Usoff Tsao has expressed support for Clearwater mayor and council regarding enforcement of health and liquor laws.
On Friday, Jan. 31, the same day of a District of Clearwater (DOC) special meeting, the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) director for Area “A” posted on social media explaining he had been “hesitant” to voice his opinions and concerns for quite a while feeling it was important the issues be addressed by the district and other businesses within the district of Clearwater.
In his Facebook post Tsao stated how hearing directly from a resident in his constituency had prompted him to communicate his concerns publicly.
“Things changed however about two weeks ago when an Area “A” resident reached out to me with their concerns. This concern differs from other TNRD Area “A” Wells Gray Country residents concerns in that it directly impacts Area “A's” future with a business and facility inside Area “A”,” said Tsao.
Tsao told the surgeryitaly on Saturday, Feb. 1, the resident who contacted him had been planning on investing in a business and facility that would be “an asset to the community of Clearwater for many years to come” and was now reconsidering establishing the business due to their concerns over the issue being brought before the DOC mayor and council.
“The resident that contacted me explained that the investment sums are not insignificant, and they are quite concerned with the culture that is reflected by the case before the DOC."
Even before the public meeting at the DOC on Friday, social media has been disseminating various information and opinions, Tsao said.
"The concerned resident feels those opinions reflect a culture of non-compliance with regulations. The non-compliance would have been a DOC and provincial issue. The Area “A” issue is investors are afraid to invest in our area and community because they could potentially spend hundreds of thousands of dollars meeting best practices and someone else then sets up a competing business that doesn’t comply with basic regulations giving them an unfair business advantage,” said Tsao.
During the special meeting on Friday at the DOC council chambers, 16 businesses calling their group The Compliant Businesses of Clearwater presented a letter of complaint formally asking the district to request government’s intervention to enforce another local business operating in non-compliance of health, safety and illegally serving liquor without a license in the area.
The 52 Ridge restaurant has been operating without a liquor license since September of 2022 and without an Interior Health permit since June 2023. The collective group of mainly hospitality related businesses has requested the DOC contact the provincial regulatory ministries of Public Safety, Health, the Attorney General and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer regarding the enforcement of the same regulations their businesses legally follow.
Tsao told the Times the residents of Area “A” that contacted him directly as their TNRD representative said they are “ready to move away to another Interior B.C. town depending on how the issue plays out in the DOC.”
“The residents that got in touch with me are pretty much telling me that investing in our area is up in the air until these issues are resolved and what is acceptable with regards to unregulated business practices in the North Thompson. So, my decision as an elected official in the valley is to support the District of Clearwater in what they are trying to do to get this resolved. It wasn’t my place to become involved until this resident came to me with their concerns. Anything that threatens economic investment and jobs in Area “A”, I really take a hard stance on,” said Tsao.
Tsao said he has also offered to provide a letter of support as TNRD representative for Area “A” in conjunction with the DOC letter(s) being sent to the applicable ministries.
“To me, this is an issue of a level playing field. I’m doing my best to update on advocacy issues. I feel it’s necessary to be transparent with my letter of support to the DOC.”
The TNRD director for Area “A” added he welcomes constituents contacting him at director.utsao@tnrd.ca or via phone: 778-208- 7898.
