The theme of economic development was front and centre for three Squamish residents who this week declared their candidacy for the District of Squamish council in the Nov. 19 municipal election.
Phil Audet, who says he wants to give ordinary residents a bigger say in shaping Squamish's future at a critical time in its history, was the first of three non-incumbents who declared his intention to run, having done so on Tuesday (Sept. 20).
Nate Dolha, who topped his media statement with the slogan "Building Tomorrow," and Brad Hodge, who told The Chief he would work toward bringing a major anchor employer to town, both declared their intentions to run on Wednesday (Sept. 21).
A surveyor by trade, Audet told The Chief that he thinks Squamish is a special place that is in a transition period. He said it shouldn't just be those with money and power, but also ordinary citizens, who will help shape what Squamish becomes over the next couple of decades.
"I see Squamish up there with all these desirable places in the world - Chamonix, Boulder, Colo.," he said. "It's really ours for the shaping, not just for the wealthy.
"I think people have lost respect for politicians," Audet added. "I think we need to move away from the car salesmen and the lawyers and such, and we need people in that seat who have vision and really care about the community. I'm not saying that the current people who sit on council don't, but I think there could be more happening that way."
Audet grew up in Calgary and first visited Squamish in 1989 when he came here to climb. Though he found the rocks and routes here challenging, he said he fell in love with the place and the community, eventually coming back here to live about 10 years ago, he said.
Over the past few years Audet has worked on the Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project. He spent much of the past year working in the oilsands in Fort McMurray, Alta., returning a couple of months ago. It was there that he realized that Squamish was his home and that he wanted to help shape its future, he said.
"I think we will always be a great place to live and raise a family, but we can always be better. I love this town and I admit that I don't have all the answers or information, but I want to be involved in the direction this town is taking. I want to give the people of this town a voice that resonates with them."
Sustainable, well-planned growth and economic development were two of the key themes Dolha highlighted in statements declaring his candidacy and in an interview with The Chief. Dohla, who works as a business support analyst for a company that operates container ports in the Lower Mainland and across the U.S., moved from Calgary to North Vancouver seven years ago and moved his family to Squamish in 2008.
He said his decision to run "was a long time coming," following discussions with his wife and others in the community.
"I don't think there was one single incident that made me decide to get into this race, but seeing how developments are handled when those come up was one," Dolha said. "It doesn't seem to be being done consistently, which leads me to believe that there's not really any long-term vision.
"We seem to just wait for the fire and then put it out instead of just having a long-term plan."
Dolha listed the Service Squamish Initiative and the Oceanfront sub-area plan as examples of worthwhile initiatives undertaken by the current council - showing both a desire to use taxpayer dollars efficiently and to facilitate responsible, well-planned growth.
Dolha, though, said that Squamish has the potential to double in size over the next two decades and needs to have a clear vision of what it wants to be.
With several recent development proposals that have arisen -he cited proposals for the Upper Mamquam Blind Channel area as an example - "we don't seem to have a vision for what we want it to be," he said. "How do we make this look like we want it to look, improve our tax base, and have it be something that showcases our community 20 years down the road? There needs to be clear guidelines for any developer who's coming in with a concept.
"It just doesn't seem like everyone's pulling in the same direction."
Hodge, owner/operator of a small information technology service and support company, has lived in B.C. since 1998 and in Squamish since 1999. He is married with three children.
He said he thought about running for council in the past, but was "more oriented toward running my business. Now that the business is a going concern, I now feel I can devote the time to helping the community move forward."
Economic development and affordable housing are two of the areas Hodge highlighted as areas where he would like to help Squamish progress. He cited Alliston, Ont. - where his parents live - as a community of similar size with similar challenges, but one major advantage: An anchor employer, namely Honda of Canada.
Hodge said that while a car manufacturer needn't be the type of employer Squamish works to attract, "It's (Honda) a large employer with decent wages and benefits to help drive the economy. I'd like to get to work to help attract that kind of a business to town."
He added that while promoting outdoor recreation and tourism has its benefits, it can only take a community so far economically. "I just don't think the boutique town/bedroom community thing is working that well for us," Hodge said. "I think we've seen the drawbacks to that approach that's (tourism) the first thing when the economy goes down that people stop spending on."
Hodge lives in the Bracken Heights Co-op Housing development in Brackendale - in fact, he's currently president of the co-op. He said he'd like to see the co-op model used more widely in the community's efforts to promote housing affordability.
Audet, Dohla and Hodge joined a list that includes incumbent Coun. Bryan Raiser and massage therapist/business owner Susan Chappelle as declared candidates for DOS council in the Nov. 19 municipal election. As yet, no one has declared his or her candidacy for mayor. The nomination period runs from Oct. 4 to 14.
