Back to SearchBoard on the Road to 100 Mile House
Join us in 100 Mile House as the Board of Directors takes its meetings on the road to 100 Mile House! We will be in the community on September 5 and 6, bringing out Board meetings closer to one of the many communities we serve. Area residents can also join us on September 5 in Centennial Park from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. for a community barbecue, cooked by the 100 Mile House Wranglers, to meet CRD Directors and staff and speak with them about our services and priorities.
Interior Health provides update on CMH staffing and recruitment efforts
Several representatives from the Interior Health Authority presented information to the CCRHD Board on its recruitment and retention efforts to maintain existing healthcare services in the Cariboo region. The Cariboo Memorial Hospital and 100 Mile General Hospital have both been subject to overnight emergency room closures, a universal concern for Board members that was stressed during the meeting. Interior Health noted that there is currently a 60% vacancy rate for physicians and registered nurse positions in Cariboo Memorial Hospital's Emergency Department, and that they were relying on casual staff and other staff to take on extra shifts above their normal schedules, alongside temporary staffing and locum physicians.
Interior Health also noted that Cariboo Memorial Hospital has been designated as a priority site for funding to support recruitment and retention efforts. New recruits can receive up to 3-months of free accommodations and a $20,000 signing bonus. Additionally, each nurse working in select rural and remote communities like Williams Lake and 100 Mile House reportedly will receive up to $8,000 per year as part of the Provincial Rural Retention Incentive to reward continued service in the community.
Challenges to recruitment included several issues commonplace in the region, including the availability of daycare spaces, attainable housing, and extracurricular activities for youth. Interior Health requested additional advocacy and support from local governments in the region to close this service gap, which they said would assist in their recruitment and retention efforts. The Board approved a resolution to investigate developing and reserving childcare spaces through School District 27 for healthcare professionals’ families.
Emergency Operations update provided to Board
Irene Israel, Manager of Emergency Program Services, presented an update to the Board on the Emergency Operations Centre’s (EOC) activities over the summer of 2024. The EOC was activated in response to both wildfires and the Chilcotin River Landslide, and has issued several evacuation orders and alerts in support of public safety objectives. She also provided an update on the use of Voyent Alert, and clarified how it operates in a different way than the Province’s Broadcast Intrusive Alert System, AlertReady. She also discussed how the Chilcotin River Landslide highlighted gaps in emergency management legislation, as there were inadequate tools to protect indigenous cultural and heritage sites after an emergency activation.
The Board discussed sending a letter to the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, and Chair Wagner confirmed that one was in progress. The Board will be seeking a meeting with Minister Ma (Emergency Management and Climate Readiness), Minister Kane (Municipal Affairs), and Minister Cullen (Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship) about the response to the Chilcotin River Landslide. They also discussed the impact that the lack of regulatory clarity on how local authorities, indigenous governments, and the Province were supposed to work together was having on effective emergency responses by all parties.
Lac La Hache covenant modification receives modified approval, responding to public feedback
The Board held lengthy discussions about a request from a Lac La Hache property owner to modify a restrictive covenant for a manufactured home park property. After much deliberation, a partial approval of the request was provided, which removes a requirement to install fencing along the manufactured home park’s boundary with the Lac La Hache cemetery. The property owner’s request to remove fencing requirements for occupied mobile home spaces along the park’s perimeter was rejected based on feedback collected from area residents.
Red Bluff Sewer Budget amendment
The budget for the Red Bluff Sewer service will be increased by $100,000 to replace a gritt separator at the pre-treatment plant. This critical component was determined to have deteriorated and no longer operates as needed. The increased costs will be funded from capital reserves and there is no immediate impact on utility service fees.
Northern Health funding requests approved
The CCRHD Board has given preliminary approval for funding for two Northern Health projects:
- $259,200 for IT network and wireless infrastructure replacement at G.R. Baker Hospital in Quesnel.
- $10,936 towards a Northern Health Authority Data Storage.
Expenditure authorization bylaws will be brought forward to the September 6, 2024 CCRHD Board meeting for ratification.
MLA Lorne Doerkson presents to Board
MLA Doerkson (Cariboo-Chilcotin) attended the meeting to provide a general update on his work in the legislature and in his constituency. These include concerns about the Province’s new Emergency and Disaster Management Act, availability of healthcare services in the riding, major road maintenance issues, crime levels in communities, ongoing drought conditions and need for stronger landscape level water management, and various other issues. He also discussed a private member’s bill, Carter’s Law (Bill M-223) which amended the Wildfire Act to require that the Province consider the health risks posed by wildfire smoke in how it prioritizes its wildfire response and resource commitments.
Upcoming Meetings:
Sept. 5 @ 9:30 a.m. – CRD Committee of the Whole On the Road in 100 Mile House!
Sept. 6 @ 12:00 a.m. – CRD / CCRHD Board On the Road in 100 Mile House!
Sept. 9 @ 11:00 a.m. – South Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus
Sept. 9 @ 12:00 p.m. – South Cariboo Joint Committee
Sept. 10 @ 3:00 p.m. – North Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus
Sept. 10 @ 5:30 p.m. – North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee
See the full CCRHD and CRD agendas and minutes at cariboord.ca/agendasminutes.
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