by MONIKA WEATHERLY, BC GOVERNMENT CAUCUS
Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon recognized McBride for its heroism in the 2016 Speech from the Throne on Feb. 9, stating: “We owe a special debt to the brave search and rescue professionals and volunteers who rallied to the scene of tragedy from the wildfires across our province to Tofino and McBride. To keep us safe, they put themselves in harm’s way and sometimes paid the ultimate price.”
MLA Shirley Bond thanked the search and rescue efforts of the McBride and Valemount RCMP, search and rescue teams, paramedics and first responders in the aftermath of the avalanche that claimed the lives of five snowmobilers on Jan. 29, 2016.
In the Legislature, during her response to the speech from the Throne, MLA Bond said:
“We know that the Throne Speech actually also reflects on the lives of some very significant British Columbians, those who we have sadly lost….in…an avalanche that tragically claimed the lives of five snowmobilers on January 29. One of the things we know in many parts of British Columbia, the sledding or snowmobile industry is a really important part of the winter economy. That’s certainly true in the Robson Valley of British Columbia….Our search and rescue teams, our paramedics, our first responders and just the people of McBride — they rallied to support these sledders that were survivors and also made sure they comforted those who had lost others.
“I’m extremely proud of the people of the Robson Valley. It’s a very small community and region, and yet they responded in a very big way. The efforts that they made were courageous, and they certainly showed a great deal of skill in the search and rescue process.”
This is not the first time that McBride has been recognized for its heroism. In 2008, snowmobilers rescued two starving horses trapped on the side of Mount Renshaw, near McBride.
To watch MLA Bond’s Speech from the Throne, go to: http://ow.ly/Yxqlm
To watch the 2016 Speech from the Throne, go to http://engage.gov.bc.ca/thronespeech/
