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Mark Blundell, incumbent seeking third term on council

Mark Blundell: Sustainability has to be a priority

Proust Questionnaire

Name

: Mark Blundell

Political experience

: Councillor, Village of Pemberton- 4.5 years.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Parting with a friend or family member.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?

To have my family around me, healthy and strong.

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?

Jeremiah Johnson, James Bond.

Who are your favourite characters in history?

Winston Churchill, Terry Fox, Tommy Douglas.

Your favorite musician?

Alan Jackson.

The quality you most admire in a woman?

Intelligence and compassion.

The quality you most admire in a man?

Intelligence, chivalry and kindness.

What natural ability would you have liked to have had?

Like to play the saxophone.

Your most marked characteristic?

Ability to achieve the goals I set.

What do you most value in your friends?

Sincerity and giving.

What is it you most dislike?

No goals or dreams, not caring for others.

What reform do you most admire?

Canada's first provincial hospitalization and medical plan.

What is your motto?

Success is measured in what you give, not on what you have.

Mark Blundell hadn’t planned on a third term on council. But when it appeared that the local government could be comprised of all first time elected officials, he threw his hat in the ring. Having lived in the area for the past nine-and-a-half years, Blundell thinks it’s time to reconsider what kind of community Pemberton wants to be.

He supports the existing Official Community Plan but feels that it needs undating.

"We have a unique character in Pemberton and we have to preserve it. We’ve got this Western motif and we need to build on it. Make it a bit of a tourist attraction. Get the lighting downtown. That sort of thing," says Blundell.

As owner of the Pemberton Supermarket, Blundell knows firsthand how essential it is to get people into the downtown core.

"If we want business here, we have to support the business we have," he says. He makes the point that most local retailers are very open to ordering products people want, from construction supplies to, in his case, food items.

On the issue of boundary expansion, he acknowledges that an increased tax base is attractive, but thinks it’s essential that associated infrastructure costs be more fully explored.

Blundell sees the issue of affordability as crucial, particularly in how it affects young families.

"Housing is the number one expense. We have to start looking at alternative low-income housing," Blundell says.

Failure to do so, he warns, could have the effect of forcing families out of the community.

"My son doesn’t believe he’ll ever be able to afford a home here," he explains. "He’s bought a house in 100 Mile as his investment."

Blundell believes it’s time that the Village of Pemberton take stock and designate some areas for developing affordable housing. One area he sees as a possibility is property adjacent to the Lion’s Manor seniors housing.

"But we have an aging population and we have to take the needs of that group into consideration," he says.

Blundell also thinks government needs to pay attention to the needs of Pemberton’s youngest citizens.

"Last year I gave out 80 baby baskets here. Eighty! That’s an enormous number of babies in this community," says Blundell. "How will those children’s daycare needs be addressed?"

As Chair of Community Futures, Blundell has grown increasingly convinced that sustainability is the number one issue facing the community.

"We have to build on our agricultural and tourism sectors. Agritourism is exciting; the Slow Food Cycle Sunday was a great example of what can be done. Maybe it’s time that we start looking into greenhouses. They’re using them in Delta. Would they be practical here? We have to look into it," says Blundell, noting the consumer desire for organic and locally produced food.

Blundell feels that with agritourism and outdoor recreation as cornerstones, Pemberton can be successfully marketed as a destination. While he sees endless possibilities with outdoor recreation in the area, he admits developing indoor recreation is a little trickier – the most significant barrier being cost.

"I will be supporting the current referendum on recreation," he says. "And I think we have to look at building a community centre as a start. The old community centre will be gone in a year. If it’s not, the boiler could blow, there could be another flood… it’s an old, sick building… I wouldn’t want my children using it."

Blundell feels that steps taken by the current administration, such as the development of the Winds of Change document and the first joint VOP council/Mount Currie band council meeting, have helped to strengthen the bond between Mount Currie and Pemberton. But he says the evidence of the quality of that relationship was realized during the flood. The resulting report about how the flood was addressed is widely considered as a blueprint for successful emergency response.

"The way the flood was handled demonstrated how well Pemberton and Mount Currie communicate."



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