Council Candidates respond to AHE students’ questions

2014-11-14

Editor’s Note:

Children in Grades 3/4, 5/6 and 6/7 at Arrow Heights Elementary Revelstoke’s asked some pretty interesting and specific questions of the city’s Council Candidates. Nine of the candidates’ — Aaron Orlando, Connie Brothers, Gary Sulz, Gary Starling, Karen Powers, Chris Johnston, Chuck Ferguson, George Buhler, Scott Duke and Linda Nixon — responded and their answers are interesting. Read on…

Aaron Orlando’s responses

Grade 3/4

1) If you are elected to City Council, what are your ideas for developing the old school sites of Mt. Begbie School and Mountain View School? We would like to see an arts and crafts/indoor fun centre for young people. Could this be a possibility?

The school sites are owned by School District No. 19, and their sale is helping pay for the new high school and elementary school. So, a lot of what happens is up to them, not City Council. What happens in the city, like your suggestion of an arts and craft centre for youth, is often decided by planning done in consultation with the community. A new culture strategy is in development and you can give input on it. I think a new arts centre would be great, like at Mountain View, but it will depend on the planning process, and whether the Revelstoke Arts Council wants to pursue that plan. I think though, it will need to be more than just a facility for youth – an arts centre for everyone.

2) We are concerned about the bears, painted turtles and other wildlife in and around Revelstoke. We think it would be great to create a ‘green space’ downtown which would include a wildlife rescue center and a place where people can see the animals for educational reasons. Would this be something you would consider?

No, sorry. I don’t believe in zoo-like facilities. I believe nature’s place is in nature. I think the best thing City Council can do to help the bears is keep them away from town. That includes better education for residents, bear-proof garbage cans they can’t break into and elimination of food sources. And to have a Conservation Officer here to relocate bears right away. Did you know Revelstoke has many policies in place to protect bears? About 30 years ago, it was common for dozens of bears to be killed here each year. That’s been reduced to just several a year and we can do better by making sure there is no food for them, so they don’t come here.

3) We are worried about drivers speeding down Red Devil Hill and Airport Way on the way to Williamson Lake. It is very dangerous as our school bus stops near there, and kids walk/ride their bikes to Williamson Lake in the summer. We would like to see more police in that area to stop people speeding. Is this possible?

It’s possible, and you don’t need City Council to do it. I suggest asking your parents to contact the police and ask for more speeding enforcement on the road. I think they will respond with more patrols. Make sure to let them know the issue about the school bus! Also, check to see if the signage is sufficient. If you don’t think there is adequate signs, consider asking city hall to consider putting in more.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

City Council must take several steps to reduce debt. We can spend less. We can tax more. Or we can build more homes and businesses so there will be more people to help pay off the debt. I prefer to spend less and to grow, so I hope to pursue policies that will help us do so. Our long-term debt is about $18 million now, which is a lot more than an average community our size in B.C. So, we have work to do. However, there are also reasons why we would borrow more. For example, the health authorities say we need to improve the water system in the Big Eddy. The provincial and federal governments may give us more than half the money to do that, but they will want us to pay for the other half. If we need to borrow for that, I think it’s a good idea because it’s for a basic service, not a luxury, and we could get a 50 per cent discount on the project.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

I think there are many things we can do. We can promote cycling through policies, trails and better racks, thus reducing air pollution. We can promote food security polices to make sure people have healthy food. I think Revelstoke is a clean place now, but I think we can clean up properties by enforcing our bylaws. I think we can explore revitalization policies to clean up brownfields. I also think we can work on our water and sewer infrastructure to make sure we’re a hygienic place to live.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

People like the lifestyle in Revelstoke. But it’s often finding good work that’s the problem. I think Council needs to support economic action policies, like:

a completed vision and plan
reduced commercial taxation
support for existing businesses and industries through balanced decisions and
attracting new and innovative businesses

Grade 6/7

1) What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

The city maintains a Parks & Recreation program, and I think we have lots to offer now, like playing fields, an ice arena, a swimming pool and lots of arts, sports and culture activities. I think it’s up to organizations and volunteer groups to bring more youth activities, like the volunteer group working on a bike pump track, and another one working on a new skate park. I do want to improve the trail network by completing a trails plan, but I don’t know if that’s the kind of activity you are asking about.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

I think I have a different opinion than most. I believe the experts when they say the data shows Revelstoke will have to struggle to maintain our full-time population. So, I don’t think there will be a big pressure to expand a lot more. And, Revelstoke is a pretty compact place. We don’t have much room to expand into. I think the better solution is to grow up, not out. Instead of new single-family homes, let’s work on creating more townhomes, apartment buildings and condominiums. Let’s fit more into the space we have. It’s a much more economical and environmental way of doing things because we can service more homes with less expensive infrastructure. I do not support sprawl – it’s a very costly way of doing things. I think the future is denser, more walkable and bikeable communities.

