Williams Lake Leading the Way

I am currently enrolled in the Local Government Administration Program through Capilano University in North Vancouver and every month, I join 24 other municipal employees from across BC for a weekend of classroom study. During the course, we benefit from guest lecturers, review literature, partake in group exercises and submit two formal research papers. However, one of the most beneficial aspects of the course is the exchange of information between the class participants who work in a range of local governments from villages to large lower mainland cities.

When the class discusses how our various municipalities deal with specific issues or challenges, it becomes very obvious how progressive the City of Williams Lake is on a number of fronts. One would assume that Metro Vancouver and other large municipalities would be on the leading edge and in many cases they are. However, I have become pleasantly aware over the last two months that the City of Williams Lake is remarkably advanced in how we administer, plan for and deliver our services. There are always functions we can improve on or issues where we could take different approaches but is is gratifying to know that as much as there is room to learn, there are many areas we can be proud of and provide leadership for other local governments.