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Brian Young, VVLA council candidate

Brian Young: Efforts must be allowed to flourish

Proust Questionnaire

Name

: Brian Young

Political experience:

Task force member, Whistler Housing Authority: Tournament committee member, Pemberton and District Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament; Very active in the local political scene attending many workshops, council meetings, and volunteering for committees.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

The lowest depth of misery is not allowing reason to enter into your thoughts. Allowing one’s self interests to misdirect their energy.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?

Working collaboratively to achieve the best possible results for the task at hand.

Who are your favorite heroes/heroines of fiction?

My favorite author is Wilber Smith and the Courtney family of South Africa would be my favorite fictitious characters.

Who are your favorite characters in history?

All the men and women who stand up for what they believe in and try to make a difference.

Your favorite musician?

Jack Johnson.

The quality you most admire in a woman?

Honesty and integrity.

The quality you most admire in a man?

Honesty and integrity.

What natural ability would you have liked to have?

I wish that I could float, as I tend to sink when swimming.

Your most marked characteristic?

Hard worker.

What do you most value in your friends?

The time and effort that true friends devote to helping each other.

What is it you most dislike?

When people lose sight of what is right and try to push personal agendas.

What reform do you most admire?

When the greater good is the beneficiary.

What is your motto?

It’s amazing what can be accomplished when everyone works together.

T (together)

E (everyone)

A (achieves)

M (more)

Brian Young’s decision to form Valley Vision: Leadership in Action and run for council came from a sense of frustration. The manger of the Pemberton Valley Golf and Country Club, who has lived here since 1993, wants things to change for Pemberton.

"I see our efforts not being allowed to flourish. I think our relationship with Mount Currie should be extremely strong. Our relationship with the SLRD should be extremely strong. And they're not. They’re broken relationships," says Young. "I want to live here, and I can’t see myself being able to stay if things don’t change."

Young is not a proponent of Pemberton’s current Official Community Plan, as he thinks it favours developers.

"Developers need to pay their fair share," says Young. "Certain groups have received preferential treatment instead of (being evaluated) on a benefit basis for the taxpayers benefit."

He believes government has to revisit development cost charges, specifically those pertaining to single-family homes. He also believes that how DDCs are applied needs to be as flexible as possible.

"We need to make it so developers aren’t coming to town, making lots of money and leaving town. We have to make it so they are actually leaving their money in town so we can supply the recreation and facilities we need."

On the issue of boundary expansion, Young is in favour.

"Without a doubt, the village boundaries don’t make any sense to me at all," he says. "People who live outside the boundary are considered to live in Pemberton, they’re considered to be Pembertonians, it doesn’t make any sense to me."

While he acknowledges there are financial costs that kick in for the area once it reaches a population of 5,000, he points out that currently Pemberton has 2,200 residents.

"We’re a long way away from having to consider policing costs."

Young sees poor planning as having had a major impact on the local economy and affordability.

"The lack of development in town is because the Village of Pemberton put all their eggs in one basket with The Benchlands. They came into a battle. Then the economy slowed down because everyone who worked in the building trades had to leave town. That money is now outside our town.

"To maintain affordability here we need to keep the economy vibrant, we need people to make money so they can afford to be here," says Young.

Young has a number of ideas for stimulating the economy.

"The first thing I’d do is say, ‘Pemberton is open for business.’ A comment that came up when our group was announced was that ‘Pemberton finally woke up.’ The people of Pemberton need to support Pemberton. If we want to encourage people to spend their money here we need to have products and services available."

Young believes servicing the industrial park should top the agenda for economic growth, citing the higher taxes businesses generate.

"We have basically said ‘no’ to businesses coming here by not servicing the industrial park," says Young. "I think that’s step one. We have industrial lots at the airport that are not being used. We have a business park not being used. That’s how you bring dollars into the community."

He thinks that the electorate’s opinions must be taken into consideration when deciding on recreational amenities.

"Seventy per cent of people want a pool. Sixty-five per cent want an ice rink. Then the current administration comes through and says, ‘Let’s build a dry facility.’ To me, this just smacks people in the face. They ask people for their opinion and they don’t execute it," he says.

Young points to possibilities such as developing P3 opportunities, initiating a design/build process and tri-governmental collaboration as ways of creating affordable recreation amenities.

"We can afford to build these things in partnership with Mount Currie, the SLRD and the village," he states. "If we all work together we can achieve a lot more."



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