Norm Macdonald MLA                                Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

February 1st, 2008

Provincial government overrides local decision-making 

Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald is calling on Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell to reverse his Ministry’s decision to approve an application for a 32-slip marina on Lake Windermere.

“The Regional District of East Kootenay does not support this application and the provincial government should not be going against the Regional District,” stated Macdonald.  

“Lake Windermere is an incredible area that is facing a great deal of human pressure.  Community groups and local governments are trying to meet the challenges of growth through studies and carefully considered decision making.  The provincial government needs to respect this work instead of ignoring it.”

Macdonald is concerned that this is just another incident in a long pattern of interference by the Campbell government. 

“Allowing the provincial government to make under-informed decisions from a distance makes for a poor result.  It is unacceptable to this part of British Columbia to have decisions imposed on us from afar when we are far better able to make the decisions here through our local government structure.”