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WEDNESDAY
JUNE 26, 2019 | Volume 32 No. 51
SCHEER HERE TODAY’S WEATHER
Chance of showers High 24 C Low 13 C
INQUEST DETAILS
Conservative leader coming to Kamloops on Tuesday, July 2
Missing women commission head speaks at TRU
NEWS/A10
NEWS/A12
Singh won’t call for axing of UBCM/China sponsorship JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
STAIRWAY TO HEADACHES?
This set of stairs behind The Mustard Seed New Life Community Kamloops outreach centre have drawn the ire of area residents. They want the city to remove the staircase due to a number of safety issues involving loitering, drug use and other calls requiring police and bylaws officers to attend. A city committee heard the arguments. For the committee’s decision, turn to page A7.
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The Union of BC Municipalities has come under fire for accepting sponsorship from the Chinese government. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West sent a letter to the UBCM executive, opposing the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver from hosting a reception at the UBCM convention this fall. Elected officials from across the province, including Kamloops, will attend the convention. The reception — the only one of its kind hosted by a foreign government — has been part of the UBCM convention since 2012 as a way for B.C. communities to explore economic and development opportunities with China. This year’s financial contribution is worth $6,000. A UBCM spokesperson could not tell KTW how much China has given financially over the past seven years. However, assuming a similar amount from this year, the total amount would be more than $40,000. West called it a cash for access situation at a time when ChineseCanadian relations are at an alltime low. “To state it plainly: the Government of China is
ARJUN SINGH
engaged in a number of actions that are hostile to our country’s interests and the interests of every Canadian and are completely at odds with our values, the rule of law and the very principles that we are elected to uphold,” West stated in the letter. Canadian-Chinese relations have taken a hit ever since the RCMP arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of U.S. officials in December, while she was waiting for a flight at Vancouver International Airport. In his letter, West cited detention of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor (which immediately followed Wanzhou’s arrest), in addition to the crackdown on Hong Kong protests over a controversial extradition bill and “gross human rights violations” as reasons why China should not be hosting a reception at the UBCM convention. “How could the Union of BC
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Municipalities possibly grant the government responsible for these actions any legitimacy, standing or promotion by facilitating access to B.C.’s locally elected mayors, councillors and area directors in exchange for a financial contribution?” West asked the executive in the letter. Kamloops Coun. Arjun Singh is president of the UBCM. He said he understand’s West’s concerns and has even expressed similar concerns in the past. However, Singh noted UBCM is not of one mind and questioned whether the majority of UBCM members would agree with West. China remains Canada’s second-largest trading partner, Singh said, noting some communities appreciate opportunities to connect. “It’s economic development and it’s trade,” Singh said. “Local communities. This city has sent people to China. People from Sooke. People from the Cariboo. People from all over the province. “Local governments have gone to China to seek out economic development opportunities for their communities. You think about the forestry downturn right now and all these things. There’s a lot of concern around that. That’s one view — very, very strong.” See SINGH, A6
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