The Chair for the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) says that government can introduce different sectors to the opportunities that resulted from a recent 10-day embarkment to China to have them continue on with those discussions.
Al Richmond says during the last part of the leg of their journey, they had visited areas of China in which they were the first Canadian delegation to come through.
“So our task now is sit down and get our Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association working with those communities and their tourism people for those tourism opportunities. As well we have one other tourism operator who was with us who is very interested in developing a plan that is very unique to the Cariboo.”
Richmond says they had also visited the area’s Chamber of Commerce and that they’re hoping to expand those opportunities locally so they can have that dialogue as well.
He adds that opportunities for Cariboo students to take part in student exchanges to China also resulted.
“Particularly with the university in Suzhou who’s very keenly interested. Also in Suzhou there’s a high school we visited with some 3,500 students in it that they’re very interested in doing an educational exchange.”
Richmond says they’re now hoping to engage School District 27 and bring that information forward to them, as well as to other schools in the area as well.
He says it would be up to the School District to work out the details and negotiations should they decide to move forward.
The full delegation from the region who took part in the trip from May 14-24 were CRD Chair Al Richmond, District of Wells Mayor Robin Sharpe, City of Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb, District of 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall, City of Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay, City of Port Coquitlam Mayor and Metro Vancouver Regional District Chair Greg Moore and several municipal senior staff.
Local business representatives had also joined to promote Cariboo products including Brad Johnson from Sitka Log Homes, Ken Harper from Trinity Post and Panel and Tom Hoffman from Tolko.
“The Ministry of International Trade brought in other businesses to meet with our business people and we had a session on that and people looking at potentially purchasing lumber. That I believe went fairly well,” says Richmond.
“Now that having opened the doors for our businesses and the opportunity that leaves it to business for negotiation with how they’re going to proceed with their market.”