BC First Nation calls on MP to cancel visit after he failed to reach out following grizzly attack

By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The Nuxalk Nation on British Columbia’s central coast is urging their federal representative to cancel a planned visit to Bella Coola, saying he ignored their leadership and instead arranged to meet with a local gun club in the aftermath of a grizzly bear attack that left three children and a teacher severely injured. Ellis Ross, the Conservative MP for the Skeena–Bulkley Valley riding, has not communicated with the First Nation since the Nov. 20 incident. The Nuxalk only learned of Ross’s planned visit when they heard he had scheduled a meeting with the Bella Coola Rod and Gun Club for Dec. 13 — without the Nuxalk leadership. The club promoted the event as a discussion on “the current bear situation…

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