Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman held a "Lunch and Learn" for the community at Sunstone Golf Club on Wed, Nov. 29. The event was organized by the Pemberton and District Chamber of Commerce, and allowed residents to learn more about what’s happening in local council meetings in an informal way.
A “Lunch and Learn” with Lil’wat Nation Political Chief Dean Nelson was previously held on Friday, Sept. 28, aimed at creating meaningful dialogue around what reconciliation really means.
The mayor focused on council’s new strategic plan, and what it will mean for the Village of Pemberton. Richman made a passionate speech about stepping up to become mayor, sick of standing in the side-lines.
“Being mayor was never part of the life plan,” he said. “I was on the council for one term, and this is my fifth term as mayor. It came not from a political place, but just from a place where I’m not a great spectator. I love this place deeply. It’s the only reason I am here."
Pemberton mayor and council adopted its 2023-26 Strategic Plan on Oct. 31, the Village of Pemberton's (VOP) "guiding compass" for the next three years. The plan sets out council's vision for sustainable growth, economic development, emergency management and community well-being. Officials previously identified five broad strategic priorities for the remainder of council's term:
- Plan and Manage Growth: Create a community where residents thrive and businesses prosper.
- Be Prepared: Improve the safety of the community through disaster mitigation and recovery support.
- Protect our Environment: Focus on sustainable practices and forward-thinking environmental protection.
- Cultivate Trust: Collaborate with Indigneous peoples to build strong relationships and shared decision making
- Operate with Excellence: Establish a resilient, adaptable and talented organization capable of responding to the changing community
Richman reflected on the importance of the plan, and said it helps to keep council on track when it comes to the issues that really matter to residents.
“It sets the standard for how we engage,” he said. "On council, we have five exceptionally different people. The only thing we have in common is that we all care a lot about Pemberton. We all come from very different points of view. Having the strategic plan grounds this conversation. It keeps us from drifting off in too many different directions. We agree on what’s important to Pemberton right now and make sure that it’s what we are focused on.”
On Sept. 12, the VOP announced it paused its Official Community Plan (OCP) review process so officials can focus on building a “deeper and more meaningful” relationship with the Lil’wat Nation. Richman said cultivating trust is one of council’s top priorities, and is part of everything they do.
“We are fortunate to be doing everything that we do here on these unceded Lil’wat lands,” he said. “We are also aware of our colonial past and the impacts that we constantly see. Cultivating trust starts with Lil’wat Nation and our neighbours on whose land we sit. It extends to our community groups. If we do not work together we will not succeed in 10 per cent of the goals we set for ourselves. It overlaps housing, climate etc. Understanding shared vision is key.”
When asked by a member of the audience about council’s decision to pause the OCP, Richman stressed that information already gathered will not go to waste.
“Council made the decision to pause the OCP process, start working on a new protocol agreement and then get back into consultation with Lil’wat Nation on the OCP,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that everything that we have gathered through the process has been lost. We have carried all that forward. It is being considered as we look at developments.”
Disaster planning now comes hand in hand with life in Pemberton. The mayor said climate change has increased the risk of rare weather events, and council is always preparing for the worst-case scenario.
“We are in an evolving climate crisis,” he said. “It changes the way we look at things. I believe our community is very engaged with our environment. People’s connection to the land and to the valley is very strong. We live in a geography that’s pretty dramatic. We have a volcano on one end and rockslides on the other end. Sometimes, I think we should hand out water wings on the way into town, but it’s the geography we live in. It has been exacerbated by climate change.”
Moving towards more sustainable regional transit and other modes of transport is also key for council. Councillors recently heard an update on the 2023 Climate Action Plan, which allowed council to reassess where the VOP stands in relation to those goals and reflect on work already done.
“Over 83 per cent of the emissions in this community come from our vehicles,” said Richman. “I drove here myself, so full disclosure. We have a dependency on vehicles here, but we have to move away from that. We have to find new ways.”
