Inaugural meeting held Friday for the Northern Rockies Regional District

Photo: Richard Neufeld makes his first speech as a Senator on Friday – Brent Hodson/Energeticcity.ca

Today marked the inaugural meeting of British Columbia’s first Regional Municipality, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality in Fort Nelson, B.C.

Representatives from Federal government levels, Senator Richard Neufeld, Provincial government levels, Minister of Community Development Kevin Krueger, Union of BC Municipalities President Robert Hobson and municipal representatives from the region including Fort St. John Councillor Lori Ackerman and Chetwynd Mayor Evan Saugstad took part in this occasion.

This new structure will see the two-tier system of the Town of Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies Regional District be streamlined into a Single Tier government with the Regional Municipality.This will create a more efficient operation at Town Hall and increase the tax basis for the region with access to the resource industries.

This effort has been in the making for the past 35 years with the final step taking place at the last municipal election where 90% of the voters voted in favor of the new structure.