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:
Roger William
I am running for the position of CRD director for Area J to offer over 20 years of experience as a First Nations community leader dealing with what CRD director must deal with. I demonstrated leadership and negotiating skills through working with senior levels of government through land-use planning and in advancing the rights of Tsilhqot’in people while maintaining cordial and respectful relations with all sides of often difficult issues. I am a bridge builder between cultures, looking for the best in all world views. By bringing a Tsilhqot’in perspective to issues of economic development and environmental sustainability based on respect for the land, I can offer broader community of the Cariboo/Chilcotin. Where issues may divide us, I will look for ways to bring us together.
Three top issues: 1. Development of respectful relationships between First Nations and others who live in Williams Lake and who live in more rural settings, between human beings and the land. 2. Development of an economy and jobs that benefit all members of society, sustainable into the future without damaging the land. 3. Dealing with changes that are coming through climate change and planning land use appropriately to protect ecosystems that sustain all life.
I believe that by looking ahead for seven generations, by being respectful to each other and learning to understand other points of view, by bringing a Tsilhqot’in perspective based on having lived here sustainably for thousands of years, I can contribute much to the public life of the Cariboo/Chilcotin as regional director. I see my election as the beginning of a new day that will bring everyone here together in new and respectful and mutually beneficial relationships.