OBAC's Top 3 Priorities For 2007-2008

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 04:05 AM

The funds are in place, now it's time for the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition to move forward...

Last week, OBAC received its second funding boost, giving it a total of approximately $1.7-million dollars. (click here for previous story)

And OBAC General Manager, Elizabeth Andersen, went before City Council last night to provide an update on the work done to this point, and plans for the year ahead.

"In 2006, the OBAC was getting an understanding of 'What's the playing field?' -- getting organized, setting up, a foundation to do this sort of work," said Andersen. "Not a foundation with capital, but a firm foundation or concrete foundation to be able to do this sort of work...setting up our operating parameters and registering as a society."

She said there was also a lot of consultation with stakeholders to figure out the needs and priorities, as well as the opportunities in the region. And three new communities joined the coalition: Mackenzie, McBride, and Valemount.

The OBAC GM said 2007 will be a year of action on the top priorities to come out of last year's consultations. "The three that we'll be hoping to complete strategy work on in this 2007-2008 work plan will be: the mineral exploration strategy; the alternative energy strategy, with a focus on bio-energy; and also a retention and attraction strategy."

Councillor Shirley Gratton asked OBAC's timeframe for telling the people of the region a "new story".

"Well, I'm not sure we'll be telling a new story in the timeframe that (we've got), we're hoping to set up a foundation to create a 'new story' and that's about three years," replied Andersen. She said both Beetle Action Coalitions that exist right now -- OBAC and the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition -- are not here for a long time. "We here to try and build a foundation that's going to provide folks the insight that they need to make a difference over the next decade and several decades beyond."

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Posted on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 04:05 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Chadermando on April 17 2007 11:44 AM

I think tourism should also be a priority. Not just throwing money away in marketing (awareness) campaigns, but in developing the infrastructure (parks, campgrounds, trail systems, boat launches) and services (guides, rentals) needed to make tourism to Northern BC what it is for the rest of the province.

Posted by: Chadermando on April 17 2007 11:48 AM

The OBAC focus seems to be exclusinvely in the work-slave employment oportunities (government tax revenue generation) with little in the way of long term sustainability development for the entrpreneur and average citizen.

Posted by: Chadermando on April 17 2007 11:49 AM

What happened to Pat Bells farming initiative?

Posted by: whynotyou on April 17 2007 1:17 PM

"are not here for a long time"
"received it's second funding boost for a total of approximately 1.7 million dollars.

Did anybody else catch Bassermans' sales pitch last night? I forget, what position does he hold with OBAC again?

IMO - a "strategy" is a clear plan of action you come up with to "get something done". Ms Anderson's Power Point presentation had a beautiful glossary of verbs to describe her strategy. Sure would be nice to hear more of the "end result benefits" before that 1.7 is all gone.

Posted by: owl on April 18 2007 4:21 PM

"The funds are in place, now it's time for the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition to move forward..."

Move forward??? .. now that would be something new. If they actually did that, they would work themselves out of a job.

How long have they been around doing nothing much of anything? Seems to me they really need to continue doing that, otherwise there will be another organization shutting its doors and putting people on the street.

Prince George simply cannot afford this at this time.

Posted by: owl on April 18 2007 4:30 PM

Strategy
� Move forward

Tactic
� Put wet finger in air to observe wind direction
� Determine direction of �forward� in relation to wind direction
� Rotate body in direction facing away from wind
� walk backwards in a forward direction
� stop walking when others are watching so they do not know which way forward is.
� Test for change in wind direction every few paces
� Adjust the direction you are facing as you perceive the direction of the wind changing
� Do not let on that since the earth is a globe, you can continue to move forward for as long as you wish without actually ever hitting a wall. If you did, you may loose funding forever.

Posted by: owl on April 18 2007 4:31 PM

Of course, the flat earth society may have a different opinion. Luckily they have no funds anyway to support such a project.