John Cummins talks skills training, Site C in Fort St. John

"It's an opportunity to get in touch with people, to talk to people," he says. "The goal is to spread the message around and to meet as many people as we can to make sure that our vision of British Columbia is understood by the people up here in the Peace and try to get that support."

According to Cummins, there are two parts of that vision that are particularly of interest to residents in northeast B.C.: filling jobs with skilled workers, and the proposed Site C dam. While our region struggles to get enough skilled workers to fill the growing number of jobs, several other parts of the province are dealing with a shortage of positions. Cummins points to not enough seats in trades schools for young people looking for work as a major part of both problems.

"This of course is reflected in the job market," he argues. "The employers that we talk to throughout British Columbia are telling us that they just can't get the people with the skills necessary to do the jobs that need to be done. "We think that British Columbians want and need those high paying jobs."

As possible solutions Cummins makes a point for both investing in schools in the north, as well as getting the message across that our region is a great place to live, learn and work. He visited the University of Northern B.C. campus in Prince George earlier this month, where he learned that more students from that facility end up staying in the north than all other universities in the province.

"It's great to have that sort of educational facility in the north to make sure that the north is going to get the kind of skilled people and those bright young people that come out of those universities and training colleges that want to stay here."

In order to get people to stay in the north, they have to be convinced to stay here first, something Cummins argues the current government isn't doing well enough.

"A lot of people in southern British Columbia don't understand the options and opportunities that are here in the north. I think government has to do a better job of letting people know that it's very liveable up here in the Peace River country," he says. "These are great places to live and we've got to do a better job of educating British Columbians about the opportunities in the north here."

He says that means talking up the region, and letting people know that the north isn't disconnected from the rest of the province.

As for the proposed Site C dam, Cummins argues that in making its decision, the provincial government should pay "careful attention" to views of  Peace Region residents and look further ahead into the future.

"I think it's a decision that folks in the area should have the biggest say in whether or not that project goes ahead. It's their backyard and and I think that their concerns have to be listened to," he believes, adding, "Does it still makes sense to go ahead with a hydroelectric dam project here when other options may be available down the road in three or four decades? I think that that has to be part of the conversation, not just what's good for today and just because we did it in the past."

Cummins and his wife Sue flew to Fort Nelson today, and will be travelling to Chetwynd and lastly Dawson Creek for the South Peace nomination meeting later this week.