Present: Mayor Rathor; Councillors Boehm, Flaspohler, Lyons, Moses and NelsonAbsent: Councillor A. DelaineyMeeting called to order at 6:00pmMayor Rathor recognized that the meeting was taking place on the traditional unceded territory of Williams Lake First Nation within Secwepemculecw and welcomed current Cariboo RD Areas "D" and "K" Directors Steve Forseth/Betty Anderson as well as past Cariboo RD Area "K" Director Darlene Brecknock to the January 27, 2026 Williams Lake City Council meeting Meeting Agenda approved - click hereMeeting Video - click hereMinutes of the previous City Council meeting was adopted Delegations/Presentations: Percy Guichon, CEO Central Cariboo Rehabilitation Ltd. & Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent appeared before Council to provide an update regarding their Palmer Project Update as well as having a Letters of Support requestFollowing their presentation - A Question/Answer period ensued... Mayor Rathor thanked Mssrs. Guichon/Persson for their time/informationResponse to Delegations: Council received the presentation by Percy Guichon, CEO Central Cariboo Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) and Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent regarding an update on the CCR Palmer Project and that Council agreed to provide letters of support to the BC Ministry of Forests and Federal Department of Natural Resources Canada sharing how CCR's work benefits the Cariboo Chilcotin and requesting both levels of government continue funding CCR projects like the Palmer Project as they are critical for wildfire risk mitigation and fibre utilization.Business:1) Council received for information the accounts payable computer cheque and EFT listings dated January 15 and 22, 20262) Council agreed to provide a Resolution to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulations Branch (LCRB) on the application submitted by the Williams Lake Curling Club located at 800 Mackenzie Avenue South3) Council directed staff to initiate the public notification and agency referrals process for a proposed retail cannabis store to be located at #401-1185 Prosperity Way and that agency and public comments be brought back to Council for final consideration after the completion of the public notification process conducted in a format as approved by the Chief Administrative Officer4) Council endorsed the 2026 renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams Lake to provide Emergency Support Services (ESS) to residents within the Region (rural residents') 5) Council appointed Ross Coupé as Chief Election Officer and Rena Schill as Deputy Chief Election Officer for the October 17, 2026 City of Williams Lake Local Government Election6) At the request of Councillor Nelson, Council authorized: a) City of Williams Lake Council send a letter to the City of Richmond supporting its Public Safety Camera System Program and that correspondence be sent to the senior levels of government, urging them to reconsider the outdated and unnecessarily restrictive approach to collecting data for public safety and downloading the responsibility and repercussions to local governments and that this correspondence be copied to NCLGA and UBCMCONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor J. Flaspohlerb) City of Williams Lake Council be on record in support of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC, and encourage the Province to appoint mediator Vince Ready to assist in reaching a fair contract between BC’s paramedics and the Province of British Columbia.7) Council waived City of Williams Lake Purchasing Policy No. 138 and approve a direct award for the install of replacement surface safety rubber at Kiwanis Park to Marathon Surfaces Inc. for the contracted price of $160,329.08, excluding applicable taxes8) Council endorsed 2 Committee of the Whole recommendations, as follows: a) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #01-2026, the presentation from Margaret-Anne Enders & Robert Fahoum regarding proposed City actions for Gaza be received and Council go on record for encouraging positive change and peace between Palestine and Israelb) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #02-2026 and the report of the Corporate Officer dated January 14, 2026, Council approve the proposed new Artificial Intelligence Policy No. 236 and the policy be reviewed after 1 year9) Council agreed to provide a letter to the CBIA in support of their initiative to have a permanent office/facility established in Williams Lake to help improve the lives of survivors and caregivers in the Cariboo10) Council received for information a letter from Consus Management Ltd. dated January 16, 2026 regarding concerns around, and impacts to their adjacent property that have arisen since the opening of, the Roots on First shelter facility and Staff were requested to report back to Council on the action plan in addressing the issue of street disorder, as identified in the letter from Consus Management Ltd. During discussion of Item #10 -- Mayor Rathor permitted representatives from the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce to address Council on the letter from Consus Management Ltd. and the issue of unhoused individuals 11) Council proclaimed the following: * February 9-13, 2026 as "Chamber of Commerce Week" in the City of Williams Lake* February 16 to 22, 2026 as "Heritage Week" in the City of Williams Lake* the lights of Williams Lake City Hall be changed to blue on April 11, 2026 for "World Parkinson's Day"12) Council received the "Council Information Package" as of January 27, 2026At the request of Councillor S. Boehm -- Council agreed to invite representatives of the Orange Shirt Society to a future meeting of Williams Lake Council to provide an update on the Society's activities Members of Council reported on their recent activitiesMotion to Proceed Into a Closed Council Meeting:At 8:50pm -- Council agreed to proceed into a Closed Meeting, following adjournment of the Open Council Meeting, according to Section 92 of the Community Charter for discussion of items identified under Section 90 of the Community Charter, as follows:(1k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interest of the municipality if they were held in publicAnd then Council adjourned at 8:51pm
Present: Mayor Rathor; Councillors Boehm, Flaspohler, Lyons, Moses and Nelson
Absent: Councillor A. Delainey
Meeting called to order at 6:00pm
Mayor Rathor recognized that the meeting was taking place on the traditional unceded territory of Williams Lake First Nation within Secwepemculecw and welcomed current Cariboo RD Areas "D" and "K" Directors Steve Forseth/Betty Anderson as well as past Cariboo RD Area "K" Director Darlene Brecknock to the January 27, 2026 Williams Lake City Council meeting
Meeting Agenda approved - click here
Meeting Video - click here
Minutes of the previous City Council meeting was adopted
Delegations/Presentations:
Percy Guichon, CEO Central Cariboo Rehabilitation Ltd. & Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent appeared before Council to provide an update regarding their Palmer Project Update as well as having a Letters of Support request
Following their presentation - A Question/Answer period ensued...
