A flight turned around at a foggy airport didn't stop British Columbia NDP Leader Adrian Dix from visiting with local party members in the South Cariboo on Oct. 27.
He was the special guest when the Cariboo-Chilcotin NDP Constituency Association hosted its annual Fall Supper at the 100 Mile Curling Rink.
The sold-out event saw about 100 local residents pack the rink lounge for a dinner prepared with locally grown food catered by the Horse Lake Community Farm Co-op.
After his plane was sent back to Vancouver when dense fog prevented its landing in Williams Lake that morning, Dix flew to Kamloops later in the day, then drove to 100 Mile House.
“The food was fantastic from the co-op. It was probably the best food I've had at a party event all year. It was a really great night.”
The NDP leader addressed the group for about 40 minutes, and then fielded questions for about another hour.
Some of the key issues he talked about was jobs and the economy, Dix says, and skills training in particular.
“Our [province's] apprenticeship program currently has a completion rate of 37 per cent.”
He adds in a “general sense,” there is a shortage of more than 100,000 skilled workers for the next five years.
There are insufficient training offerings in the North, Dix says, adding his party wants to ensure young people and others who need it have access to job training for the future.
After many years and dollars spent on education, he notes B.C. students often find themselves ill equipped to transfer from school to industry.
“In public colleges and institutes, we have equipment from the 1960s, so that's a challenge when you're transitioning to work.”
Dix says it is “potentially inspiring” he sees a mutual agreement that things need to change in his meetings with businesses, labour, parents, young people and others because those same groups need to work together to bring about a “mission on skills training.”
“It contrasts against the [B.C.] Liberals. Advanced education and skills training was the only area that was [a nominal] cut in February's budget. It's the government that's out of step on this issue, and that's a problem.
“We want people to act right away. This is obviously an urgent issue in the province, so I'm going to be pressing the government to change well in advance of the election.”
On speaking with people in the province on rural education issues, Dix adds he has heard comments on declining student enrolment leading to diminished opportunities at a time when young people need more opportunities.
“The government's argument is 80 per cent of the jobs of the future will require post-secondary education.
“But, that tells us good-paying jobs are less available for those who are just graduating from high school today. So, I'd argue these issues are more important to the economy in communities now than they've ever been.”
Other topics of discussion at the local dinner included small-business issues, such as government agencies not purchasing enough supplies in the small communities they are in, Dix says, adding food for hospital patients is a frequent example of that.
Dix says he's visited the area six or seven times since becoming party leader 18 months ago.
“It's obviously a very important constituency for us.”