This is your invitation to ask questions and hear answers from the candidates running in Nanaimo – North Cowichan for the Oct. 24 B.C. Provincial Election.
Go to the CRA’s All-Candidates Forum and see what people have been asking, and what your prospective MLAs have been saying about the issues important to voters in the region.
From there you can submit questions, see candidates’ responses, and make comments of your own.
Success in the Green Economy requires an integrated and focused approach on the part of government, education and business. Do you believe shifting toward a Green Economy should be a priority with government? What specific measures would a government under your party take to position B.C. and Vancouver Island to compete effectively in a Green Economy?
Shifting toward a Green Economy needs to be a top priority. Ending fossil fuel subsidies and shifting those incentives to spur innovation is where we begin. COVID-19 has changed our world, and we need a plan for economic recovery. Clean investments and new technologies that create good paying, long-term jobs should drive this recovery. Our CleanBC program is a good starting point, but we need to go so much farther.
With the Greens, I will:
We can do better than we have. We don’t have to pick between the environment and the economy. In fact, the new economy is the Green Economy and we need to get on board or get left behind.
I believe that it is crucial to transition our province and community to a greener economy and agree that government needs to take the lead on ensuring this can be done in a way that leaves no one behind. With the implementation of CleanBC there are many steps we are taking to ensure this transition is possible and if elected we will be ramping our measures.
One example of how we have ensured that government policies drive a green economy would be the requirement that all vehicles sold in BC be zero emissions by 2040. By being one of the first jurisdictions to put this requirement into legislation, we have driven change and distribution in BC from vehicle manufactures. This ensures that they are prepared to provide our province with the vehicles we need, whereas other jurisdictions who have no such regulation, or are late with these steps will be at the back of the line when it comes to accessing this vehicle stock. This is just one example of how we have ensured our province is at the forefront of a green economy.
Candidates responses to this question have been added in the order received. Go to the Election Questions list to see questions that have been submitted to the Forum.
What are the skills, experiences and beliefs that make you the choice for voters in Nanaimo – North Cowichan? What policies and commitments has your party made that will make B.C. and Nanaimo – North Cowichan a better place to live?
I feel fortunate to have represented the Nanaimo-North Cowichan area for 15 years which has given me a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that exist in our coastal communities.
Most of my years as an MLA were spent in opposition watching our community suffer through a rising poverty and housing crisis and fighting for the investments and improved services that we needed.
This last term has been drastically different – we have seen a new urgent care clinic, the islands first nurse practitioner led clinic, new and expanded hospitals, new and upgraded schools, more investments in affordable housing, lowered child care fees and long-awaited projects like Crofton Road are finally becoming a reality.
Over the years I have worked with so many organizations and individuals who never gave up advocating for these projects and investments. I am incredibly grateful for their efforts and I am proud to have been part of the government who worked with our community to make them happen.
I am running for re-election because there is still so much work left to do, and I want to continue moving our community forward.
I fed my family working in the oil and gas industry for 20 years. Working with my hands taught me the value of stable resource jobs. My time as a city councillor in Estevan Saskatchewan taught me how important it is to be accessible to my community when in a role of service.
Opening our small business in Chemainus, exposed me to my community’s frustrations with the provincial government. I learned that the most important problems we need to fix are in the government’s hands. It was their lack of action that inspired me to run for MLA. I’ve had an impact on local decisions as an advocate for our shared natural spaces.
I know I can have a real impact on the provincial level as Green MLA advocating for our communities and our larger environment.
I have many hobbies but climbing mountains is a passion. When I head out to the mountains, I research the terrain and map out the journey. I ensure I take along the right safety equipment and check in with my family regularly. It’s the same approach I’ll take as your MLA.
I have over 30 years as a councillor for the Town of Ladysmith. In that time I have had numerous opportunities to listen to people concerns as well as being a part of a lot of good solutions. It has also given me a good understanding of how government works and how to work with them.
I also have over 40 years of community service and volunteer work from Kinsmen, Ladysmith Festival of Lights, Show ‘n’ Shine, Cops for Cancer, Loggers Sports as well as raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for many community playgrounds, spay park, wheelchair ramps, you name it. Right now I’m the fundraiser for the new downtown washrooms in Ladysmith.
During my council time I’m often asked who our MLA is, and I believe after 15 years our present MLA should be known, but he’s not. I will not only be totally accessible, but I will be visible and will be in all areas of the riding to let folks know what is going on.
Another reason why I’m running is we are going to have a huge debt that we’re going to have to start repaying. I don’t want my grandchildren (of which Tracy and I have six) to have it hung on them or their children! We need to find new and innovative ways to create new sources of revenue and try not to make the poor taxpayer foot the bill again. We need to economically as well as environmentally to put BC on track again.
