By David F. Rooney
Spurred on by a conviction that Revelstoke can be a better and more prosperous community, Red Apple Manager Trevor English is tossing his hat in the political ring.
“I’m stepping into this with a little trepidation,” he said in an interview. “I’ve never been involved in the political process before.”
English is new to politics, but the 39-year-old who was born in Revelstoke and raised in Estevan, Saskatchewan, before returning to Sicamous and Salmon Arm in 1993, and now, since 2010, back to his hometown is highly motivated.
He and his wife, Shelley, have two daughters — Cailin, 15, and Parker, age 10 — and he regards this decision to enter politics as a way to help them build future lives.
“I love Revelstoke and I want to see it progress,” English said in an interview.
“I’d like to see a downtown full of thriving businesses that offer real opportunities for our young people. I want to see a vibrant tourism sector.”
English is the second person to announce his candidacy for Council. Scott Duke of Stoke FM declared his intention to on November 30 last year. And, like Duke, he is a member of the informal Focus Revelstoke group.
Focus Revelstoke is an ad hoc society of local citizens who have concerns about what is happening to our community.
“A lot of people do not believe in Revelstoke, but we do,” said Focus Revelstoke member Connie Brothers.
She said the men and women who belong to Focus Revelstoke want to see a better place for people to live, work and play. They advocate policies to attract more businesses and full-time residents. They are not an urban political party.
Focus Revelstoke members get together regularly and, over the past several months, they have invited senior City staff and members of the media to meet with them.
“It’s fairly innocuous,” says Focus Revelstoke member Mark McKee. “We’re just a bunch of people with a shared interest.”
One member of the group, Web designer Jean-Marc LaFlamme is developing a website, Revelstoke.com, that will, when it’s done, include a survey tool and other resources. For now, however, it consists of a video about open government and a brief introduction: “Welcome to the Community of Revelstoke. We love our city and citizens deserve a site to begin valuable discussion for the next phase of its life. This site is an open book, not one controlled by anyone but developed and moderated (to keep positive) by a team of residents who are passionate about giving the power to the people and moving towards open government. Soon we will begin to showcase valuable business development tools so that you can also move towards financial independence and help others start important enterprise.”
Anyone interested in learning more about Focus Revelstoke can send them an e-mail at focusrevelstoke@gmail.com.
To learn more about Trevor English send him an e-mail at Trevor.clark.english@gmail.com.
