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Surinderpal Rathor running for mayor of Williams Lake in 2022 election

Rathor, 68, was a city councillor for 21 consecutive years

A former and long-time Williams Lake city councillor is running for mayor in the October 2022 local government election.

“The fire has been burning in my belly a long time to serve the community,” Surinderpal Rathor said, joined by members of his campaign team Bob Piderman, Massimo Calabrese and Judy Gibbons near the city hall parking lot Wednesday, June 1. “We need a vision for the future, for our children and grandchildren and getting the job done means working together.”

Rathor, 68, is no stranger to politics.

He served on city council for 21 years consecutively and in 2014 and 2018 ran for mayor, losing to Mayor Walt Cobb.

When asked what’s different in 2022, Rathor replied in the other two elections he was asking people if he ran would they support him. This time around he said a lot of people are calling him on the phone or approaching him in public asking him to run.

If elected, Rathor said he would work on improving relationships between the city and other levels of government, including neighbouring First Nations communities, the Cariboo Regional District, School District 27, provincial and federal.

He also said he wants to create an environment for investment, development and good jobs by promoting Williams Lake with an aim to revitalize the community.

“I’d like to see us invest in and improve services and recreational amenities and create a community we can be proud of that attracts professionals.”

During his campaign, he will also be talking about snow removal.

“How much does it cost to put the blade down and clear the sidewalks?” he asked.

Retired from Tolko Soda Creek Division in January 2021 after working there for 46 years, he continues to volunteer in Williams Lake, including for the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin and coordinating the community income program, which he has done for more than three decades.

His volunteer efforts have gained him four federal medals and one from the provincial government. Now that he is retired, Rathor said he would devote himself to being a full-time mayor if elected.

Originally from the Punjab State of North India, Rathor has lived in Williams Lake since 1974. He met his wife Charangit Pamar in Williams Lake and they were married in 1975.

“I have four generations of family here,” he said. “I’ve worked hard for this community.”

READ MORE: Hometown: The sky’s the limit

READ MORE: Community Volunteer Income Tax program ready to roll in Williams Lake



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Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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