Aug 28, 2018 at 12:59 pm
Kamloops Voter asks the City Councillor, Mayor, School Trustee Candidates
What do you see as the single most important issue facing Kamloops right now?
What are your ideas for managing or overcoming this issue?
William James Turnbull
Connection; figuratively & literally. Huge geographical area. Infill with density projects (30,000 new
residents projected over the next 20 years) of housing, parks & business. Infrastructure IE Bridges Road & Pedestrian. Build & improve on our symbiosis with the TNRD & Tk emlups.
Corally Delwo
The biggest issue in Kamloops is our Unemployment rate. We are very much lacking in good paying jobs. Especially for the graduates coming out of the trades programs at TRU. I would like to see the Industry tax rate lowered to be in line with the provincial average and for the new city council to work hard at bringing in Well managed industry, developments and investments.
I believe that it creates a ripple affect for the city. Create jobs, keep people here working and living. They spend money in businesses, buy houses, pay taxes and create revenue for the city to use to keep the city looking its best. And it also gives us money to contribute to the social issues such as the homelessness issues and the drug overdose problems.
Alison Klie
Although there are some pretty hot button issues to choose from I am going to go with the issue I have found the most frustrating and I believe would be the easiest to rectify. Communication. Whenever ordinary citizens are trying to find out more information on what is happening at city council meetings it is quite difficult. When you do find what you're looking for it is usually way more than just the basics of what you want to know. There should be a much more open and transparent dialogue between the citizens and their counsellors. Many times I found that decisions had been made that I didn't even realize were being discussed, and many of the public meetings happen at times when people who work a nine to five job wouldn't be able to attend. So many people feel disenfranchised with their government and I don't blame them. It is hard to care when information is so hard to come by. I believe that government officials need to do a better job at sharing what information they can and changing the stereotype of shady politics.
Beat Klossner
Housing. At less then 1% vacancy rate there is simply nothing decent available for many of us. It causes stress and financial hardship especially on the young and the old.
Good, affordable housing creates stability in a community which benefits everyone.
All levels of Government need to act quickly and decisively. I think a large stock of Publicly owned housing is the key to this problem. Publicly owned, because it allows us to keep control over the costs and use of that housing. Low income,young families, seniors and special needs have to be priority.
Much better rent controls need to be in place as well.
Nicholas Adams
Kamloops is lacking opportunity in many areas. Whether it is housing, employment, or lack of social/entertainment opportunity. We need to ensure that we Identify our shortcomings and address them through creating the opportunity for investment for our future.
Donovan Cavers
Making sure Kamloops is a welcoming community for everyone regardless of income, background, etc
Sadie Hunter
In one word: Identity.
I believe we’re in a bit of an awkward transition trying to define our community beyond our roots as an agricultural and industrial hub while still supporting these important economies. We’ve done a great job building up tourism and our branding as a tournament capital, but there’s still a bit of a disconnect and fuzziness between that and a future vision for where Kamloops is going as a community. I think part of the answer lies in strengthening the connection between industry, government, and TRU and the rest of the community. Taking advantage of the recent MOU signed between the city and TRU in creating a direct line from education to jobs. This will lead to security, which leads to the freedom to create and innovate.
Caroline King
I see a few issues facing Kamloops at this time but for the purpose of this question, I am going to focus on what I am doing now.
Kamloops like many other cities across BC is in the midst of a homelessness and addiction crisis and that crisis has caused an unimaginable amount of recklessly discarded needles in our parks, playgrounds, and beaches etc. I decided to put to the test a theory I had as a long time community volunteer and healthcare worker wherein I would incentivize used sharps in the same way we do pop cans. The results were immediate with businesses, law enforcement, and outreach agencies reporting an immediate shift in behavior. My partner Dennis and I have collected over 10,000 used sharps beginning June 20th and the data we have collected is being shared with city officials from several communities. I have never been someone who can sit and do nothing and just as I have been a tireless advocate for the industry sector, I am also a strong advocate for persons at risk and community safety. I believe we can do more and we can do it better together.
John O'Fee
From the perspective of education, our system risks losing relevancy if it fails to continually adapt. All education systems need to ensure that people acquire the core skills necessary to prosper in a rapidly changing world. The core elements of literacy and numeracy will remain but we can't simply presume that what we did in the past will be sufficient in the future.
Joe Small
As a School Trustee I would say the overcrowding in several of our schools. We are presently managing this problem by installing portables at schools effected by increased enrolment (i.e. nine portables at Valleyview Secondary and five at Westmount Elementary). To overcome this problem, we need to convince the Provincial Government that the city of Kamloops is in desperate need of schools in areas showing increased urban growth - Juniper Ridge, Pineview, and Bachelor Heights.