Peter Bowman has made it official. He’s running for city council.
“I’m really excited,” Bowman said Monday evening sitting at his kitchen table. “I’ve known for a while but thought I’d wait until the fall to make a formal announcement.”
This is the 44-year-old’s second stab at running for council.
He ran in 2011, however, at that time he believed his chances were slim.
“Afterwards I was encouraged by the number of votes I received,” he said. “I did have many people tell me they didn’t realize Peter Bowman was me.”
Every candidate will no doubt peg the economy as a number one issue, Bowman said, as he suggested local mills, mines and the area as a service hub are all important.
“I also want to focus on youth and retirees,” he said. “We need things for our youth to do and as seniors live healthier and longer lives so do they.”
Pushing in favour of the pool referendum will be part of his platform because he said the community needs a new pool and it’s well overdue.
The pool’s a place that can be enjoyed by all ages, especially in winter when days are short and cold, he added.
Bowman and his wife, Jennifer, moved to Williams Lake in 1996 from Vancouver and as soon as they arrived they noticed how green and active the community was.
They played soccer, ball and ultimate frisbee.
“We were busy every night,” he recalled.
Today they have two school-aged children.
Recently Bowman changed careers after being a teacher and eventually principal at Alkali Lake’s school for a decade.
He’s now the project manager at RL7 Mechanical.
As he anticipates the election and a possible victory, Bowman said he’d love to be part of a good council with a mayor who has experience.
His years working in Alkali Lake with the school and community has instilled a desire to work with outlying communities.
“I think I have a respect of how to do that. It involves going in there with a willingness to understand the people who live there,” he said.
Anyone wanting to talk about issues with Bowman can contact him by e-mail at petbow@hotmail.com.