Mayor Rathor thanked Mssrs. Guichon/Persson for their time/information
Response to Delegations:
Council received the presentation by Percy Guichon, CEO Central Cariboo Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) and Daniel Persson, Forestry Superintendent regarding an update on the CCR Palmer Project and that Council agreed to provide letters of support to the BC Ministry of Forests and Federal Department of Natural Resources Canada sharing how CCR's work benefits the Cariboo Chilcotin and requesting both levels of government continue funding CCR projects like the Palmer Project as they are critical for wildfire risk mitigation and fibre utilization.
Business:
1) Council received for information the accounts payable computer cheque and EFT listings dated January 15 and 22, 2026
2) Council agreed to provide a Resolution to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulations Branch (LCRB) on the application submitted by the Williams Lake Curling Club located at 800 Mackenzie Avenue South
3) Council directed staff to initiate the public notification and agency referrals process for a proposed retail cannabis store to be located at #401-1185 Prosperity Way and that agency and public comments be brought back to Council for final consideration after the completion of the public notification process conducted in a format as approved by the Chief Administrative Officer
4) Council endorsed the 2026 renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams Lake to provide Emergency Support Services (ESS) to residents within the Region (rural residents')
5) Council appointed Ross Coupé as Chief Election Officer and Rena Schill as Deputy Chief Election Officer for the October 17, 2026 City of Williams Lake Local Government Election
6) At the request of Councillor Nelson, Council authorized:
a) City of Williams Lake Council send a letter to the City of Richmond supporting its Public Safety Camera System Program and that correspondence be sent to the senior levels of government, urging them to reconsider the outdated and unnecessarily restrictive approach to collecting data for public safety and downloading the responsibility and repercussions to local governments and that this correspondence be copied to NCLGA and UBCM
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor J. Flaspohler
b) City of Williams Lake Council be on record in support of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC, and encourage the Province to appoint mediator Vince Ready to assist in reaching a fair contract between BC’s paramedics and the Province of British Columbia.
7) Council waived City of Williams Lake Purchasing Policy No. 138 and approve a direct award for the install of replacement surface safety rubber at Kiwanis Park to Marathon Surfaces Inc. for the contracted price of $160,329.08, excluding applicable taxes
8) Council endorsed 2 Committee of the Whole recommendations, as follows:
a) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #01-2026, the presentation from Margaret-Anne Enders & Robert Fahoum regarding proposed City actions for Gaza be received and Council go on record for encouraging positive change and peace between Palestine and Israel
b) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #02-2026 and the report of the Corporate Officer dated January 14, 2026, Council approve the proposed new Artificial Intelligence Policy No. 236 and the policy be reviewed after 1 year
9) Council agreed to provide a letter to the CBIA in support of their initiative to have a permanent office/facility established in Williams Lake to help improve the lives of survivors and caregivers in the Cariboo
10) Council received for information a letter from Consus Management Ltd. dated January 16, 2026 regarding concerns around, and impacts to their adjacent property that have arisen since the opening of, the Roots on First shelter facility and Staff were requested to report back to Council on the action plan in addressing the issue of street disorder, as identified in the letter from Consus Management Ltd.
During discussion of Item #10 -- Mayor Rathor permitted representatives from the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce to address Council on the letter from Consus Management Ltd. and the issue of unhoused individuals
11) Council proclaimed the following:
* February 9-13, 2026 as "Chamber of Commerce Week" in the City of Williams Lake
* February 16 to 22, 2026 as "Heritage Week" in the City of Williams Lake
* the lights of Williams Lake City Hall be changed to blue on April 11, 2026 for "World Parkinson's Day"
12) Council received the "Council Information Package" as of January 27, 2026
At the request of Councillor S. Boehm -- Council agreed to invite representatives of the Orange Shirt Society to a future meeting of Williams Lake Council to provide an update on the Society's activities
Members of Council reported on their recent activities
Motion to Proceed Into a Closed Council Meeting:
At 8:50pm -- Council agreed to proceed into a Closed Meeting, following adjournment of the Open Council Meeting, according to Section 92 of the Community Charter for discussion of items identified under Section 90 of the Community Charter, as follows:
(1k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interest of the municipality if they were held in public
And then Council adjourned at 8:51pm
