PRINCE GEORGE – Cathy McLeod, MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Revenue and Dick Harris (Cariboo-Prince George) BC/Yukon Caucus presented Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week with a gift basket from the Cariboo Regional District commemorating the region’s 2010-2011 Forest Capital of Canada designation.

“It gave me great pleasure to present the gift basket from the Cariboo Regional District Board of Directors to the Prime Minister,” said Cathy McLeod. “It was truly symbolic of the region and its work to diversify the forest industry.”

The basket symbolized the many ways which the region is working to diversify the forest industry while creating new opportunities through human ingenuity and innovation. In the basket, the Prime Minister found birch syrup, pine beetle-killed wood products, honey, natural Canadian oils and information about forest life.

Harris said: "this was an excellent way to show the Prime Minister the spirit, the creativeness and entrepreneurship that makes the Cariboo Regional District so important to Canada.”