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Mark Hunter, independent candidate for mayor

Mark Hunter: Boundary expansion a primary issue

Proust Questionnaire

Name

: Mark Hunter

Political Experience

: Former VOP council member

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Losing your child.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?

Family.

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?

Superman.

Who are your favourite characters in history?

Churchill.

Your favourite musician?

Paul McCartney.

What do you most admire in a woman?

Compassion.

The quality you most admire in a man?

Generosity.

What natural ability would you have liked to have had?

To predict the future.

Your most marked characteristic?

Patience.

What do you most value in your friends?

Honesty.

What is it you most dislike?

Greed.

What reform do you most admire?

Female equality.

What is your motto?

"

Enjoy life."

Mark Hunter has been enjoying life in Pemberton for the past 21 years. The owner of Pemberton Taxi has the distinction of being the first founding member of the Pemberton Valley Golf and Country Club. He’s also an experienced local politician, having previously served on council.

When it comes to development he feels that the Official Community Plan doesn’t deal with the most important issue: boundary expansion.

"We’ll have to look at boundary expansion because there are some properties outside and to have them start developing parallel to our village may cause more problems in the future," he says.

One of the areas Hunter feels should be considered for development is the south-facing hillside located towards Mount Currie. (This property had been proposed earlier as the location for Ravens Crest Developments.)

"It’s an ideal place for housing. It’s out of the flood plane, it gets more sunshine than most of the valley and it’s something that needs to be done," he says.

On the issue of affordability, Hunter thinks low-income housing needs to be considered as part of the mix to any housing development.

"This could be done and maintained by having some covenants or restrictions on the housing. Trying an area with no suites and smaller homes," says Hunter. "Developers say supply and demand will dictate lower prices. But we don’t have that much land to throw around.

"There are other things that we could look at, such as an area of modular homes, but that would be something council and the public would have to look at," he concedes.

But Hunter’s preference would be keeping many of the houses smaller – 1300 to 1500 sq. ft. – in The Benchlands and passing on the savings in construction costs to the consumer.

In terms of improving the economy, Hunter feels it’s imperative to reduce taxes.

"To bring down the taxes we have to bring down a lot of the costs. You see a lot of small businesses going under because it’s not affordable. We have some huge debt that we have to take off. We need to encourage developers to come in. The load needs to be shared."

He sees attracting secondary industry as essential to broadening the community’s economic base.

"We need industry. We need to have something more lucrative than merely commercial or residential taxes. Right now, through Tourism Pemberton, they are looking at showing the advantages of this area. We should be out there listening to what possible developments are happening and giving a pitch," he says. "To attract businesses here we have to have something that would be beneficial to them."

With many industries concerned about a secure labour force, Hunter thinks the infrastructure – from basic amenities like sewer and water to recreation facilities – needs to be put in place.

"We’ll have to undertake a lot of endeavours to attract businesses like that," he admits. "Hopefully we can effectively promote what we have."

For years, that meant farming and forestry. At this time, Hunter thinks tourism development is a good bet for immediate job creation, but not the only avenue that should be explored.

"In some ways, tourism is more vulnerable to ups and down," he says. "To get well-paying jobs we have to look into the forestry sector again. We’re still seeing a lot of raw lumber leaving this valley. With the pine beetle damaged woods, there’s got to be a way of capturing something – create a value-added product."

Hunter sees current plans for a recreational facility as a step backwards as the community will be losing a well-used gymnasium.

"What they’re putting in for a community centre for the kind of dollars they’re talking about is impractical. I opposed the last one and I’ll oppose the next one."

Hunter sees the relationship between Pemberton and Mount Currie as being very positive.

"We should be sitting down and discussing more about the development of the whole valley – us and the SLRD."



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