Steven Rice, TNRD director, Electoral Area "I" (Blue Sky Country)

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/TNRD

I was asked yesterday to provide the speech I made at our board meeting to the media. I explained there was no such thing. The many pages I claimed to have written was true. That said I very seldom, if ever, write a speech and read it. It is a thought process that works for me. I simmer my thoughts at a rolling boil over hours or even days as in this case. When I take the pot off the stove and pour out a serving of thoughts I have no idea what will land on the plate.

That said, here are my thoughts which may or not be a part of what I said at the table.

First and foremost….We, the TNRD inclusive…staff and board…have come a long way baby!

Navigating the stormy seas of local governance gone wild can be a perilous, anxiety riddled ride. I would suggest it has been all that and more on the TNRD ship. 

To chart a course that reaches a destination where all can be satisfied most likely will never happen. With the biggest Regional board in the Province at twenty six it is not often that we will all agree. We are bound by our Oath of Office (and our moral compass) to do our very best for our constituents. The challenge of getting it right weighs heavy at times. Over the past couple years that weight has compounded upon itself time and again.

I am extremely proud to be a part of the resolve I have witnessed at our board table as we have difficult conversations in trying to get our ship back on course.

Let me say this…Our CAO has assembled an incredible team. With our Administrator Deanna as his first mate they have risen above the smoke of the wildfires, kept their heads above the flood waters. 

Since June 30th, the wildfires, followed by the floods ravaged our Regional District. I was constantly driving to the Last Spike to call Scott, Deanna and Jamie (EOC)…often many times a day. This was the only channel to inform our community as greater Spences Bridge had lost ALL communications. I always  got an answer, if not instantly, in short order.

In the meantime the stormy seas of the current audit and side stories surrounding the current state of affairs certainly had their inboxes overflowing…yet they never missed a beat. Their attitude with a smile not only was helpful to myself in a very stressful time but as I would visit the TNRD office and see the relaxed demeanour and smiling faces of our staff I was heartened that we had found a good space at our TNRD house.

I am not trying to paint a rosy picture because as we all know there is still a lot of house cleaning to be done. However, last election turned over half our board. I truly believe most directors did not realize how off course we were. The new directors for certain had little idea that they were boarding a sinking ship. As this journey has unfolded those directors have taken the task to hand to right the ship.  They have taken lead roles on committees. They have been vocal at the table in charting a new, transparent trajectory. It would be a shame to see them become collateral damage in the upcoming election because I believe most of them will indeed be critical as we work to right the ship.

This board was not provided information that would have led to much different decision making. To that there is little doubt. The concerns about our spending was sent by our audit committee to the Chair. It was not shared with the board in a timely fashion. The whistleblower letter was not shared with our board until nearly two years later. We cannot be sure if any other pertinent correspondence may have not reached the board. What we can be sure of is we would be in a much different place if they had.

As I said at the meeting I am not trying to litigate the past, I am trying to address the past which I feel played a significant role into being where we are and slows progress to get to a better future.

Though we may not be perfect moving forward I am confident that our TNRD team…from staff to board will reach our destination.  We can’t remove the litter we have left behind on our journey but we can certainly learn from it and try to build a better future for all our constituency.

We can only say we are sorry. If this apology translates into positive action items hopefully the apology will be accepted.

Before any director takes their seat at the board table and decision making ensues they are required to have an open mind. They are required to listen to the other side no matter how much they may have a contrary opinion. This is not an option… but it is very difficult to do.

I will continue to do that to the best of my abilities. I would only ask that our constituents, to whom this board is very much accountable, do the very best to do the same. Have an open mind as we work to get this right. If change is not forthcoming, please speak up. 

As our CAO and staff very clearly expressed the desire, the mandate that as we move forward we will be held to account….as we should be. Our reports card will most likely be presented at the next election. You will grade them and decide whether we have passed or not.

— Steven Rice, TNRD director, Electoral Area "I" (Blue Sky Country)

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