We are facing huge problems from Homelessness, to Mental Health and Addictions, to Seniors Care, to Education… in fact all across North America it’s the same story. I see us working collaboratively with other provinces, the federal government and even foreign governments to help find solutions. The BC Liberals are working on plans to address these issues provincially, as it’s our citizens that come first, but if we go beyond for help and advice there’s nothing wrong with that.
Our present MLA tells us what the existing government, which just turned it’s back on the people of BC, has done, but he doesn’t state what he’s done… even the Crofton Road is not done and they’ve made the same Cowichan Hospital announcement twice, and still nothing. I will tell the folks, of the riding, what is happening IN the riding as that is what is important to them as well as what is happening provincially.
Candidates responses to this question have been added in the order received. Go to the Election Questions list to see questions that have been submitted to the Forum.
Members of the Chemainus Rotary Club have been hard at it, power washing, scraping and re-staining the log and wood trim exterior of the bandshell in Waterwheel Park. Rotarians Tom Andrews, Bob Smith and Richard Johnson were wielding brushes and rollers Wednesday afternoon, giving the main stage of the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society a makeover. Others in the crew are Mike Beggs, Doc the Barber, Mark Staples and David McCormick.
By the time they’ve applied the finishing touches, the club will have put in an estimated week-and-a-half on the project, just one of the many contributions it’s membership makes for the community. “There was tons of mold, and lichen, you name it, so we’ve power washed the building, now we’re painting and staining,” Smith said.
They will also be refurbishing the benches in the amphitheatre area, a job that will require lots of elbow grease.
The bandshell is just one of the structures and programs the Chemainus Rotary Club has supported over the years, and with their emblem on top of the stage, they want to make sure it stays in good shape, ready to use for years to come. The CVCAS manages the bandshell, and holds its Music in the Park series – and many other events – on its stage.
Other Chemainus projects Rotary is engaged include a picnic shelter being constructed at Kin Beach Park and an outdoor shower, and the highly successful drive-in bottle collection fund-raiser, Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM on Chemainus Drive at Mill Street. They are also supporting the Nourish Cowichan project, which provides weekend packages for school children in the Cowichan Valley.
That’s a shortlist, and with a membership of about 20, the Rotary is “spread kind of thin” with its long list of activities right now, Andrews said. You can find out more about what Rotary does and how to join on their website.
If you count ’em there’s four freighters in the photo above, taken from Kin Beach Park. But the picture doesn’t tell the whole story, there were at least two more freighters visible from that vantage on the day the picture was taken, probably at least one or two more behind Bare Point and farther into Ladysmith Harbour.
So how many is too many, when it comes to freighters mooring in Stuart Channel? Or is it okay, and a part of keeping Canada and B.C. connected to the global economy? What are the environmental risks of freighters in our waters? How well prepared are we to deal with those environmental risks?
Are these questions we should be asking our local, provincial and federal representatives? What are the boundaries between jurisdictions? Is there a role for the Chemainus Residents’ Association when it comes to freighters off our favourite beach?
We’d like to know what you think. So connect with us and share your thoughts. Or post a comment, and share them with our readers, too.
Now’s the time to share your views with the Municipality of North Cowichan, as it continues its Official Community Plan update. Until September 15 residents can complete an online Vision and Priorities Survey and make their preferences known.
Most residents aren’t well versed when it comes to the purpose of an OCP. A Province of British Columbia ‘local government’ web page describes OCPs as: “statement(s) of objectives and policies that guide decisions on municipal and regional district planning and land use management. These decisions impact communities’ sustainability and resilience.”
Says the introductory page to North Cowichan’s survey, “Your feedback on this survey will help shape a 20-year vision and develop priorities for North Cowichan to focus on so that we can achieve that vision together.
“Coming to a common understanding about our collective community values will help us ‘ThinkForward’ as we move through this community-driven process.”
Three questions posed in recent ThinkForward flyers distributed in the community are examples of the kinds of issues being addressed, and the importance of new possible directions to Chemainus:
More information on the overall OCP process in North Cowichan is available on the municipalities ThinkForward webpage.
Peter Ordynec is looking for people to join him on the CRA Air Quality Committee. Over the last few months there seems to have been a reduction in the number of days when residents of Chemainus have been troubled by odours emanating from the Coast Environmental waste disposal facility in the industrial area on the Trans-Canada Highway.
But air quality concerns haven’t been resolved, and there’s still a need monitor developments on several fronts.
Coast Environmental has had an application for an expansion approved by the province. They want to increase the amount of waste they are allowed to process from 12,000 to 18,000 tonnes per year. The Municipality of North Cowichan has appealed that decision. They point out that the Coast Environmental facility is a ‘grandfathered’ use in the industrial zone, and therefore should not be expanded.
Organic Matter Recycling Regulations in B.C. are under review, one of the main proposals in the draft regulations being more stringent controls on odours. The CRA will be watching to see if those amendments come into effect.
