The Thompson Planning District is sticking with its current voting members for now.

Before the last meeting of Thompson City Council, the Planning District held a meeting with one item on the agenda; a resolution which would request that the Province make the amendments needed to include Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation as voting members of the district.

Mayor Dennis Fenske said the he recommends that the resolution be tabled, as there had not yet been any official documentation from the Pallister government indicating that they support the proposed changes.

Mayor Fenske said that he had attempted to meet with both Jeff Wharton (Minister of Municipal Relations) and Eileen Clarke (Minister of Indigenous and Northern Relations) while he was in Winnipeg the week before, though neither meeting took place. He (Fenske) said that the meeting with Minister Clarke had to be cancelled at the last minute due to an emergency vote in the Legislature while Minister Wharton had assigned the meeting to his special assistant.

The Mayor added that in previous dialogue, both Clarke and Wharton had given their support, and Wharton had said he would provide official written support. No confirmation was received at the time of the meeting, though Councillor Penny Byer said it might take several weeks for the papers to arrive. Byer was in Winnipeg to attend Vision Quest, and went with Fenske to meet Minister Wharton’s assistant.

Fenske added that “it’s a moot point if we want to move this ahead if the Province isn’t willing to change [the] legislation”.

The motion to table was brought forward by Byer, and was passed unanimously. The resolution was first brought forward on April 23, though it was tabled.