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Chris Johnson’s responses

Grade 3/4

School Sites.

While the school sites are the property of the School District and it is really their call I can give my thoughts. I would see Mountain View be the anchor to a higher density residential development which is compatible with the existing neighbourhood and keeps a good amount of green space. The school could have amenity space for the development and neighbourhood and maybe some commercial opportunity. I think Mt. Begbie could also be higher density housing with a certain amount of amenity space available for small neighbourhood groups.

Rescue Centre

While this would certainly be a nice thing to have, I don’t think Revelstoke is big enough to support this and also I doubt if there would be enough rescued creatures nearby to use it. However, one of my wishes posted on my election Facebook page is for a downtown park with green space, play area and water. I could see a modest interpretive centre being part of this to educate locals and tourists about our wildlife. I don’t think we have anything like this right now.

Speeding Drivers

I know what you are talking about. While Council can suggest to police areas of concern, it is really up to the police to determine where to use their people. Also, I don’t think you could have the police there enough to make an effective difference. What has proven effective in many studies by ICBC and others are the flashing speed indicator signs such as the one on Nichol road. A reduced speed limit and strategically placed indicator sign or two could improve things a lot.

Grade 5/6

City Debt.

Debt is not necessarily a bad thing. I think there is good debt and bad debt. Bad debt is where you borrow for day to day living. Good debt might be borrowing to buy a house. Most of the city’s debt I think is good debt, for things like the water treatment plant, the police station and the aquatic centre. The city’s debt is at very reasonable interest rates and is very manageable. What we have to watch is that we as the city don’t borrow for what amount to the city’s day to day living expenses.

Revelstoke as a clean and healthy place.

a)We can continue to encourage walking and biking and if we can gear future development less towards a focus on cars that would be good. b) The city is signatory to the Climate Action Charter which include a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases. The city can try to be a leader. As a simple example, we can make sure our vehicles are the smallest and cleanest they can be.c) We can encourage things like the Farmer’s Market, Community Garden and groups such as the North Columbia Environmental Society in their goals.

Encourage young people to come back.

We live in a mobile time. Many young people will leave Revelstoke to pursue their dreams elsewhere but young people from other places will come to Revelstoke to pursue their dreams here. What we can do as a city is to make it the best place we can, focusing on the primary responsibilities of a city and partnering where we can with others who also have a responsibility and part in making it a great place. I think it is a good thing for us to have the mix of some old and the infusion of new.

Grade 6/7

1) Children’s activities.

The city can do its part to make the most basic of activities of children, walking, biking and just playing, reasonably safe. As well we can provide facilities at reasonable cost where private individuals with a passion for something, gymnastics, art, drama/theatre, equestrian, biking skateboarding and so on and so on can share their passion. There are many, many people in Revelstoke who can and want to do this. The city just needs to provide the basics, for example the Rec Centre, and let the individuals out there who have the ideas and desire do their thing.

2) Expanding Revelstoke.

I do not see any rapid growth over the next couple of decades but rather Revelstoke growing into its new skin. I see growth a being incremental and more as an adjustment to what we have than big expansion. As the economy in the US improves, I can see some growth in the resort and I can also see some growth from a gradual influx of people as Revelstoke solidifies its reputation as a place to be. Any growth can easily be accommodated by infill of existing neighbourhoods.

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Chuck Ferguson’s responses

Grade 3/4

Mt Begbie School I believe should be some kind of learning facility whether it be private or public like an avalanche learning centre or culinary school .

Mountain View on the other hand is perfect for your ideas.

I would like to see this great old building kept as a learning centre for everyone including youth, seniors, aboriginal people and also people with disabilities because I believe it would be good to have all working together to help and understand each other .

Also I think that property would be good for a community garden where young people could learn about growing and preparing food and learning and understanding other cultures and the difficulties people face in living with disabilities.

This could also be a use for the Mountain View school.It would be a great spot for this type of use educationally except I would be very careful about keeping bears etc. This is something that would be controlled by the federal and provincial governments. We would have to look at it a lot closer before doing something like that.

