Fort St. John Chamber recently penned letter to PRRD regarding transparent communication

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John & District Chamber of Commerce recently penned a letter addressing its concerns brought up by its membership on the Peace River Regional District’s (PRRD) lack of communication over the past couple of months.

The chamber penned the letter two weeks ago, and CAO Kathleen Connolly said the district has since expressed interest in working more closely with the organization moving forward.

The chamber’s members are concerned about the lack of information during recent wildfires and the Treaty Land Sharing Network discussed at the June 8th committee of the whole meeting.

During the wildfire evacuations, the chamber said the PRRD did not provide timely information, and texts and emails were not sent when evacuation orders were issued for some regional residents.

The chamber requested that the PRRD create a strong communications team that can meet the need for information regarding emergencies as well as economic issues.

The letter from the chamber also recommends the PRRD has a coverage plan when communication staff is unavailable.

“As we all experienced at the June 8th, 2023 meeting, sharing information across the PRRD in a timely manner would help dissolve false narratives, provide information from a ‘trusted source’ and allow businesses, Indigenous communities and residents to engage in real-time conversations that will better inform the decisions that are made at your boardroom table,” the letter from the chamber continued.

The PRRD held a special committee of the whole meeting on Wednesday, allowing residents and landowners to address their concerns on the Treaty Land Sharing Network.

The letter from the chamber can be viewed below: