If Valemount takes off as a tourist destination, I would think that we would want to keep that part of the region with us, rather than shipping it off to Kamloops.

That's the part of the "study" (read that as an afternoon spent by a staffer who knows what he/she is doing rather than a consultant who will charge more than $25,000 or so) that I would like to see.

Otherwise I assume it is simply a matter of the Mayor prefering to travel to Kamloops rather than PG for her meetings.

Valemount has been waiting for this tourism explosion for years, if not a decade with that Canoe Mt. tram.

Maybe they're just tired of studies...

Jeannette Townsend ran as the federal liberal candidate once (mid 90's) in the PG riding and lost with something less then 10% of the vote... so she naturally hates PG. She wrote a letter to the editor of the PG Citizen two days after the elections threatening the people of PG with not ever seeing another dime from the now elected federal liberals for not voting for them?

I remember reading that and thinking, 'why didn't she campaign on that?' She might of got 15% of the vote using her threats to withhold the public purse for not supporting her political agenda (a 5% improvement). Worse yet she claimed PG would get nothing and Valemount would be taken care of because they voted liberal (and thus for her). I remember at the time it was common for federal liberals to tie public dollars with support, or lack of support for the liberals in elections.

Jeannette Townsend confirmed my worst fears of the kind of candidates the pointy heads at the party central were offering up for us in their 'take it or leave it' ballot options. For this reason I support the BCSTV so that next time I am forced to look at a pointyhead selection choice on my ballot I can opt to select another person from that party that has more admirable virtues... rather than be forced into a blackmail ballot.

Time Will Tell

While I did NOT support the BCSTV format in the begining,I am really starting to re-think that.
The political situation in B.C.is going nowhere, and in fact it is actually getting even more biased and controlled as time goes on.
We need to fix that if democracy is ever to get a fair shake for all concerned.
I am unsure as to BCSTV being the solution in itself, but I think it is on the right track.
Right now,those with the power in office are deciding who gets in and who doesn't,according to how many political asses they have kissed.
Even the opposition parties are making up the rules on who they want or don't want.
That is NOT democracy.
The ruling government is also deciding issues with very little input from those that have to live in this province, according to what suits the ruling governments policies and agenda.
Public opinion and actually listening to the electorate has become a thing of the past.
They thumb their arrogant noses at us all.
There has to be a better way of governing than this mess we have now, and I am more than willing to look at anything that gives the power back to the voters instead of to the politicians,as it does now.

hear, hear Andyfreeze! I also did not support the BCSTV...the deciding factor for me was how much the Campbell govt wants to ram it through, so naturally I have become suspicious as to it's merit. Then with the recent changes to election rules, I am not sure if we voters really have a say anyhow....so I need more info on this...I would rather see the days of political parties vamoose so my $1.52 for my vote goes to whom I feel is worthy not a party coffer.

Andy, I also had to warm up to BCSTV at first. I originally had my own idea's, but we had common ground on the transferable ballot aspect. The BCSTV is very close to what was used in BC for the 52' election, I think it was... that first elected the Socred's to government. The only difference is the multi-member ridings electing more than a single MLA.

What it comes down to for me is that BCSTV is a vast improvement over what we have because at least then I have a choice on my ballot and thus a greater feeling of democracy and thus a need to participate in the process.

BCSTV is also the only other option we have that will be voted on for electoral reform, and it was formulated by a impartial citizens assembly of jurors that did a lot of good work, so its hard to not support BCSTV from a perspective of being in favor of another option that hasn't gone through such a rigorous process of our peers (fellow citizens) and most likely would never make it to the referendum stage anyways.

I figure if BCSTV was the system we used to elect our MLA's then it would give choice on the ballot to avoid the blackmail ballot of party choices and those with virtue would float to the top whether they were distinguised independents or party affiliated.

Once this level of political freedom (BCSTV)is attained I think the next big fight could be fought... and that would be to attain regional protection to the value of our electoral representation from any further dilution to the rule of the majority from the 604....

Time Will tell

PS BCSTV is also very important in the aspect that the way it was formulated and then approved through a 60% majority would mean that its authority would be nearly unquestionable from any other legal body (Canada, NAFTA, WTO, UN, ect) when looked at from a grass roots democratic basis of authority. No other place on the planet could claim that their citizens themselves decided on and implemented the way they elect their politicians independent from the politicians themselves. What this means is our legislature will have a greater moral authority when dealing with things under its sovereign against the growing assault of multinational corpocracy and NGO movements.