The Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce welcomed B.C.’s Minister of Finance, Katrine Conroy, as guest speaker for its March luncheon.

Minister Conroy spoke primarily about Budget 2023, noting its highlights and positive aspects during the Friday, March 24 luncheon.

“All the budget details were meant to support everyone in B.C.,” she said, before highlighting a few items particular to Cranbrook and area.

“We are building more affordable homes for families and creating new supportive housing for people experiencing or are at risk of homelessness. Through BC Housing’s Indigenous Housing Fund, we’ve built almost 40 new homes in Cranbrook for Indigenous families, elders and individuals at the Chief Agnus McCoy Centre. These homes are more affordable for people who have low or moderate incomes,” she said.

“In Sparwood, we’re moving ahead on 30 more affordable homes for single parent families, seniors and people with disabilities. These homes are expected to be open for people to move into by the end of the year.

“We’ve also made significant investments in new education and opportunities to grow our work force and to get people to get the knowledge they need for the future. That includes in adding 100 new spaces at Cranbrook campus of College of the Rockies, almost doubling the number of students where they are living where they learn and taking more pressure off the local private rental market,” Minister Conroy said.

“For our younger students we are building an expanded elementary school in Fernie,” she added, outlining an upcoming single storey addition to Isabel Dicken Elementary School, which will include four new Kindergarten classrooms, a media technology room, special education and multi-purpose room.

“We expect that expansion to be completed this year.”

She noted the incoming new electric Kootenay Lake ferry connecting Balfour and Kootenay Bay, which will hold almost twice the vehicle capacity of the existing ferry, is “exciting” for everyone who uses the service from time to time.

Conroy also touched on another key aspect of her work as Minister responsible for Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Power Corporation and the Columbia River Treaty, or “all things Columbia,” she quipped.

“The Columbia River Treaty negotiations continue. In fact, they are negotiating today. We hope they (talks) will come to fruition soon but you can be assured that whatever happens we are going to make sure that we get the best deal for British Columbia because we don’t feel that happened in the ‘60s. It was basically our way or the highway kind of thing, so we are going to make sure that it is beneficial to the people of the basin.

“It’s ongoing and hopefully we will have more to report, I think, after the next round. But we are getting to the real tough discussions, which is a good thing. It’s where it should be. It’s taken a while but it’s well worth it,” she said, noting she hopes something significant is announced by summer or fall.

Pass Creek resident Conroy has represented Kootenay West as MLA since 2005 and has also been caucus whip, Minister of Children and Family Development and Minister of Forests.

Her late husband, Ed Conroy, served as BC NDP MLA for Rossland-Trail from 1991 to 2001.

Lead image: Finance Minister Katrine Conroy addresses the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce luncheon audience at the Prestige Inn on Friday, March 24. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW photo

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