As part of its research into air quality in Chemainus, the committee conducted a survey of residents. A follow-up survey would help determine if residents feel air quality has changed since then.
Monitoring and advocating for improved air quality is an important role for the CRA. If you want to help, contact Peter at pgo@shaw.ca.
.
NOTE: This is an overview of Candidate views expressed at the Oct. 8 Chemainus all-candidates meeting. More detailed coverage to follow.
Five candidates in the running for the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford seat in the Oct. 21 federal election responded to questions from about 100 Chemainus residents at the Oct. 8 all-candidates meeting. Conservative candidate Alana DeLong did not attend.
Convened in the community room of Chemainus Secondary School, the session got under way at 6:30 pm. Climate change, a seniors strategy for Canada, health care, strengthening the family, and engaging youth were among the issues raise during the two-hour session organized by the Chemainus Residents Association in partnership with the Chemainus & District Chamber of Commerce.
At the tables were: Blair Herbert of the Liberal Party; Lydia Hwitsum, Green Party; Alistair MacGregor, NDP; Robin Morton Stanbridge, Christian Heritage Party; and Rhonda Chen, People’s Party of Canada. The candidates were invited to make their opening and closing statements, and respond to questions from the audience in random order, by Moderator Tom Andrews.
Hwitsum promised a ‘collaborative’, ‘community driven’ and ‘solution-driven’ approach to the “job of leadership” on behalf of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford voters. “We really need to find ways of working together to get things done,” she said.
“We at the Green Party have a policy framework that’s actually designed to meet the challenges of climate instability, economic and social injustice, reconciliation, and real democracy.”
Chen asked where the money is going to come from to live up to the promises being made by the other candidates’ parties. “Money can’t be printed from thin air,” she said. “We have to think about what we can afford and what we cannot.”
The People’s Party will balance the budget within two years, and reduce personal income tax to 15 percent on incomes between $15,000 and $100,000. Taxes on incomes over $100,000 would be 25 percent. “We want Canadians to have more money in their own pockets, rather than have the government have their tax money in their pocket,” she said.
MacGregor asked people to consider his performance as their MP over the past four years, and the long-standing record of the NDP representing the interests of Canadians in Parliament. Moving forward he said climate change has to be ‘at the centre’ of his party’s concerns, but that the need to address global warming still must be balanced with other priorities.
“We cannot forget economic justice and social justice,” he said. “In a country as wealthy as Canada is, we still have far too many people who are suffering from the inequality that exists, who are struggling to get by.
“Here in the Cowichan Valley we have over 30 percent of our children living in poverty, so what I’m proposing is that you elect someone who is going to take these issues to Ottawa to fight every single day for them.”
Hebert said a passion for farming has given him a ‘front row seat’ on the impact of the changing environment’s challenges to the food security of the Island.
“Changing environment is a key reason why I have entered this race. The Liberals have invested more on the climate file than any government in Canada’s history,” he said. “We cannot afford to go backwards on the environmental file.”
He cited the Liberal government’s record in office. “We have lifted over 300,000 children out of poverty,” he said. “We have helped Canadians create a million jobs, and we have made great advances in improving the Canada Pension Plan for future generations, and we have also made significant strides in the environmental file as well as the indigenous file.”
Morton Stanbridge said, “I’m primarily doing this because I’m fed up with Politicians. I’m interested in seeing a new system implemented whereby people could directly involve themselves in the decision-making with the federal government, provincial government and municipal governments.”
He wants government to tap into the specific skills people have to improve the delivery of services, and ‘be accountable for their input.’
“I’ve been developing a direct democracy system that couples accountability, taxation and direct decision-making in governance, so I’m putting that forward.”
The Christian Heritage Party is more ‘progressive’ than the other parties, Morton Stanbridge said, because of its opposition to healthcare spending on things that have resulted from ‘poor lifestyle decisions.’ He also said the party’s ‘more strict’ stance on the medical necessity of “certain services such as abortion, gender reassignment and euthanasia” make the CHP “one of the most progressive parties out there.”
Election Day is Monday, Oct. 21
The Chemainus Residents Association and the Chemainus & District Chamber of Commerce will be holding an all-candidates meeting Oct. 8 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at Chemainus Secondary School (9947 Daniel Street). Doors will open at 6 p.m.
We hope the evening will give voters in our region an opportunity to inform themselves about the issues and the candidates’ platforms. The meeting agenda has been carefully considered to emphasize informed, respectful discussion.
Please plan on attending. If you want to put a question to the candidates, remember to get a numbered question chit at the information desk in the lobby before the meeting gets underway. Tickets will be drawn lottery fashion during the meeting, giving holders one minute to ask a question.
Contact us if you have any questions about the Oct. 21 Cowichan-Malahat-Langford all-candidates meeting.
Work’s well underway on a new park at the corner of Humbird Street and Cook. Crews have been reshaping the landscape, putting in irrigation and paths for a couple of weeks.
