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From the meeting held on November 27, 2023
Mayor’s Update
Mayor Pranger met online with representatives from Fraser Health on November 21st to discuss the on-going issues with health services in Agassiz. She reported that Fraser Health is working very hard to provide physician and nurse practitioner services to the residents of Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs. Fraser Health also confirmed that they are working on a request from the District to prepare a healthcare needs assessment for the Kent-Harrison area, but underscored that their first priority is to stabilize the doctor and nurse practitioner situation in our community.
November 24th was the official kick-off for the annual Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign and Mayor Pranger was on hand to take the first shift in front of the Red Apple. Thank you to Freddy Marks, Red Apple and all the volunteers for your support during this important fundraising drive. If you are curious about the Christmas Kettle Campaign or interested in donating online, please visit https://salvationarmy.ca/christmas-kettles/kettlefaq/. If you would like to volunteer for a shift, you can contact Mr. Marks at 604-796-3000.
On November 25th, Mayor Pranger and Council attended the Annual Agassiz Fire Department Year-End Banquet. As always, they were moved by the heartfelt speeches and amazing community spirit displayed by the members of the Agassiz Fire Department (AFD) and were very grateful for the large donation of $30,000 that the Agassiz Fire Department Charitable Society made towards the construction of the Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre.
Mayor Pranger receiving a cheque from Fire Chief Gerald Basten, on behalf of the Agassiz Fire Department Charitable Society
If you would also like to show your support for your community by donating or organizing a fundraiser, please visit www.kentbc.ca/fill_the_pool for more information. All donations over $25 will receive a tax receipt. Mayor Pranger and Council also expressed their sincerest thanks to the AFD for their hard work and dedication in keeping our community safe and their support for various local charities throughout the year. This is especially inspiring since the majority of their efforts take place during unpaid volunteer hours – thank you again to the AFD for all that you do!
For those who haven’t finished their holiday shopping yet, Mayor Pranger is reminding you to shop locally and support local businesses. According to the Federation of Independent Business, 66 cents of every dollar spent locally stays in the community, whereas only 11 cents on the dollar remains in the community when purchases are made through multi-national corporations and online retailers. So, let’s do our part to support the local economy by shopping at small businesses, making the holidays a little brighter for everyone in our community!
Integrated Child and Youth Mental Health Team Delegation
Dr. Bernard Klop, District Vice-Principal of Inclusive Education and Mental Health, and Mr. Mark Vegh, Program Lead for Integrated Child and Youth Mental Team, spoke to Council about a new initiative from the Province to address mental health issues and substance abuse among young people. This initiative includes the formation of a new Integrated Child and Youth Mental Health Team (ICY Team) for the Fraser-Cascade School District, which will also provide support for the Agassiz Christian School, Seabird Island Community School, and Sts’ailes Community School. The ICY Team started their program this September, with Mr. Vegh as the Team Lead, and is already taking a select number of referrals.
The ICY Team will be comprised of two clinical counselors and two to three support or peer support workers and is expected to be fully operational by early 2024. The primary mandate for the ICY Team is to work with children and youth that are presenting with mental health concerns by providing counselling, support groups, and educational groups, to those youth and their families. They are also focused on working with local community groups that support children and their families through their various programs, to get a better sense of where their help is needed and how to provide that support in the quickest way possible. The goal of this partnership is to reduce wait list times and limit how often a family needs to explain their situation to organizations that may be able to help by creating an integrated and centralized hub.
For an overview of the program, please visit the Integrated Child & Youth Teams fact sheet at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/mental-health/icy_teams_fact_sheet_web.pdf
Agricultural Plastics Recycling Program Update
Councillor Post provided an update on the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Pilot Program, confirming that all the farms that have chosen to participate now have their own plastic compactors (provided by Cleanfarms), and that 46 compacted bales have been collected. He also reiterated that this is a pilot project and that the funding is ending in April of 2024. It is his hope that the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) will include this program in a similar pilot project they are starting.
To learn more about the non-profit environmental stewardship organization Cleanfarms and their research or pilot projects, please visit https://cleanfarms.ca/who-we-are/.
Faser Valley Conservancy Year End Wrap Up
Councillor Schwichtenberg attended the Fraser Valley Conservancy potluck and year-end debriefing on November 21st. She reported that the native species planting program is going well and that more plans are underway for the new year. On November 26th, members of the Habitat Healers Ambassador Program completed their final planting for the year along Haig Highway. The purpose of this late season planting was to replace some dead shrubs and plants that were removed by the District at the request of a local resident, with species native to the area. This planting may be used as an example in the future of what the ambassador program is capable of doing to work in conjunction with land or homeowners to create resilient ecosystems in the community.
To join the Habitat Healers Ambassador Program, visit https://fraservalleyconservancy.ca/programs/habitat-healers/ today!
Thank You Letter to the Agassiz Fire Department from the City of West Kelowna
Mayor Gord Milsom from the City of West Kelowna sent a letter to the District on November 1, 2023, thanking the Agassiz Fire Department for their incredible support during the McDougall Creek Wildfire. Councillor Watchorn acknowledged the letter and thanked the AFD for responding not just to calls in our community but throughout the Province as well. He said that the members of the AFD are a credit to the District and we greatly appreciate it.
Mayor Pranger added that they also attended the Gun Lake Wildfire this summer, proving that they are a well-trained resource that can be called upon for additional support from the Province and we thank them for the excellent job they do in representing our community!
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