The request to establish a $1 billion recovery fund through the provincial and federal governments to help wildfire-impacted communities in B.C was unanimously endorsed at last week’s UBCM Convention held in Vancouver.

Williams Lake City Councillor Scott Nelson says he believes Council was quite positive in bringing forward the recommendation.

“The wildfires obviously had a huge impact on the province and on the region, and on the community as a whole. I think our friends and neighbours, and other communities truly recognized how important it was too rural British Columbia to help give us some support.”

Nelson says by them endorsing the request, it sent a fairly strong message to both the province and the federal government to open up and see what needs to be done in rural British Columbia after fires have gone through.

Wildfires this year have burnt an estimated 1.2 million hectares according to the B.C Wildfire Service, almost 1 million of which is in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.

“The timelines for us are sooner than later,” Nelson adds. “The reason for that is we need cash injections into communities that have been through horrific wildfires. This is a time and this is the most important time to get action done and that’s why I think our colleagues across the province from the different municipalities whether it be City, a regional district or a small community recognized importance of this fund.”

“It’s a recovery fund not just for Williams Lake, it’s for all rural British Columbia and we think it’s important that we establish it.”

– with files from Rebecca Dyok, My Cariboo Now.