The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) and the municipalities of Quesnel, Wells, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House have hired recovery managers to support the region through the final community recovery phase of this summer’s emergency response due to the wildfires.
Individually and collaboratively, the recovery managers will work to collect and co-ordinate information on recovery resources, connect residents to those resources and learn more about the economic and social impacts facing the region and its residents going forward.
The CRD hired Stephanie Masun on contract to the end of March 2018. Masun began Oct. 27. Recovery information will be posted on the CRD website at cariboord.ca and on the CRD’s Facebook page, facebook.com/CaribooRegion.
The City of Quesnel has also announced the establishment of its Wildfire Economic Recovery Team.
The District of Wells announced Wylie Bystedt has taken on the recovery manager role until the end of March 2018.
The City of Williams Lake has engaged a contractor, Trevor Kier, to assess the city’s needs with respect to recovery efforts. Plans to hire a longer-term recovery manager are still underway, pending the initial assessment.
The District of 100 Mile House has hired MJ Cousins as the recovery manager for 100 Mile House and surrounding areas in the South Cariboo. She started Oct. 30.
The CRD recovery manager, as well as some of the others, will be attending many of the CRD’s Wildfire Community Consultation meetings to gain a sense of the current situation and to begin the necessary actions of assessing resources and opportunities and addressing gaps and challenges.
These consultations began Oct. 29 in Forest Grove and are scheduled for 18 locations in the Cariboo.
Local meetings
There’s one at Nazko School today (Nov. 3), starting at 6:30 p.m.; West Fraser Fire Hall on Nov. 4, starting at 1:30 p.m.; and at the Quesnel Arts & Recreation Centre in the West Fraser Timber Room starting at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 4.
Assistance
Residents needing assistance are urged to call or email the recovery manager in their area for information on available resources, support and services.
• Cariboo Regional District, Stephanie Masun, recovery@cariboord.ca, 1-866-759-4977
• City of Quesnel, Erin Robinson, wildfirerecovery@quesnel.ca
• District of Wells, Wylie Bystedt, recovery@wells.ca, 250-994-3330
• City of Williams Lake, Trevor Kier, tkier@williamslake.ca, 250-392-2311 or 604-219-9646
• District of 100 Mile House, MJ Cousins, recovery@100milehouse.com, 250- 395-2434.