minister, while Steve Thomson, MLA for Kelowna-Mission, is Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. He says their loyalty to their home ridings has been noted.
“But from our perspective it makes it very convenient to be able to talk to the people at the right time,” says Gray. “So yes, I think the bottom line is there’s a benefit.”
West Kelowna mayor Doug Findlater concurs with Gray.
“I would say that when we phone to a provincial ministry and we note or they note that we’re in the Premier’s riding, sometimes we get a little extra attention and a little quicker response,” says Findlater.
Premier Clark says she will continue to make good on everything she told Westside-Kelowna riding residents she’d do ahead of getting their help to remain in the legislature. Clark was defeated by David Eby in the riding of Vancouver-Point Grey during the 2013 election. She won Westside-Kelowna in a by-election.
“When I asked people here in Westide-Kelowna to give me their support I made a few very specific promises about things that I would accomplish,” says Clark. “(McDougall Creek flood protection) was one of them. Westside Road was another. Supporting a growing tech sector here was another one. I am going to deliver on the promises that I made,” says Clark.
She has at least three more years to make it all happen.
Comments