Quesnel’s pride society presented to council, updating them on the work and success of the organization
Quesnel council met May 6 for a regular council meeting, all members of council were present for the meeting.
Public safety & policing
Mayor Ron Paull read the highlights from the most recent public safety and policing committee meeting.
Paull reported the committee heard from Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department (QVFD) chief Ron Richert about unauthorized fires and the troubling trend of a rapid increase in fires.
The report showed the number of fires in the quarter of each year:
Six in 2020
Eight in 2022
11 in 2023
29 in 2024
77 in 2025
Paull said the fire at Nourish Food Bank and Sprout Kitchen was another unauthorized fire and while he encouraged people not to believe speculation they read online.
The Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the blaze.
In the first quarter of 2025 there were 13 dumpster fires the QVFD responded to, efforts to prevent those have been unsuccessful with locked dumpsters having the locks broken off.
Paull also reported the RCMP told the committee all officers now wear body-worn cameras. The committee received a demonstration on how those cameras are worn and gave the committee more information on them.
Audit
The city’s auditor gave a presentation on the city’s annual audit, no issues or misstatements were found in the audit.
A report by the auditor, Corey Naphtali from KPMG Enterprise, showed that the city brought in around $1 million less in revenue in 2024 than in 2023. He highlighted that was mostly due to less government grants, which the city had budgeted for.
CRD Board highlights
The mayor reported the highlights from the last Cariboo Regional District meeting with the biggest item for Quesnel being funding for equipment at G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital.
A total of $210,000 was committed by the CRD to replace two anaesthetic machines in the hospital’s operating room and an ultrasound machine at the hospital.
Funding was also secured for the Cottonwood Community Hall to switch to BC Hydro for energy rather than using diesel generators. A total of $10,000 was approved by the CRD with them approving a grant application for an additional $20,000 in funding from the Northern Development Initiative Trust.
“Diesel-fueled generators produce a range of pollutants, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide which contribute to air pollution, global warming, and adverse health effects,” the CRD highlight report says.
Car Club
Council ratified an electronic vote to approve supporting the Prospector’s Car Club’s application for a BC Gaming Grant. The club has relied on support from local businesses but is hoping to get grants in the wake of economic uncertainty presented by tariffs. Over 200 registered vehilcles attended the last Show and Shine event in Quesnel, around half of them came from out of town to be part of the event.
Shiraoi delegation
Several members of council, including Paull will be going to Quesnel’s sister city of Shiraoi, Japan this summer.
Paull clarified that the Quesnel delegation will be travelling to Japan on their own dime, the cost to the city will be for a gift to be given to representatives in Shiraoi when the Quesnel delegation meets with them.
One of the several times Paull has travelled to Quesnel’s sister city was for his own wedding in 1991.
Council approved up to $500 for the gift, Paull suggested he has an idea and it won’t cost that much.
OCP information
Council and staff are currently reviewing its official community plan (OCP) due to a provincial mandate. An OCP is a long-term plan for communities with objectives and policies to guide planning and land use, affect community sustainability and resilience and outline how a local government plans to use its powers.
The city will be holding an online information session in the future to help people understand what an OCP is, and what it is not. The city is hoping to get community input into the OCP as it is a very important document for a municipality.
Council’s next meeting is scheduled for May 27.
AloJapan.com