Ladies and gentleman – start your engines.
The candidate list for the 2014 Squamish municipal election was finalized at 4 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 10) and the final day saw one more twist in the mayor’s race.
Coming off the heels of Coun. Patricia Heintzman’s entry into the mayoral race on Thursday (Oct. 9), Auli Parviainen has removed herself from the discussion for mayor and registered as a councillor. Parviainen said in a statement released on Friday that she stepped away from the mayoral race because she supports Heintzman and feels they can work better together.
"I had intended to run for council but stepped up to seek the mayor's chair to provide a voice for many in the community that I felt was not being represented. My goals of good governance with measurable and accountable results and restoring meaningful public say in significant projects, along with working collaboratively, are values that Patricia and I share," she stated. "I recognize her demonstrated leadership experience at the local government level. I feel, with Patricia's recent decision to run for mayor, my running for council removes the 'either or' and means an opportunity for the recognition of what is best for Squamish to start today."
Heintzman agreed with Parviainen in the joint statement the pair released.
“I know this was a difficult decision for Auli," she stated. "She has demonstrated courage and selflessness in coming to this shared decision and I sincerely thank her for that. I also thank her for her passion for community and in her power to be a catalyst for positive change. It is this diversity and her collaborative, positive attitude that is what is needed from all candidates and future members of council. This is what will really make this community hum. I sincerely respect her willingness to step up and I am pleased she has decided to run for council."
The three names registered for mayor are: Heintzman, Rob Kirkham and Ron Bahm. It’s the first time that Heintzman has run for the job. Kirkham won Squamish’s top job in 2011, while Bahm also ran in 2011 only to withdraw four days before the election.
A total of 20 candidates submitted papers for the role of councillor in this year’s elections. Incumbents Doug Race, Bryan Raiser, Susan Chapelle and Ted Prior are joined by: Parviainen, Phil Audet, Peter Kent, Rob Weys, Debra McBride, Scott Wengi, Stephen Fryer, Jason Blackman-Wulff, Chris Pettingill, Paul Dosanjh, Eric Andersen, Karen Elliott, Kevin Jewell, Glenne Campbell, Brad Hodge and Terrill Patterson.
In an interesting side note, Kent, a former stuntman, has promised to light himself on fire if the voter turnout in 2014 exceeds the 39.2 per cent that Squamish achieved in 2011.
In other news, those submitting for the role of school trustee were: Rick Price, Ian Kent and Alice Guss.
Stay tuned to The Chief for ongoing election coverage.
