Boundary expansion is sure to be front and centre in the
Pemberton election with the announcement that Susie Gimse will be seeking a
seat on council.
Gimse, who has served as president of the Union of British
Columbia Municipalities this year and director of Electoral Area C on the
Squamish-Lillooet Regional District for nine years, has been a vocal opponent
of the current boundary expansion, which will go to a referendum on Nov. 15.
The reason, she said in an interview, is that the boundaries
between the Village of Pemberton and Area C aren’t defined clearly enough.
“The proposed boundary adds more piecemeal to the already
piecemeal boundary of the VOP,” Gimse said. “I think it’s time to sit down with
all of the parties at the table, not just the VOP and the developers, but with
the Mount Currie chief and council… and start resolving the boundary issue…
because the current boundary is wrong.”
Gimse is one of six candidates for the four Pemberton council
seats. Other candidates are Cam McIvor, Peter Pocklington, Alan Leblanc, Ted
Craddock and Lisa Ames. Mayor Jordan Sturdy is being challenged by councillor
David Mackenzie.
If elected, Gimse will continue as Area C director and thus
take on the responsibilities of both jobs. Though she agrees she’ll have a busy
time taking on both positions, she thinks it’s important to give Area C
residents a voice on village council.
“The bottom line is, we have one community and we have two jurisdictions
and I think there is value in working more closely together,” she said.
“Whether you live in Area C or you live in the VOP, we’re one community, yet
they’re constantly having to deal with two governance structures.”
Boundary expansion and governance won’t be the only issues
facing Pemberton’s next council, according to Gimse. There’s also affordable
housing.
“We need to look at what kinds of policies we can implement to
ensure that we have accommodation and some affordable housing available for
members of our community,” Gimse said.
Another issue for her is community vision — she feels
that Pemberton and Area C need to bring their Official Community Plans closer
together and thus develop a more coherent vision for both.
“We need to, as elected officials and leaders, follow the
vision of the community,” Gimse said. “Do we want to maintain the rural
character and agricultural nature and values of our community, or do we want to
look different?
“I don’t think we’ve had a really good conversation collectively,
two jurisdictions working together to get a clear picture of what our public
would like to see, or how they would like to see our community grow and develop
as they move into the future.”
Gimse also pointed out that only three candidates actually live
within the Village of Pemberton’s boundaries — Mayor Jordan Sturdy, she
said, lives in Area C, as do council candidates Pocklington, McIvor and Leblanc.
McIvor, a Pemberton resident since 1995, is the treasurer of
Ravens Crest Developments, which administers a property that may eventually
house a neighbourhood and the proposed GEMS school, an international private
school that could draw international students to the valley.
Beyond his business exploits, he is also on the board of directors
of the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce and is involved with the Pemberton Rotary
Club.
With his business background and a degree in economics from the
University of Manitoba, he feels he has a lot to offer the community as a
councillor.
His priorities include meeting Pemberton’s recreation goals.
“A recreation complex of some sort has always been high on the
priority of Pembertonians,” McIvor said in an interview. “It’s also been
flagged in surveys and recreation studies as a high priority. So I think that’s
something that I can help get an actual hard and fast plan for delivery of
recreation to come to the forefront.”
He also hopes to overhaul Pemberton’s dyking tax, which applies
higher values to residents of the Pemberton Plateau and Highlands areas,
according to him.
“Based on assessment, they’re paying sometimes as much as
$1,000 per household, when others are paying under $100,” McIvor said.
The Ravens Crest property currently lies outside VOP
boundaries, but it could be amalgamated if the referendum on boundary expansion
is successful. That means Pemberton council will be dealing with issues related
to development on that property — and McIvor, if elected, will be both a
councillor and a proponent of the development.
He recognizes this and has promised that he will excuse himself
in discussions and not be involved in votes that concern his business
personally.
“I am still involved with Ravens Crest, that program will move
forward,” he said. “If it does come before the VOP council in the future, then
yes, I would be backing away from any of those discussions, but I would still
be involved in Ravens Crest in terms of its direction.”
Pemberton realtor Lisa Ames, famous for her “I believe in
Pemberton” slogan, has already announced her intention to run.
She currently serves as president of the Pemberton Rotary Club
and as a member of the Village’s Agricultural Land Use Committee.
She too sees recreation as an important issue the next council
will be facing, and if elected she’ll be focusing on that, as well as economic
diversification.
“I think my day to day interaction with people, moving in and
out of the community, gives me a good feel and background on the wants and
needs of our community,” she said. “And that’s both the newcomers and the long
time residents that are leaving.”
After weeks of mulling over his decision, council veteran Mark
Blundell said he will not be running again. The owner of the Pemberton Valley
Supermarket, he’s hoping to put more time into “business and personal
interests.”
Voters go to the polls on November 15. Voters in Pemberton will be deciding on a mayor, council, school trustees and whether the VOP should expand its boundaries to include approximately 20 new areas currently located in Area C.