Fort St. James mayor and council filed and received a report on research into the Northern Living Allowance and Senior Citizens Medical Services Plan.
The report found a resolution already submitted at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference in 2011 already addressed concerns around lack of a Northern Living Allowance for residents of communities at the end of secondary highways, like Fort St. James, and concerns over medical services plan (MSP) payments for seniors.
The report by Kevin Crook, chief administrative officer for Fort St. James, concluded council did “not need to pursue further resolutions on these topics at this time” because the resolutions put forward to the UBCM already address these topics.
The one resolution asks for the elimination of MSP payments for seniors and the second asks for the re-evaluation of “all northern communities, their level of isolation and their access to necessary services to ensure that there is consistency and fairness across Canada” in regards to the Northern Living Residents Deduction.
Mackenzie residents receive some Northern Living Allowance, while Fort St. James residents, do not.