I travel this road a lot in the summer and I know it can be very dangerous . I would suggest a radar speed warning sign like they have on Nichol Rd. I know it is very easy to build up speed going down that hill and the logging trucks sometimes go too fast coming into town coming off the higher speed limit on airport way.

It is very important for you guys to be watching also and riding in single file staying in the bike lane. I think if everyone is careful and focused on what they are doing it makes it much safer.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

Spending in our city is the main reason for our debt and it is important to get it under control.

It is important for young people to understand this because at some point in your future you will have to borrow money to buy a car or something. Borrowing to get something is okay as long as you can afford to pay it back in a reasonable time .It is important to keep borrowing low and put money away so if something needs to be fixed or replaced you dont have to increase your debt to pay for it .This means you have to stop spending on things that can wait to be replaced untill you can afford them.

Everyone likes nice thimgs but it can be a problem if you keep borrowing to purchase them so to answer the question I would cut spending to a more reasonable level and put more money into reserves.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

This is something that everyone in the city has to work at. It is important for you as young people to be mindful of how you treat your city now and in the future. I know young people are very concerned about pollution and water and air quality and I think if we all work together to keep our waist and be contentious about keeping the streets clean

it will make it easier for the city to maintain .

We have a beautiful city and working together only helps to keep it that way.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

I know I have 3 sons who all live here now and they lived in different places all over Canada before. What attracted them to Revelstoke was the amazing lifestyle and this is something that is a personal choice that young people have to make .I would like to see more educational institutions here whether they be post secondary like a college or private like say a culinary school. We live in a natural rain forest and have an amazing avalanche centre here that is world renowned for its work. Possibly a school for these types of things would be possible.

These things all create good jobs and bring people from all over the world with great ideas to share.

That would bring our own young people back to a place they know and can get a giood paying jobs.

For every person working it require 4 other people to service them in the public and private sector .

Grade 6/7

1) What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

Revelstoke already has all the facilities needed for children’s activities.

I love the new skate park for the kids.

We have a incredible pool and community centre.

You kids have lots of energy and need things that are physical to expend that energy.

I know with my own boys who are grown up now they needed lots of activity to keep them busy and out of trouble.

I now I have two grandchildren living here and they came from a large city where they have to travel by bus to get to similar facilities that we have here right at our doorstep.

We have such great schools with amazing gymnasiums and playing fields.

I would encourage kids to get involved in theatre and organized sports such as baseball ,hockey ,golf and tennis.

Not to be forgotten we have a world class ski hill and many mountain biking trails right in our city which is very rare.

So many of these sports can open doors for you in the future whether it be business, social or cultural.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

I want to see Revelstoke expand into clean environment type businesses.

Alternative energy is the future so businesses that promote this will be my priority. I believe the Big Eddy should be the area where expansion for business should be It is flat and close to the hwy and most small manufacturers are looking for that.

Transportation for their goods is very important and most factories don’t need basements so the land is good for that.

There is space available also on west side road by the dump that is serviced for industrial use.

The Mt Begbie School would be a good place for another educational facility such as culinary school or an avalanche learning centre.

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Connie Brothers’ responses

Grade 3/4

The land at Mount Begbie School and Mountain View School is owned by the School Board and as a result how it will be developed will really be decided by the School Board and not the City. However, I am sure that City Council will have some ideas that they will share with the School Board as to what they would like to see there, as the City is responsible for deciding what types of buildings, residences or businesses can be operated there. At the present time, most of the discussions have been about putting more residential housing there. I think your suggestion that there be an arts and crafts/indoor fun centre for young people is a good idea for the City. We need a place for indoor activities for young people outside of the summer months. I would be in favour of having such a centre located somewhere in the City.

Given that nature and the environment is such a big part of and so important to Revelstoke I think that a wildlife rescue Centre would be a good possibility for Revelstoke. I don’t know whether downtown would be the proper place for it, as it would probably require a lot of space for the animals, and most of downtown is taken up by either homes or businesses. It would probably be a good idea for either the Big Eddy or Columbia Park where there is more open space. We are fortunate in Revelstoke in that we have “green space” all around us and even if you are downtown it is not very difficult or it does not take a lot of time to travel to this “green space”.

