A City of Terrace delegation is heading to Victoria next week to meet with several provincial ministers and discuss previously raised issues of crime and safety in the community.
The delegation consisting of Mayor Carol Leclerc, Coun. Sean Bujtas and Chief Administrative Officer Kris Boland will be meeting with the ministers on March 31.
They will meet in person with Municipal Affairs Minister Nathan Cullen, Minister for Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, Mental Health & Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson and Attorney General David Eby.
Last month after drafting a resolution to municipal lobby groups highlighting safety concerns and BC Prosecution Service’s failure to charge repeat offenders, Terrace council expressed the need to sit down with the province to find solutions.
The resolution also consisted of letters from several local businesses operating in the Terrace downtown area highlighting instances of assaults, thefts and break and enters.
Following which, newly appointed Municipal Affairs Minister Nathan Cullen visited Terrace, met with Leclerc and toured the downtown area.
“The City of Terrace is facing severe challenges with theft and public safety, especially in the downtown core, that are not being addressed by our justice system in the manner that the justice system is meant to operate, nor are they able to be addressed by the existing supportive services in our community,” Leclerc said in a statement.
“While these issues are common across the province, we need more support from the provincial government to ensure that northern communities are not left out of the conversation,” she added.