City councillor candidate Tovi Pare said she’s willing to work hard and bring her good communication skills and existing strong relationships with community in all sectors to city council.
“I feel like if you don’t have a good foundation of communication and a good morale nothing will get done,” Pare said. “If everyone’s working against each other it’s not a place to start from to complete any projects.”
A resident of Williams Lake for 33 years, Pare has spent the last nine years raising her two children and in the last six years operating her own home-based mobile business.
She credits support from the community for making the business successful today.
Williams Lake has a great sense of community, bolstered by the fact that recreational activities are easily accessible and affordable, which Pare said needs to be promoted more.
“We need to bring people to Williams Lake and let them see how amazing things are here and how affordable it is compared to bigger centres where you pay triple the amount to do that exact same thing,” she said.
Her decision to run for council emerged in the last year when she began to notice some frustrating things occurring.
In her early 20s she felt safe leaving the grocery store, whereas now if it’s dark out and she has her children with her, she’s always more aware of the level of safety in the community.
“Raising my family here that doesn’t sit well with me,” she said. “I thought either I get involved now or wait another four years. I felt the need to get involved now.”
Since she declared her intention to run, Pare has received a lot of positive support, she said.
“I have been asking people for their ideas and interests. What they like about Williams Lake and what could be improved upon?”
Many people want more family events for youth so they are doing something productive instead of getting into trouble.
Other people want more options for shopping local because they don’t want to leave town but would rather support the community.
If elected, Pare said she would have the opportunity to understand first-hand what’s happening within city hall.
“This is all new to me,” she said of being on council or a board. “I want to come in positive and fresh, rather than digging up things from the past when I know there is already sourness there.”