Sometimes, we just can't afford to do everything. Congratulations on making a very sensible financial decision. I support your decision and am encouraged by it.

Finally some people on council who understand financial responsibility. It is about time.

I felt a long time ago that we should not hold this conference. We have nothing to show off.

The expensive part about the membership in this association is not sending people to conferences, not putting on conferences. The expensive part is actually turning this City into a Winter City. THAT is quite different from being a city which happens to have a snowy and cold winter.

BTW, Melbourne, Australia has a winter season as well, as does Honolulu. LOL

http://www.city.sapporo.jp/somu/kokusai/wwcam/mayorsconf.html

BTW, their site says the 14th conference will be held in Prince George in 2010. Wonder how that will make PG look in the eyes of the world? Great PR.

Councillor Stolz was dead on. When one plans to do something, one needs to set aside money to do it. Who dropped the ball on that?

Boooooooo.....lets shut the doors Dan!!!!

Way to make our city look good...maybe we should cancel Christmas next year too

Way to go city council! And people wonder how we got into this economical mess we are in. BY SPENDING MONEY STUPIDLY!

Is it common that the host community pays for the accomodation for people attending a conference like this? That seems very odd.
It sure isn't the norm in my line of work - you pay for your travel, accomodation and the fee to attend the conference.

Prince George is closed for business...sucks to be anyone who owns a hotel in this city now.


Show me how this event would cost the city $200,000. There is more to this than money...

Man it must suck to be a politian. For years everyone has been complaining that they spend money they(we) don't have. Then when they finally get the picture that we can't afford something, people still get mad. No wonder Colin went to China so many times, people were gonna be pissed anyways; might as well have some fun.

Hard to make all of the people happy all of the time.

Good move councillors and dannoh. Prudence is a virtue in the absence of a thriving economy.
metalman.

This conference has been a bunch of BS from the very start. The last conference that was held in China was attended by our infamous Mayor Colin Kinsley and the Mayor of Anchorage Alaska. 2 people from North America.

You would think that with all the Winter Cities in Canada, and the USA that if this conference was worth anything at all, it would be attended by more Mayors in North America. Do the other Cities know something that we dont. Like maybe this is an acute waste of time any money,.

What can these Cities in China, and Europe teach us about Snow Removal etc; (Which is what the Conference is all about). If we dont know how to look after this City after 100 winters, then we better hang our heads in shame.

This was just another **ego** project of the last Mayor and some Councillors.

Kudo's to the new Mayor and Council for getting it right.

"What can these Cities in China, and Europe teach us about Snow Removal etc; (Which is what the Conference is all about). If we dont know how to look after this City after 100 winters, then we better hang our heads in shame."\

Good Lord!!!! This City knows nothing about snow removal compared to many other cities that have to cope with snow. Some even melt snow instead of carting and storing it. Most get the stuff removed from roads as soon as possible and most do not allow it to be stored on shopping mall parking lots. Many do not pile it up especially high at residentila intersections so that drivers can properly check for oncoming traffic. We restrict fence and shurb heights, but we can allow city crews to pile the stuff as high as the machinery can.

We can learn a lot.

Sapporo, Japan, is one of the Cities that is part of the "Winter Cities" community.

For those interested in how we compare to other cities when it comes to knowledge, experience, processes, technology and community response when it comes to snow and its removal from our road networks, read the following and see where we fit with respect of who is going to benefit from whose experience.

http://www.city.sapporo.jp/kensetsu/yuki/english/outline/history/history_1.html

http://www.aipcrquebec2010.org/index.php?lang=english

An event we could learn at?

Give me a break. We had better snow removal etc; 25 years ago. The problem is not that we dont know, it is more because we just dont give a hoot. We have all the necessary equipment etc, however it is the Management etc where the problems lie.

Sending a Mayor to a Conference is not going to change anything. Civil servants sitting around eating, drinking and joking on taxpayers money is not a solution to anything.

Cancel it and keep it cancelled I say.

If we are paying City Managers in excess of $90,000.00 per year, and Foremen, and Union workers close to that amount, and not getting any satisfaction for our efforts, some two bit conference is not going to change anything.

"We have all the necessary equipment"

I see. You have never watched snow removal in a city with the proper equipment then.

I have agreed earlier on here that the meetings are useless until we are serious about putting effort into moving into the 20th, then then the 21st cetnury of snow removal. Without that, such trips are simple junkets.

I say again, we have little to teach, and lots to learn. But, we have to get rid of the attitude that we know it all, just because we are in the north. Remember, we are not talking to people from Vancouver. We are talking with people who get serious snow and want to keep their city operating to as close as possbile an efficiency as it operates in the summer.

Having windrows in the centre of major arterials a week after what they call a snow storm around here is riduculosu.

On top of being riduculosu ... it is also ridiculous!!!! ????