BC Green Party leader and MLA Andrew Weaver and Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley, are expected to visit the Sunshine Coast to give two public talks as part of a province-wide “listening tour.”
The last time Weaver visited the Lower Sunshine Coast was in 2017, in the last weeks before the provincial election, according to Kim Darwin, president of the Sunshine Coast BC Green Riding Association, who is helping organize the events.
The tour is part of their legislative duties, and includes meetings with government representatives and community organizations, arranged by the party’s legislative team. The Sunshine Coast’s riding association was offered four time slots and chose the topics and locations.
On Thursday, Aug. 15, Weaver and Furstenau will be at Mission Point House in Davis Bay from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a “Talk and Treats” session, to update the public on “their work in the legislature and speak about the Party’s new youth initiatives,” according to the Green Party’s website.
On Aug. 17, Weaver will be in Gibsons presenting Don’t Trash the Future: Recycling Awareness, to “uncover local recycling mysteries” and “find out what goes where and how to reduce your stuff,” said the event’s Facebook Page. Representatives from Salish Soils will be present, as will Buddy Boyd and Barb Hetherington, representing Zero Waste Canada. Waste Management and Gibsons Recycling Depot have provided information for the talk but will not be present. The event is at 9:30 a.m. at Kinsmen Hall in Dougall Park.
The riding chose the topic, “based on a number of conversations about people’s experiences navigating the complexities of recycling in our community and throughout B.C.,” said Darwin, who also referenced recent stories about single-use plastics bans and the return of contaminated recycling materials from the Philippines, which have sparked more public interest in the topic.
“The ultimate goal is to provide knowledge so we can reduce the number of products that require recycle processing,” said Darwin. “There are so many products, even those in the recycling business have a hard time keeping up.”
In late July, the province launched an online survey to get public input on reducing single-use plastics, including phasing out some items, and diversifying plastic recycling. The survey closes Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. and can be found at cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/plastics