I think that this is a very good request. Keeping these areas safe for people walking and riding their bikes is most important and is part of not only the City’s job but also that of the police. From the City’s point of view it can assure that there are proper signs to make sure that vehicles slowdown in the area, and the City can recommend and encourage the police to assure that they enforce the speed limits and safe driving in the area. This was done on Nichol Road near Arrow Heights Elementary School and was very successful.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

The City collects in taxes and other revenues approximately $20 million per year, and most if not all of that is spent every year on various expenses.

If the City is able to find areas where it can reduce its spending/expenses, which I believe it can, then whatever money it saves by spending less money can be used to reduce the debt. One of the biggest expenses that the City has is interest on its debt every year. As a result, every year the City reduces its debt it has less interest to pay and therefore even more money to continue reducing the debt. This is one of the easiest ways of reducing City debt.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

As I said to the grade 3/4 students, nature and the environment is a very big part of the Revelstoke way of life, and as a result keeping Revelstoke a clean and healthy place to live must always be a top priority for the City.

We must make sure that we have clean air and in the past the City has taken steps to reduce the amount of wood product burning that is done in the City and such efforts should continue. We also have to make sure that we have clean water. There is currently an issue with the quality of the water in not only the Big Eddy but also in the Thomas Brooks area. The City must take appropriate and affordable action to make sure residents in these areas have clean water. There are also residents in the City who are making efforts to assure that Revelstoke has food sustainability and resilience i.e. that all community residents have access to nutritious, safe and affordable food, and I believe that these efforts should be supported by the City.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

Young people will stay and come back to live in Revelstoke if they have the possibility of good jobs and affordable lifestyle. In order to have good jobs in Revelstoke, we must have a healthy economic environment. We must make sure that our existing businesses are healthy and we must encourage new business to come to Revelstoke so that they create jobs. The City can promote a healthy economic environment by making sure that its own finances are in good shape by reducing its spending, reducing its debt and saving money for infrastructure such as sewers and roads. The City should as well reduce business taxes which will help existing businesses and encourage new businesses to come here. Healthy and prosperous businesses have more and good paying jobs to allow people to afford to live in Revelstoke.

Grade 6/7

1)What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

Given Revelstoke’s outdoor environment, it is natural that we should promote outdoor activities, such as skiing, hiking and biking, as these outdoor activities are part of the Revelstoke lifestyle. In addition, we should promote indoor activities for children given that we have a short summer.

There has been discussion in Revelstoke about an activity centre which would include a climbing wall as well as other indoor sports, which I believe is a good idea. We should also be encouraging activities involving the arts. We have a wonderful artistic community in Revelstoke not only for theatre but also for the visual arts and young people’s involvement in these should be promoted. The grade 3/4 class suggested that they would like to see an arts and craft indoor fun centre and again I think that this would be a good idea.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

I believe that Revelstoke not only has room to grow, but that it is important that it grow as, like anything else in life, a growing city is an indication of a healthy city. We need to encourage young people to come to town to live and work and to stay in Revelstoke to raise their families. As our existing population ages and some move out of the City it is important to bring and keep new people in the City. This as well brings new ideas and new energy to the City. I think that it is very important, however, that any growth we have in the City is managed so that our City grows as we wish to grow keeping the culture and character of Revelstoke. Revelstoke currently has a population of approximately 7500 people. I believe that within the next 10 years we can easily grow to a population of 8500 people without too much difficulty.

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Gary Starling’s responses

Grade 3/4

The School Board, and not the City, has ownership of these properties. They are actively preparing these sites to sell. It remains to be seen how much interest there is in the market for these properties.

The properties are limited to development as to what they are designated in the zoning bylaws.

An arts and craft/fun center would be a great idea. However it in unlikely as the school board views these as surplus properties and they do not wish the expense of maintaining them. It really comes down to the fact that they can only afford to keep existing schools open. It just makes financial sense. An indoor center should or could be created within the existing schools I would suggest.

I am concerned about wildlife as well. We all live in close proximity to wildlife and often see the negative results of this.

I probably would not support a rescue center downtown. To me this would resemble a “zoo”. I think this should be in a rural setting. The cost of keeping wild animals can be very high. With that in mind I would support a rescue center, but not in the downtown core. As well funding for this would have to come from other than tax dollars as it is really not a “core service”. Alternately, in the downtown core we could have an interpretive display that would explain what types of wildlife are in the area. The City does already support the “Bear Aware Program” that does some of this.

Many years ago there was a tragic accident on the Red Devil Hill that resulted in the death of two young girls. This prompted the City Council of the day to build a walkway on the east side of the hill. This is still in place today. Perhaps this should be extended to make it safer? I would support something like that.

