Current Issues, Concerns, and my take on them:

Questions posed by Luc Rempel, Castanet Reporter

The following questions were posed to candidates for publication in our local Castanet paper. Please pick up a free copy of this paper throughout the community to see results from other candidates.

Question #1: What is your favourite part of living in Salmon Arm?

My Response: The best part of living in Salmon Arm is that we get to enjoy the feel of a smaller town, with the strength of a larger city. We have a vibrant mix of businesses, tourist attractions, agriculture, and many other facets that all work well together.

Question #2: What made you think it was the right time for you to put your name forward for a councillor position?

My Response: The world is currently a scary place. There are a lot of changes happening, some too fast to even comprehend. Times like these call for strong leadership, persistence and diversity. A governing body needs to be able to view and discuss matters from every angle, and the best way to acheive that is by having a diverse and strong council. I feel like this makes me a strong candidate at this time.

Question #3: How do you think the city can improve its fiscal responsibility?

My Response: Fiscal responsibility is a multi-layered concept, and it’s not always black and white. When looking at what the city should be spending money on, many things need to be considered. Borrowing power, impact of the expenditure on the economy and population, and the impact the expenditure will have on the community in future years all need to be considered. I don’t think that these items have been overlooked in the past, and I believe that a lot of responsible decisions have been made. Going forward, I can see quite a few hard decisions coming down the pipeline, and council members will surely have their hands full in navigating them. As long as we draw on experience, common sense, and what’s best for the city in the future, I believe our fiscal responsibility will remain stable and strong.

Question #4: What do you think is the primary issue affecting Salmon Arm residents and what would you want to see the city do to address it?

My Response: I don’t feel that our primary issue at the moment is something tangible. Instead, I feel that there is a deep disconnect between Salmon Arm residents, and the municipal government. Too many people shy away from municipal participation, and those that don’t often find their participation to be difficult to navigate. I would like to see better avenues built between council and residents. We need more people involved in our decision making discussions, and we need to listen and hear everyone who wants to share. I would like the city to take a proactive stance on this matter, by making it easier for people to have their opinions heard. Items like open discussion events, where people can mingle and share their ideas would be a good start, as well as removing some of the obstacles that are currently in place for people who want to share their thoughts within council meetings.

Question #5: What do you think the city can do to address growing concerns over the number of people experiencing homelessness in the area?

My Response: There is not, nor will there ever be, an easy answer to solving the unhoused crisis. If I said that I had an answer, I would be lying. But in general, I feel that one of the biggest things a city can offer its unhoused population is compassion and prejudice free support. Every person who finds themselves in an unhoused situation has arrived there from a different path, so a blanket answer will never work. Organizations that are set up to help in these situations need unwavering support from the city, and not only financially. It’s up to the city to help these organizations succeed, and we should be in communication with them as much as possible to find out what they need the most.

Question #6: If elected, how would you balance investment in infrastructure and delivering city services with keeping property taxes under control?

My Response: This goes back to the topic of fiscal responsibility. Investments in infrastructure are vital to a thriving community, but increased property taxes are a hinderance to a lot of potential homeowners and residents. By making infrastructure decisions armed with as much information as possible, hopefully we can minimize the impact on local property taxes. Focusing on projects that are inherently necessary for the growth and prosperity of the city, while minimizing projects that don’t serve a wide portion of the community should be key. Looking for other sources of funding in the ways of grants, provincial support, and federal support needs to be done impeccably, so that no opportunity is missed.

Question #7: As Salmon Arm continues to grow, what do you think will need to be done to address the needs of a growing population?

My Response: A large problem that Salmon Arm is facing at the moment comes in the way of available housing and commodities. With every new family that moves to Salmon Arm, more facilities are needed. More places to live, more places to park, and more services such as doctors, etc. As a city, it is our responsibility to help newcomers feel welcome, and support them with available resources. We need to have a strong system in place that guides newcomers to the information that they need - How to find work (referring them to Work BC for example), How to find a doctor, and other such information. Contact information for religious groups, leisure groups, and other organizations should be easily accessible, and curated by the city to provide as much practical advice as possible. As Salmon Arm grows, our decisions on infrastructure and logistics need to focus on ‘how well will this option still be working when our population grows by another XX%?’. We need to always be looking towards the future as we plan and shape our growing community.

Research Project at SMS

Students in Mme Vezina's class are doing research projects on the Salmon Arm election. I was contacted by one such student, who posed a few questions for me. The following are my responses to their questions.

1. Where do you work as a full-time job like what do you do there and what is it ?

I have my own business, and running that is pretty much a full-time job. I am a baker, and make and sell all sorts of goodies at the local Farmers Markets. All of my items are Gluten Free, which makes my business a little bit different from other bakers. Mostly I concentrate on granola, and small baked goods such as muffins. If you have ever had one of the muffins that get put out for the breakfast program at sms, those are muffins that I have made. Sometimes I have a lot of big orders for muffins, and that means I have to make a TON. One time I had to make 36 dozen muffins. That’s 432 muffins in one day! It’s a lot of fun, and I love my job. 

2. Do you have any experience in politics? 

I have not been on city council before, although I did run for council in 2018. Although I wasn’t successful at that time, I learned a lot about campaigning and what it means to be a candidate. There are also quite a few organizations around town that I have been involved in through the years. I have been a member of our Chamber of Commerce, and had a seat on their board of directors. Way back in about 2014 I was the president of the Shuswap Farm & Craft Market. I have also held positions with the Environmental Advocacy Board, and the Downtown Salmon Arm organization. Working with these groups required a lot of patience, understanding, and a good set of listening ears. I always believe that every idea that people have should be heard, and I like to be the one listening to those ideas.

3. What are your priorities if you become part of the city council?

My priorities for city council include making sure that the diversity of the city is represented within the council. I see council members as a bridge between the general population and the elected officials. I am also intent on creating a simple and straightforward way for residents to learn more about the decisions city council makes. I have a website, and if I am elected, I will be using that website to share information from city council in a way that is easy to find and easy to understand. 

4. What would you like to change about Salmon Arm?

Overall, I think Salmon Arm is a wonderful city, and as we grow and evolve, we become even more vibrant. A few of the small initiatives that I would like to see include making it easier for residents to recycle their glass, and to create more avenues for members of the LGBTQ+community and their loved ones to come together and share experiences, troubles, ideas, and anything else. 

5. Do you have any ideas if you become part of the city council?

Besides the initiatives that I have mentioned above, I would like to try and create more opportunities for the residents of Salmon Arm to share their voices. I would like the city to host evenings where people can come together and voice their opinions, ask their questions, and discuss ideas with members of government in an informal, relaxed environment. Although residents currently have the ability to speak up during council meetings, it’s not an easy process, and it’s quite formal. My plan would involve a much lighter, less regimented way for people to voice their thoughts and opinions. 

6. Why do you want to be a part of the city council?

I want to be a part of city council because I would like the opportunity to help our community grow and thrive. Becoming an elected official isn’t something that everyone wants to do, so I want those people and everyone else to feel as though they are connected to city council through me. I love sharing ideas, debating, and I am a stubbornly hard worker. I feel that those traits will suit me well on city council, and I look forward to the opportunity to work hard for the residents of Salmon Arm.