LAST WEEK saw a couple of powerful people visiting the northwest in completely different ways.
Premier Christy Clark came to town with an entourage of jobs minister Pat Bell and her communications team, answering questions and visiting projects in the area.
Then there was Enbridge president Pat Daniel who came to town the same day as Clark, quietly holding private meetings with people in Terrace and Kitimat who have expressed interest in the Northern Gateway project.
Which is the best way to gain the support of people?
Enbridge’s approach could be part of the reason why some northerners are irate with the company; with a lot of elbow grease and public pressure, Terrace was lucky enough to hold an all-candidates forum on the project, but not many other communities have had the opportunity.
Perhaps taking a few minutes and acknowledging people’s concerns could lead to a better chance of success.
There were many left-wingers in the audience at the town hall ready to skewer Clark with their questions. She sat in the hot seat for two hours and answered questions with a smile on her face.
Say what you will about the new Premier.
But at least she’s keeping her promise of holding these town halls and giving people a shot to talk about issues, if only for a couple of hours.