If there is an issue with speeding, it should be reported to the RCMP. As well if a letter is written to Mayor and Council outlining the concerns, it will then be forwarded to security committee for recommendations and comment.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

Most of the existing debt is financed through the Municipal Finance Association. It is somewhat like a bank; however, there is no option to pay off debt ahead of schedule. So basically, the loans we have now need to run the course and we continue to pay. The debt is going down accordingly.

Also, we need to remember why we have that debt. Much of came as a result of downloading from the province. The court house is a prime example of this. If we did not purchase it, we would not have a court house or services it provides.

Secondly, much of our debt went into necessary infrastructure such as the water filtration plant and sewer upgrades.

In order to reduce our debt we need to challenge all departments to find efficiencies and reduce spending. At the same time we need to look at our deliverables and service levels to ensure we are getting good value for dollar spent. An example of this is our transit system. It is often running around empty. Does this make sense? This is a challenge as many of the people who do use it have no other transportation available to them. We don’t want to abandon them so we will need to find a different model that works more efficiently?

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

This is really simple. Revelstoke is already a very clean and healthy place to live. I plan on ensuring that our service levels remain in place so this continues. This includes good core services: water, roads and sewer. As well we do some pretty aggressive landscaping projects with both parks and recreation and public works. Those budget items need to remain in place.

I will continue to support projects that enhance the living experience in Revelstoke, and there are many.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

Traditionally many young people have left our community. This is already changing. We are seeing a younger and younger demographic of people in town. If we can improve our economic development package, this will open up new and higher paying jobs so that there are more opportunities for you here. There has been much work done in that direction already. I think the next few years will see slow and steady growth in many areas and with that will come opportunities.

As well, a leaning center that offers post secondary education is a must! This could be a reality as well.

Grade 6/7

1)What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

The City does already sponsor the Youth co-ordinator position. This has been a good story for Revelstoke. Many programs have been available through this venue.

I am actively supporting the new skate board park. This is proving to be a difficult project as it is very expensive. As well I am supporting the building of a pump track. Both these projects could be a reality soon.

I am also currently working hard to promote a water splash park to replace the wading pool that we were forced to shut down due to health concerns by the province.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

I would like to see a slow but steady growth for Revelstoke. Many thought that we would be in the range of 12000 residents by now. This simply did not happen. Much of this was because of the financial collapse that occurred shortly after the ski hill came online. Ideally I think we should be looking at perhaps 9-10 thousand residents by 2020. I think that is realistic. Let’s not forget, we already reach those numbers in the peak seasons when we see 3-5 thousand “transient” (tourists) people come to town.

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Gary Sulz’s responses

Grade 3/4

Unfortunately City Council has little or no say in what is done with the old school sites. The school trustees are tasked with this and must abide by the legislation set forth by the Provincial Government on how they can re-use these properties. I would however be in favor of re-using the Mt. Begbie and Mountain View School sites for multiple uses including an arts/crafts center and utilizing the Mt. Begbie gymnasium for sports or fun activities. I would also like to see the continued use of the playground space for children’s activities. This is where you the children have to suggest ideas to the school board either through your teachers and parents or through us in City Council. City Council can only suggest on your behalf. The question from the school district will be, Ok, how do we pay for this? So you will need to be ingenious in your ideas and consider how we pay for your ideas as well.

I understand your concern for the wildlife in and around Revelstoke but I would not be in favor of a rescue center downtown. We may be able to have this somewhere in our community, but downtown is not the place. Here is why: all animals need a quiet environment, a natural setting away from the noise of the downtown core. A rescue facility must be run by dedicated people who have the training and the funding to keep this running. A rescue center would be an ideal place for people to see the animals for educational reasons and I would be in favor of this in a rural setting.

Yes, it is possible for more policing in the Red Devil Hill and Williamson Lake area. This must be requested through the Police Station. If there are valid concerns over speeding in this area, I believe the Police would be willing to place officers in the area at sporadic times with radar to catch the offenders.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

Reducing the City’s debt will not be quick or easy. We must be able to plan how we spend our taxpayer’s money and this will include dedicating part of our overall income to paying down the debt. At the same time we must not waste money on things that are not required by the City.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

Revelstoke will stay clean and healthy because we all want the same thing. We must continue to use clean energy (gas and electricity) to power our mills and businesses and we must all be involved in making sure that we do not litter or place harmful substances in our water and soil.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

I would encourage all young people to get a good education and find a job or trade that allows young people to make a good living. We will have to ensure that the City has the resources (places to work) which will allow people to come back for work. In addition we need the availability of affordable housing so that there are adequate places for young people to live and raise their families. We also need to insure that there are plenty of affordable activities for families to take part in so that they want to stay here or come back home.

