I can’t believe some people think politics are boring.
The race is only now officially on for the municipal election, and right out of the gate things have already been interesting. Although, in the lead up up to the official deadline to enter the contest for the mayor or councillor’s seats, it seemed like it might be a bit of a tepid competition this time around.
Incumbent Rob Kirkham was looking to be the only person vying for the top spot for a while there, but then Ron Bahm and Auli Parviainen tossed their hats into the ring.
There was disappointment when Patricia Heintzman announced she was leaving the political arena, but that turned to surprise and intrigue when days later she announced she was now adding her name to the list of candidates running for mayor.
I’m not sure what caused the sudden turnaround. Maybe it was deep personal reflection or perhaps folks in the community that convinced her she had to run. Heck, it may have been something even more dramatic. Perhaps some dastardly evildoers kidnapped her family members to force her to retire from politics, but then in the 11th hour the A-Team (the ones from the 80s TV show, not the crappy Liam Neeson movie) swooped in for a rescue and allowed her to re-enter the race at the last minute. Okay, obviously I watch way too much TV. Adding to the intrigue was Parviainen’s last-minute switch from running for mayor to vying for a council seat when Heintzman announced her own candidacy. And we still have weeks to go before the actual election. Who knows what else is going to happen? But it is guaranteed to be quite a fiery election, as candidates debate such things as economic development, the oceanfront, and the uber-contentious Woodfibre LNG proposal.
And speaking of fiery, even the vote itself is looking to be anything-but-boring, as councillor candidate Peter 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. I’m hoping the other candidates in the election follow suit. Wouldn’t you make sure everyone you knew voted if Mayor Kirkham promised to swallow live goldfish, stick his head in a box of tarantulas or swallow a glass of monkey spit depending on voter turnout?
Either way, just make sure you do get out there and vote, because the issues this time around are indeed important, and the politics of Squamish’s future are never boring.
