Ensuring safety along the Highway of Tears was once again called for at the B.C. legislature by NDP MLA Doug Donaldson last week and his office also announced the winner of an annual writing contest.
With the release of a surplus budget from the B.C. government recently Donaldson is wondering why no funding was allocated for a shuttle bus between Prince Rupert and Prince George.
“During the throne speech the BC Liberals coined the term Violence Free B.C.,” Donaldson, who is aboriginal relations critic, said. “Unfortunately there was very little funding announced in areas that would help them achieve that goal. Specifically a transit bus spanning Highway 16.
“That would’ve been a great way to show the people in the north they are serious about the ongoing issue of violence in this area. So this is a pretty big slap in the face for people in the north.”
The recommendation for a shuttle bus was listed as a high priority two years ago in Wally Opal’s Missing and Murdered Women’s inquiry, Donaldson added.
Another avenue where government could have assisted in reducing violence is by funding men’s programs, Donaldson said.
“More than 90 per cent of domestic violence is perpetuated by men,” Donaldson said. “This would’ve decreased the burden on organizations like Northern Society for Domestic Peace.”
Don’t Let Intolerance Score contest winner announced:
Donaldson and Dan Hamhuis have been running the DLIS contest for four years.
This year’s winner, Ryan Wright, in his graduating year at Hazelton Secondary School beat out more than 50 other writers from all corners of the Stikine riding.
“I’m very proud and excited to have been chosen as the winner of this year’s contest,” Wright said.
“The goal was for writers to show how they tolerate others who are different from themselves,” Donaldson said. “But Ryan had something different in that he wrote people shouldn’t look to tolerate others differences, instead they should be but celebrated.”
“He used examples of how he speaks out during sports to ensure any mean-spirited talk is dealt with accordingly.”
Wright, who hopes to attend UBC-Okanagan in the fall, won an all expenses-paid trip to watch the Canucks battle the Calgary Flames March 9.