Grade 6/7

1) What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

I would like to promote the availability of affordable skiing for all children. The use of the existing swimming pool and affordable swimming lessons for all children. I would like to see the children of the community come forward with their own ideas of what activities they feel we need to promote or start so that everyone feels that there is something that they are able to take part in that makes them feel good.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

Expansion of Revelstoke needs to be planned. We have a limited number of areas that we can expand into and we need to find the best use of each area. The Big Eddy may be able to have more business or light industry along with more residential land. South Revelstoke may be able to accommodate more planned housing, but I think we need to keep our minds open to suggestions from the community. It does not make sense to put industry or housing where people do not want it.

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George Buhler’s responses

Grade 3/4

It is a difficult question, as the schools do not belong to the city of Revelstoke. If the school district would be willing to give the buildings to the city and funding for the restoration could be raised from sources available, it could be a possibility

There is a place for wildlife, and if you created a place downtown it would not be fair to the animals as you would have to keep them in compounds. There are safety concerns, animal rights people, and the ministry of environment would have to agree. It is very unlikely that this project could get off the ground, this would probably be considered a zoo and there are many complications associated with zoos.

Safety on the roads is very important, and speeding in an area were there are bus stops and steep hills with curves must be prohibited. This requires adequate signage, and the RCMP should be making sure that the rules are adhered to. Also students can report speeders to the RCMP and I am sure that action will be taken.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

To reduce the debt the city must become more efficient by reducing unnecessary spending, a higher standard of accountability in all areas, and create a friendly atmosphere to attract business and newcomers to Revelstoke, which will increase the tax base, and will produce additional funds to pay down the debt.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

I will always work toward keeping the city clean from garbage and litter, this is important if you want to attract tourists and newcomers to the city of Revelstoke. Protect and maintain our water and sewer systems. Our local creeks and Rivers must be protected from pollution. Maintain the greenbelt for our enjoyment and the walking trails for our health.

The recreation center made available for clubs and organizations for there functions.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

For the young people to come or stay in Revelstoke they require good jobs. There are many opportunities for young people to pursue a trade, such as electrician, plumber, carpenter, equipment operator and many other such hands on trades. These kinds of jobs will always be available, for anyone who wants to make this their career or business.

Make housing more affordable by reducing the DCC charges and lowering the taxes.

There are also many forms of recreation in Revelstoke to attract our young people, skiing, biking, fishing, and hunting.

I believe that a good job and affordable living should bring back and keep our young people in Revelstoke.

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Karen Powers’ responses

Although the city and the school board work together, city Council does not have too much to say over school properties. But I would like to see Mt Begbie school removed and sold for low income housing project. Its a perfect area for small housing.

I am very concerned over the bears too! It seems that every mountain has something on it. Mt McKenzie – ski hill, Bolder- snowmobile, Mt Revelstoke- walking and bike trails, McPherson and Begbie now have mountain bike trails. So were do the bears go? I’m not sure your idea of a green space downtown will work but maybe if we only have our bike trails and skiing on one or two mountains that would leave the rest for the bears. I do like our idea of a rescue center and I think we could really us one here. And we need a conservation officer in Revelstoke to protect the bears, turtles, fish and all the other wildlife.

Yes it is possible to have the police do more speed checks in that area.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

We have to cut unnecessary spending with out cutting services. If we attract business and make it easier to set up this will help. If industry with higher paid jobs come to Revelstoke, then more people will live here.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

I think Revelstoke has always been a clean and healthy place and the City workers will continue to do an excellent job.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

Good paying jobs will help keep young people and Council needs to attract developers here. Perhaps offering a higher education will help. We can look into attracting a learning center.

Lower rent and housing will also help. This is a hard one because the oil fields offer so much money for wages we can not compete.

Grade 6/7

1)What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

Outdoor sports, all of them, summer and winter. I think if we can get a large corporation (like shell oil) to sponsor it like they did for the shell ski school like they did in 1970’s (every school child in Revelstoke had free ski lessons on Saturdays) and if I can convince then as a Councillor that would work out great for us all. Hmmm.. maybe golf and when you’re older you can help run the golf course!

