The Tri-Cities' mayors are back home after a whirlwind RV trip to a national conference in Edmonton.
Mayors Richard Stewart of Coquitlam, Greg Moore of Port Coquitlam and Mike Clay of Port Moody embarked on Town Haul 2.0 last week to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' convention in the Alberta city.
Tuesday, Moore said their study of resource-based economies en route gave them a better perspective of what's happening in B.C.'s north.
"It was really fascinating to go and chat with local elected folk in their backyard," Moore told The Tri-City News. "We didn't hear so much about challenges but opportunity for every one of them."
From forestry and farming to the oil and gas sector, northern B.C. and Alberta communities are growing at a rapid rate, with supporting services for their respective industries.
"That was interesting because we get most of our news from social media or the Vancouver Sun about how it doesn't look good because of the oil prices going down," Moore said, "but you go up there and Fort St. John and Dawson Creek are just booming with urban growth. It was pretty incredible."
Part of the mayors' trip was also to hunt for ideas to broaden recreation centres back home.
And Moore said he learned "tonnes" of possibilities as PoCo launches its consultation this year to replace the rec complex on Wilson Avenue. Of the eight civic hubs and libraries the mayors visited, all had been built in the last five years: They saw libraries with open concepts, leisure ice facilities, climbing walls and even an $800,000 wave machine for indoor surfing in Grand Prairie, Alta.
Moore said the trip was funded by private and corporate donations, including from Resource Works, Telus, CP Rail and Fraserway RV.
Asked about a contribution from Kinder Morgan — the company that is planning to expand its pipeline, a bid that has been rejected by the Metro Vancouver board, of which Moore is chair — Moore said its $1,000 pledge for gas and accommodations has yet to surface.
"Yes, they're controversial… but we're trying to learn about this," he said of the oil and gas industry. "We didn't go into one Kinder Morgan facility."
Moore also said while the mayors didn't talk shop on contentious local issues — i.e., Fremont connector — they did resolve to head out next spring to Winnipeg for Town Haul 3.0.
• To learn more about the mayors' Town Haul journey, visit townhaul.ca.
