Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson has reacted to an on-line petition with almost 500 names on it asking Council to reconsider its decision to move the Gold Pan.
Simpson says a decision has been made…
“This decision was actually made three year ago, so when you talk about too little too late people could have engaged then. I would have second thoughts with a Council that had decided to destroy the Gold Pan, decided to get rid of something that is regarded by the general public as an iconic part of our history.”
But Simpson says they’re not getting rid of it, they are simply moving it to a new location…
“We’re moving it to a place that actually has more historical context. The terminus of the railway was here in Quesnel for a long time, that’s how people got into the Gold Rush area through the railway station, so it will have a higher presence.”
Simpson adds that, as per Council policy, they do not recognize on-line petitions…
“On-line petitions are highly problematic because people can sign that petition from anywhere. The last on-line petition we got was around Elliott Street where fully 60 percent of the people who signed didn’t actually live in our area. We had signatures from Australia and Germany, Ontario.”
Simpson says there is also no indication to Council that they know what the issue is, have educated themselves about the issue, or have anything meaningful to say about the issue.
He says it’s not just Council policy but also the policy of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and Parliament.