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that

expansion be?

Unless the outlying areas want to join into the City, I’m not sure that is the best for Revelstoke right now. There is great cost to expand boundaries Revelstoke would be responsible for things like snow removal, upkeep of roads, lighting, etc.

Now if you are talking about the Thomas Brook water system, I think Revelstoke should let them hook up and just charge them a user fee. And look at expanding boundaries after we have cleared up some of our debt.

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Scott Duke’s responses

Grade 3/4

I am currently working with the owner of the old Sears building on Victoria Road to try and get a climbing gym / indoor fun centre in that space. We need more indoor activities for the winter months to keep our community active. For the schools, I would like to see both sites developed into higher density, affordable accommodation. Mountain View could be a very unique condo setup and Begbie View could be a townhome complex. That said I would be happy to see development of any kind and look forward to working with the school district to market these development opportunities.

The bears were a big challenge this season as more and more seem to be coming into town in search of food. We need to continue educating our residence to ensure their bear attractants are safely stored away. A wildlife education and rescue centre could be a good way of accomplishing this. Perhaps partnering with the forestry or railway museum would be a good way of accomplishing this. If there was a group that was interested in taking the lead on the development of such a centre, I would be supportive.

This would for sure be possible. One thing the police are good at in Revelstoke is targeting specific areas to catch speeders. This is the kind of thing that can be brought up to a Councilor or the City and they can advise local law enforcement. This is a great idea and it would only take the month of June or July for people to know that area is a speed trap and slow down.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

a) We need to find efficiencies in the current operation of the City and divert those savings to paying down debt.
b) We need to open our doors to families and new business so that we increase our tax base, thus increasing our income. With increased revenues we can make an aggressive focus on paying down debt.
c) Most importantly we need a strong Council and Mayor that takes on the budgeting process and motivates the leaders of each department to spend each tax payers dollar wisely, so we have money left over at the end of the day. We can no longer spend more than we earn.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

We are blessed in Revelstoke to have a healthy environment to live, work and play in. To maintain this we need to put our environment at the forefront. Livability is our largest selling feature and we can never forget this. Policy and procedure needs to reflect this and maintaining our heritage and environment is a major focus in my campaign. I know Revelstoke can be a Eco leader and I would like to entice industry and partners to our community that are like minded.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

It is up to each individual if they would like to come back to Revelstoke and live. It is my suggestion that youth go out, explore and live in as many communities as possible. I lived all over Ontario and Alberta before finding Revelstoke and making it home. Our jobs as leaders will be to ensure that those who choose to live here, have well-paying jobs and opportunity for growth right here at home. This means attracting new businesses or educating youth on how to start their own. If you are entrepreneurial minded, there is no better place in Canada to start a business. There are many things our town needs and lots of opportunity for those with the drive to start up their own ventures. Go out, see the world and bring what is great back.

Grade 6/7

1) What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

I am a proponent of all activity. I can’t believe we don’t have the jump track in yet and the delays on the skate park drive me crazy. I was working with the adventure park to put in a wakeboard centre when the project was put on hold. This particular project was close to me as we built Canada’s largest wakeboard facility back in Ontario and there is no where here that it is accessible to the masses. I am also a very excited about the standing wave the Kayak club is working on and the climbing gym the climbing co-op is working on. We have a tourism infrastructure fund and funds from the CBT to make all these great projects a reality. We need people on Council that can stand up for new projects to ensure they become a reality.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

If you are speaking of City limit expansion, I don’t think it should get any larger that it already is. If you are talking about expansion of population I would like to see it somewhere around 10,000 in 10 years. This will spread the tax burden for every citizen. If you are speaking of business expansion, I see infilling downtown and in the industrial park. I see residential expansion through infilling and development up in the arrow heights area. But mostly I see expansion up by the ski hill.

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Linda Nixon’s responses

Grade 3/4

Mountain View school has just been designated a historical building at one of our recent council meetings. The developer who buys and develops Mountain View property will have to keep Mountain View school in the same shape to maintain its heritage look.

Begbie view school is not a heritage building so the developer who buys that property does not have to keep the building as it is. The best way to have an arts and crafts indoor fun center would be at the Mountain View School if the developer could partner with the Arts Community of the city.

Then a possible use for part of the space could be for youth to decide what they would like to have in that space.

