Council lunches should support multiple caterers

Dear Editor:

First of all, I enjoy reading the Chronicle! Always some interesting articles and comments.

Re: Free meals for City Council, I’m not necessarily opposed, but I do think the catering should be spread around to help varied Kamloops restaurants and caterers. It shouldn’t just support friends of the council.

Next, Re: Anne Neave’s recipe, two of the main ingredients (the cheeses) come from cows! The whole point of her article was to shift to meatless, chicken, or fish dishes. Cheese defeats that purpose.

Joan Rathbone
Kamloops

Opinions can also be shared over potluck lunches

Dear Editor:

I had to email you regarding your recent article on justifying council meals paid by taxpayers.

A few points:

The cost of meals is not just for council members — it also includes meals for senior management.

At one time the public was able to see the cost on the yearly SOFI Reports.  Now it is a budget line item of approx $22,000 (according to director of finance in the 2024 budget).  The only way to determine the expenditure is through an FOI.

Council members yearly salary is $52,000 plus expenses, plus TNRD salary of $18,000 plus expenses, plus stipends for TRDH board meetings.

Senior management salaries range from $195,000 to $300,000, plus expenses.

I understand your comnent on team building, growth of demands, however, with the salaries these staff  / councillors earn, why can’t they pay / bring (potluck) meals.  Any organization I have worked for in my career organized  pot luck meals.  Maybe at Christmas there was a staff party.

Differences of opinion can be shared over a meal / drinks, but that doesn’t have to be at the cost of taxpayers.  

Councillors are elected to represent us and discuss issues with their colleagues.  Again why is this at the expense of taxpayers, when we already pay their more than efficient salaries.

You asked, if we eliminate the free lunch, what replaces it?

Well, replace it with bringing your own lunch / organize pot lucks for team building. Donate the $22,000+ to the food bank, as the food bank assists 14,000 Kamloopsians (which could include city staff members that earn less than $75,000 and dont have their lunches paid for by the city).

Food for thought.

Pat Carlson
Kamloops

Stop Dismantling Canada’s Environmental and Climate Laws

Dear Editor:

I am appalled that the Carney government continues to dismantle federal environmental and climate legislation.  Bills C-5 and C-15, which have already become law, give federal ministers the power to exempt some “nation-building” projects from environmental laws.  It is worrisome that most Canadians don’t seem to fully understand the ramifications of these legislative changes.

Even worse, on May 8 the federal government quietly released a discussion paper regarding further deregulation of our environmental laws.  The deadline for public feedback is June 7!  Some of the proposed changes are: pre-approval of pipelines and other energy projects before environmental reviews, further weakening of protection for water bodies and fish habitat, and most egregious, allowing species at risk, such as the southern resident killer whales, to go extinct in order to ensure projects proceed.  The Carney government intends to pass legislation related to this discussion paper before Parliament’s summer recess at the end of June. 

One can only surmise that the federal government is attempting to rush through these changes to our environmental and climate protections before the public has a chance to respond.  This is extremely undemocratic. It is also an afront to Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

Is our federal government using the crisis of Canada’s relationship with the US and general global instability as an excuse to advance the interests of greedy fossil fuel companies? 

The current rollback of environmental and climate protections is a betrayal of public trust.  Governments are responsible to look after the public interest.  People need clean air, clean water and a safe climate for human health.

Ironically, the war in Iran seems to be accelerating the global transition away from oil and gas.  Many countries are rapidly expanding solar and wind power in order to become less dependent on unreliable fossil fuels.  The Carney government’s choice to further expand oil and gas production will leave us with stranded assets in the near future, with Canadian taxpayers holding the bill. 

Steven Guilbeault’s recent resignation as MP should be a wake-up call for Canadians. Please write or phone your MP or the Prime Minister and tell them to stop dismantling Canada’s environmental and climate laws. 

Patricia Spencer
Kamloops