For the next four years, Patricia Heintzman has some work to do.Luckily for her, we’ve handed her a good team to work with. The dominant key trait of the six councillors who will be sworn in to serve from 2015 to the end of 2018 is open-mindedness. This is a group of people who, for the most part, are open to opinions and are empathetic.
Before expanding on the potential of the new council, it’s important to acknowledge those who are ending their term and won’t be returning to the council table. Mayor Rob Kirkham bows out after a term as mayor and a term as a councillor between 2008 and 2011. In his two terms, he achieved a great deal. He was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedicated service and contributions to his community in February of last year. This recognition nicely summarizes Kirkham’s long list of accomplishments as a member of Squamish council. He’ll be known as the mayor who broke the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corp. logjam and secured a deal to develop the lands. Kirkham also helped clear the way for the Sea to Sky Gondola to be built.
Bryan Raiser, like Kirkham, wanted to be part of the next council, but Raiser didn’t make the cut. Voters didn’t give him the 2,000 votes needed in this election. Raiser leaves council having contributed levity in the council chambers. Some of his detractors told him he is a goofy politician. Maybe the label fit at times, but nobody loves Squamish more than Raiser and he proved his love by consistently sticking up for the improvement to Squamish’s valuable natural assets. The trail system in Squamish wouldn’t be what it currently is were it not for his tireless lobbying to make the trail system here one of Squamish’s top assets.
Ron Sander opted to step away from municipal politics. In his three years on council, he listened more than he spoke. When he did speak, it was often with a strong logical voice. His straight-up style often brought clarity to discussions.
With that look back we can now gaze ahead and see what our incoming council has in store for Squamish.
Heintzman is an experienced council member who was first elected in 2005. The mayor-elect served as the chair of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, so she brings with her some very relevant government leadership experience.
Heintzman gets to work with a council that doesn’t appear from the outset to have any clear dividing lines. In the past, many councils have had definable splits from the first meeting of the group. Based on their voting patterns between 2008 and 2011, we knew Kirkham and Doug Race would vote together on most issues. Over the course of the past three years, Race and Kirkham found themselves sharing common values with Sander. When major issues came up, the four other members of council outvoted Kirkham, Race and Sander.
One of the most dysfunctional councils in recent memory was the 2002 to 2005 council led by Ian Sutherland as mayor. He barely won the mayoral race over Terrill Patterson, and over the course of the three-year term, Sutherland and former mayor Corinne Lonsdale frequently locked horns. A few other debates were among the most heated ever held in the municipal hall council chambers.
Lonsdale was often at odds with Squamish New Directions (SND) through the course of the 1999 to 2002 term, when councillors Ray Peters, Dave Fenn and Sonja Lebans set the community’s direction with Sutherland at the helm. Lonsdale and Raj Kahlon struggled to have their voices heard. The members of SND rarely debated each other. SND effectively controlled the agenda for the entire three years, much to the frustration of Kahlon and Lonsdale. The community apparently didn’t approve as SND was decimated in the next election.
This next council, on paper, looks to bring little in the way of pre-defined alliances. We have seven independent thinkers who all appear to be good team players.
Jason Blackman-Wulff, Karen Elliott and Peter Kent are the three new councillor members. They come from very different backgrounds with no election alliances.
Race brings his legal expertise, and like a wise owl, he brings many years of life to the council table.
Chapelle brings her strong environmental values and interest in women’s issues, while Prior has extensive experience in construction and development.
Blackman-Wulff is a student of politics, having worked under New Democrat MLA Jenny Kwon for many years.
Kent offers his connections to the film industry as one of his top assets.
Elliott in her professional life is a team builder. This could prove to be a good asset that could help make this the highest functioning and best performing council in Squamish’s recent history.