An educational space for rescue of animals might work in partnership with Parks Canada. Outside of the city where it is cooler in the hot summer with natural water access might work better for a more natural habitat. This would be a good question to ask Parks Canada if they would be interested in being a partner. If elected I will ask superintendentthis very good question.

Yes more police can check on speeding down Red Devil hill, if there is a concern, Staff Sergeant Grabinsky would want to know. City Council and the local RCMP are both very interested in seeing that children are safe Travelling to and from school, also on their way to Williamsons Lake in the summer time.

Grade 5/6

1) How do you plan to reduce the City’s debt?

Plan to reduce debt is to watch what we are borrowing for, the utilities of water works and sewer plants require borrowing and charges for these services are user pay charges. A lot of people in Arrow Heights are not on sewer so they do not pay for sewer services. They have septic tanks and fields right in their yards. The city is trying to follow new policy we set to not borrow for road repairs. We had some staff retire and looked where we did not have to replace their position to save money. The saved money is put into savings which are called reserves. These reserves can then be used to repair streets, sidewalks or street light. The less we borrow, the more the debt will come down. Another way we can decrease debt is to apply for grants from the provincial or federal government. They sometimes will give us two thirds of the cost of a project and then we have to only spend one third of the local taxpayers money to complete a project.

2) What are you going to do to make sure that Revelstoke stays a clean and healthy place to live?

The best way the city can remain a clean and healthy place to live is by education of everyone to do their best to pick up their own garbage and keep it safe from bears, only putting it out on garbage day morning. We are looking at getting some bear proof garbage cans for some parts of town. People can help the city stay healthy by looking after their own health, eating well, getting exercise, sleeping enough to have a good day.

Part of being healthy is giving to others, even a friendly smile is a gift. People in Revelstoke are known for being friendly, we have to respect each other and carry on our tradition of friendliness and inclusiveness. The cleaning of sidewalks in the winter helps create a safe walk to school. The new sidewalk along Nichol Road is a good way of keeping schoolchildren safer on a busy road. The flowers downtown in the summer help to make sitting outside in the fresh air more enjoyable.

Revelstoke is a very walkable community, bike lanes would make biking into town safer. The Greenbelt offers a safer route to get away from vehicle traffic. There are so many sports to take part in that you can ski in the spring, ride your bike after skiing and go for a swim to finish off a perfect day. Hiking and fishing are popular summertime activities.

The city has a street sweeper to clean the streets in the spring after the sand trucks have sprinkled sand in the winter when the roads are icy.

3) How are you going to encourage the young people of today to come back and live in Revelstoke again?

The young people of today will be encouraged to come back to Revelstoke simply because of the wonderful lifestyle but they will only be able to do that if we keep Revelstoke affordable. The cost of housing, food, transportation and clothing can be high in Revelstoke. There is a thrift store run by the hospital auxiliary that sells used goods for much less.

Clothing exchanges are happening. People are growing gardens more. The part that the city can do is to decrease taxes for the businesses that hire people and pay a livable wage to their employees.

Grade6/7

1) What children’s activities will you promote if you are elected to Council?

The children’s activity we are already moving on is the design phase of building a skateboard park. It will go in Kovach park which is reachable by all neighbourhoods. It is easily accessed by the Greenbelt.

There are many other children’s activities which are organized by Parks and Rec programs such as swim lessons which are a life long life saving skill to have.

There has been recent monies given to cross country ski hill for lights for night skiing.

Soccer continues to be a popular sport for all ages. Golf has attracted more young members.

There is a program to help if people cannot afford to pay for sports for their children.

Skiing and snowboarding continue to grow in popularity, the turtle park with the tube ride is popular.

The community Library has been holding children’s activities like arts, crafts, drama. The Arts Council has brought in some special programs and projects for children

The city has a grant-in-aid for groups that need a small amount of money to put a program together, the application for 2015 has to be in by February.

2) How much do you want to expand Revelstoke, and where would that expansion be?

Expansion of Revelstoke is something I support, there is plenty of room to expand in Big Eddy once we fix their water system. Southside are has a lot of empty lots for infill housing. Arrow Heights is likely to see the most expansion in residential housing. I would also like to see staff housing for ski hill at the ski hill.

It would be nice to have another thousand population here in five years.

Aaron Orlando’s responses

Chris Johnson’s responses

Chuck Ferguson’s responses

Connie Brothers’ responses

Gary Starling’s responses

Gary Sulz’s responses

George Buhler’s responses

Karen Powers’ responses

Scott Duke’s responses

Linda Nixon’s responses

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