Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns called the announcement a major win for Vancouver Island as Canada faces growing demands on its wildfire response resources.
“This is a really big day for the Alberni Valley, for Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Canada, because we are going to add 10 new huge pieces of equipment that are going to be able to fight forest fires in our country and around the world,” said Johns.
“And no better company than Coulson Aviation that has the experience, the knowledge, the expertise, and the reputation to be able to convert these CC-130Hs, which they’ve done in the past, and use them.”
North Cowichan’s mayor is the latest municipal leader to support a campaign led by a Vancouver Island MP calling for fair and stable federal operational funding for BC Ferries.
Rob Douglas said he wrote to Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson to express council’s support for Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns’ Fair Federal Ferry Funding campaign.
Parksville council has endorsed a motion by MP Gord Johns which calls for fair federal support for BC Ferries.
Johns’ M-35 Federal Operational Support for BC Ferries calls for equal funding with East Coast interprovincial ferry systems, which received $291 in federal operational support per passenger in 2024/2025, compared to $1.63 in federal support for BC Ferries passengers.
“He’s getting bipartisan support from federal Conservative MPs on this. He’s getting a lot of traction,” said Coun. Sean Wood, who brought the motion to council on July 20.
