The Tribune asked candidates running in the municipal, regional, and School District 27 election a few questions about themselves and their platforms.
We asked the following:
• What position are you running for?
• Why are you running for it?
• What do you see as the top three issues to address in your community?
• How do you propose to tackle them?
Candidates in the area, including those who have been acclaimed, were invited to participate for free
and were given a maximum word limit of 275 words to answer the questions above.
The following are the answers we received from participating candidates:
Peter Bowman
Hello Williams Lake. My name is Peter Bowman and I am running for one of the six council seats. The reason I am running is quite simple: I want more for our City. What I see as the top three issues in your community to address are:
1. Economic diversification. Now I know everyone is concerned with this. I want us to start developing other economic opportunities. Yes, forestry and mining are very important to this region and will continue to be; however, we were all affected in 2008 with the worldwide economic downturn. We all remember what happened when Gibraltar Mines closed some 10 years ago. Because we are all so closely tied to these two very important industries it hurt us all. With expanding other industrial and manufacturing opportunities, when there is a slowdown in forestry or mining it wouldn’t hurt as much. You know CN Rail can carry more than lumber and natural resources.
2. First Nation relations. There are many First Nation communities surrounding Williams Lake. I would like to help promote good working partnerships between all groups. If we work together, we will all benefit.
3. Sport, leisure, and recreation. When I moved here in 1996 there was a vibrant sporting community. We need to promote our community as having recreation opportunities to attract new families. We will need a new pool soon. Why don’t we have an outdoor skating rink? Why don’t we have a sports field with lights? With a greater tax base, not increased taxes, being financially responsible and accessing provincial and federal funding sources when possible we will see Williams Lake prosper.