Three directors of Powell River Chamber of Commerce’s 13-member board have resigned after the local business advocate announced it would host a visit from BC premier Christy Clark.
On Tuesday, January 17, chamber manager Kim Miller announced the premier’s visit. Within 24 hours of that announcement, the chamber board’s most recent three directors, Sarah Salome, Erik Blaney and Jason Rekve, announced they would be stepping down. The directors began their term last April.
“We are upset to see them leave, but fully respect their decisions,” said chamber president Jack Barr.
Salome said she feels the way the premier's visit was arranged is a conflict of interest and the event format is not fair to chamber members.
“I am just really frustrated that our chamber president, who also works on the [local] Liberal campaign, is the one hosting the event and didn't see that as something that could be a problem for some chamber members,” said Salome.
She added that the visit is an important opportunity for the chamber to communicate to the premier about what Powell River needs, but a one-hour meet and greet will not accomplish that.
Blaney said it is not the politics of the visit that caused him to resign, but the fact that the board was not consulted.
“When the decision was made to host the premier, it was made without any board discussion or resolution at all,” said Blaney.
Miller said it is her job to bring speakers to town and the board has never voted on whether to support one speaker over another.
“Of course we would be rolling out the red carpet for our premier,” she said. “We would also do this for [New Democratic Party leader] John Horgan.”
Miller said the premier’s office reached out to tell her Clark would be in town from 3-4 pm on Tuesday afternoon, January 24, for a meet and greet at Snickers Restaurant and to let the business community know they were invited.
Proceeds from the event’s $10 tickets went to the venue for use of the space and refreshments, said Miller.
With recent campaigning ramping up for the upcoming provincial election, Miller said she is aware of the optics of the event.
“I don’t care about the reasons why she is coming here,” she said. “The fact is, she is coming here. The chamber would do this for any premier, member of parliament or MLA. I’m trying to get prime minister Justin Trudeau to come.”
Miller said she would put the invitation out as a chamber event, open to the public. She added that she asked the premier’s staff to reconsider holding the event in a larger venue that would better handle a larger number of people, as Snickers has a capacity of 130.
Miller said the premier’s office decided on the venue before they contacted the chamber to host.
“They decided on Snickers for their own reasons,” said Miller. “All I was asked to do was put the invitations out.”
Clark’s spokesperson said the premier was just visiting Powell River and would not be making a formal announcement. The premier was also scheduled to attend a funding announcement at North Island College's Campbell River campus on Vancouver Island the same day.
