Interim BC Conservative leader visits Hope

HOPE — The interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives is raising concerns about rural opportunities under the guidance of B.C. Premier David Eby. Trevor Halford made the comments following a tour of Hope and Merritt with municipal affairs critic Tony Luck and Forests critic Ward Stamer on March 28.

Halford and Luck met with District of Hope Mayor Victor Smith, council and residents on Saturday. According to a BC Conservative news release, discussions with Hope council focused on agriculture, economic development and access to education.

The release says local leaders expressed concern with Agricultural Land Reserve restrictions, resource allocation challenges and uncertainty tied to the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

A key concern raised during the meeting was the cancellation of the Fraser-Cascade mobile welding program. The program provided hands-on training to rural and Indigenous students since 2015. But it ended in January 2026 due to a lack of funding. “When programs like this disappear, young people are forced to leave their communities to get training, or they don’t pursue it at all,” Halford said, calling the loss a driver of “brain drain.”

In Merritt, Halford and Luck were joined by Stamer. The group visited Aspen Planers and met with forestry workers. Halford said the message from workers was clear: “Families are fearful. Communities are uncertain,” he said. “The NDP has left those relying on a living forestry sector high and dry.”

Luck said residents across the region feel left behind, adding the province must act to restore opportunity and allow young people to remain in their home communities.