– Claudia Blair is the Executive Director of the Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at visitors@telus.net, or visitors@telus.net.
WILLIAMS LAKE – The Tourism Discovery Centre has been undergoing a massive redo as contractors are making it look like brand new again. Thank you to everyone for their patience as we move to the half way point in this exciting project. The difference looks stunning as the west side is finished and we have received very positive feedback from locals and visitors alike who drop in with their friends and family.
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On July 20, Taseko Mines of Vancouver said that the BC Environmental Assessment Office is proceeding with Taseko’s request to amend the environmental assessment certificate for the New Prosperity gold-copper project 125 km southwest of Williams Lake.
In addition to this undertaking, Taseko will be filing a Notice of Work (NOW) with the Ministry of Energy & Mines which will allow the Company to gather information to advance mine permitting under the British Columbia Mines Act. Taseko looks forward to working with the six local Tsilhqot’in First Nation bands as represented by the Tsilhqot’in National Government on the consultative and substantive aspects of the NOW as per the terms in the 2012 settlement agreement.
New Prosperity is the largest undeveloped gold/copper porphyry in North America and contains 11 million ounces gold and four billion pounds of copper and, when in production, will produce 250,000 ounces of gold and 110 million pounds of copper annually for 20 years.
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Numbers at the Visitor Centre for the past few months is way up compared with the last two years. US travel is up significantly; international travellers have varied and recently travellers from countries such as Sweden and the Czech Republic have been enjoying the city and area.
Hats off to all the businesses and volunteers who have helped make many events a success these past few months. The largest events other than the Williams Lake Stampede were the Shriners in May and the Elders Gathering in July.
These events showcased our community and brought in many people who may not normally have planned to visit. Many other events of varying sizes all contribute to making Williams Lake & area a fantastic place to spend some time learning about us.
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It seems like yesterday that we just had our board elections but they are held annually the last Thursday of October, only 3 months away. We are always on the lookout for members to step up and get involved with the Chamber. Please give us a call if you are interested and we would be happy to provide you with more information about being a director and answer any questions you might have.
We invite members and guests to attend our General Meeting luncheons the last Thursday of each month. Note there isn’t any meeting in August or December. Chamber meetings offer businesses the opportunity to meet other businesses. Please RSVP by the last Tuesday to 250-392-5025 or email visitors@telus.net.
Make sure your contact information is up to date; visit the Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce websites at www.williamslakechamber.com or www.tourismwilliamslake.com. Our websites also promotes local and regional events encouraging visitors to come and play in the area and may increase their length of stay. There is no cost to list your events on our website.
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Finally, welcome to our new members: Curlew Herefords, D&S Electric Ltd., Elegant Event Rentals & Planning Company, Fortis BC, and Likely Lodge.
