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Columbia River-Revelstoke’s ‘capital mistake’
Letter to the Editor
Arthur Conan Doyle wrote that “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts” and when it comes to twisting facts to suit his not so “shy” partisan theories, sadly Norm Macdonald has become the Columbia River-Revelstoke riding’s “capital mistake”. In terms of the Mark Creek Flume Project in Kimberley, the NDP candidate either does not have a clue about how funding decisions for such projects are made or where the funding comes from, or he just cannot tell the truth. In response I respectfully offer to the constituents of Kimberley these simple, truthful facts.
Kimberley’s Mark Creek Flume Project application was made to the federal Gas Tax Program, a program that involves absolutely no provincial dollars and absolutely has nothing to do with the provincial government. Monies designated from this federal government program go directly to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities where a five member non-partisan panel with only one provincial ministry employee, invigilates a process that decides what projects have the most merit. The role of the Ministry of Community, Sport & Cultural Development is to simply provide the technical analysis of all submitted infrastructure projects and report the data to the panel. The Minister has no input at all into the process or the final decisions. Once the panel’s funding decisions are finalized, the Ministry informs all applicants as to the outcome of their requests.
It is mind boggling that the NDP candidate would not know how such funding programs and processes work considering the eight years he has spent as an MLA. An even worse scenario is that he actually does know and for self-serving reasons, refuses to inform the public. For a sitting MLA to infer that Kimberley has received nothing from the BC Liberals is incorrigible given the fact that millions of dollars have been invested in the city since 2001.
It is very unfortunate that Kimberley’s Flume application was not chosen. I have personally requested that the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development consider seeking information that would help the City of Kimberley understand why the application was not successful. In the end the question that needs to be asked is simple. Are the NDP candidates “twisted” Flume funding theories believable? It’s a NO!
Doug Clovechok
BC Liberal candidate
Columbia River Revelstoke
