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Council candidate: Grant Lamont

Age: 47 Website : www.votegrantlamont.com Occupation: Entrepreneur Last Book Read: An Army of Davids by Glenn Reynolds.
1545lamont

Age: 47

Website : www.votegrantlamont.com

Occupation: Entrepreneur

Last Book Read: An Army of Davids by Glenn Reynolds. Current Book is Schooled by Gordon Korman

What music are you listening to these days? The Clash (re-visiting it), James Brown, Mark Knoeffler.

Favourite recreational pursuits: Mountain Biking, Powder Skiing, Nordic Skiing.

1. Why are you running for council?

I am running for council because I know Whistler intimately and understand the dynamics of living in a resort community in tough economic times. I lived in Steamboat between 1996 and 1999 when American Skiing Corp. went bust and saw how a strong community deals with adversity.

2. Given that revenue from development is declining and the municipality is more dependent on hotel tax revenue at a time of economic uncertainty, how do you propose the municipality balance its budgets in the next few years?

Stop spending more than we take in and bring accountability to Muni Hall. I would also like to see us deal with VANOC in a courageous manner and making sure the community gets REAL VALUE for our massive investment and sacrifice.

3. What other important issues does Whistler face in the next three years?

1. Housing – We must find creative solutions to our short-term housing problems in the next few months. There are no silver bullets out there, so we must find these solutions for this year by looking inward. Are there ways to turn empty tourist beds into short-term solutions? Is there the will to do this? We seem to have a glut of tourist beds and a shortage of staff beds for this season so it is a real solution.

2. Respecting Local Business – We need to start respecting local business and making a concerted effort to keep our money in the local economy. When I see thousands of green T-shirts being bought for our Whistler 2020 promo and they get sourced and printed in Vancouver, I shake my head. Put your money where your mouth is Whistler and buy and source locally. There have also been lots of other issues in this regard, and I will try my best to put a stop to it.

3. Improving Corridor Relations – We live in one of the finest areas of the world and to truly showcase this we must respect and find ways to improve the economy for all in the corridor. Squamish and Pemberton deserve our respect and positive efforts to help them benefit in meaningful ways are paramount to our long-term success. The way Whistler tried to hog the rink for the Paralympics and then screwed it up for both Squamish and Pemberton was unacceptable and selfish!

4. Meaningful Partnerships with First Nations – What will happen past 2010 when all the world is not watching anymore? When there is no more threat of highway blockades etc. Let’s make sure we continue to engage and actively work with our friends in First Nations to bring a diversified cultural experience to the corridor.

What needs to be done to address those issues?

I have got a lot of great ideas, but I do not want to put them out there so others can use them. Elect me to find out!



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