Last night’s All Candidates Meeting held in the new Frank Venable Theatre was attended by a modest sized audience. This fact suggests there may be some ‘voter apathy’ which will have a huge impact on the outcome of the election. It has been noted that with four Council positions ‘up for grabs’ and seven contenders there is a real possibility for significant change in the Council structure. At present the Mayor and one Councillor are the only two members of Council with terms in excess of three years.

Mayor Hovanes expressed a welcome to everyone and commented on the importance of the democratic process of elections. The Mayor made it clear to the audience that the percentage of voters is low and participation in elections and voting the candidate of their choice should be a priority. He commented that the upcoming Remembrance Day Ceremonies recognized those who gave their lives to protect this democratic process and for that reason it was important to honor that sacrifice by voting.

Myers Bennett, President of the SO Chamber of Commerce advised the Candidates that each of them would be allotted 2 minutes to make an opening statement and the order of these statements would be determined in advance by draw. Answers to questions from the audience would be limited to 1 minute and 2 minutes would be allowed for closing statements.

The School District #53 Trustee Candidates made their introductions first, followed by Director Candidates for Rural Area ‘C’ and finally Council Candidates. All the Candidates spoke in sequence according to the numbers drawn, first giving their community background and involvement followed by their platforms.

Trustee Candidate Rob Zandee led off with his intention to create a future vision for education which reflects the fact that 50% of the jobs today will not exist in the future. He stated it is essential that we prepare for that eventuality and recognize that we must be prepared to educate our children for the technology of the future much of which will be beyond our imagination.

Trustee Candidate Cory-lee Mills is intent on developing and using sound educational principles in all her work as a Trustee. She stressed the importance of acting as a Parent Liaison to ensure input on matters relating to their children and stressed the importance of relationships. Cory-lee noted that funding for schools has been through a 3 year hiatus and she will be proactive in getting more funding.

Trustee Candidate Rachel Allenbrand spoke of her extensive community involvement notably her position as Chair of the Parent Committee during which time she has been a strong advocate for children both in education and health. She intends to be the voice of the parents and is passionate about our schools.

Rural Area ‘C’ Director Candidates:

Terry Schafer is a supporter of the Frank Venables Theatre. He has the advantage of considerable experience in local government operation as a long term member of Oliver Town Council who wants to become involved in politics again. Terry states he is not one to make quick decisions on things as important as a National Park and welcomes more discussion. His commitment is to be well informed and represent all his constituents.

Rural Area ‘C’ Candidate Joel Malcolm wants constituents to visit his website; he told the audience that he has heard most of the concerns and is willing to represent Area ‘C’. Common sense is his approach and he states he is opposed to directing or dictating to constituents. In his opinion the RDOS process of Bylaw enforcement driven by complaint needs change which he is prepared to bring to the Board for discussion.

Rural Area ‘C’ Candidate Rick Knodel stated that there are fewer jobs and more regulations which are a knee jerk response to apparent issues. Farmers and Farming are his focus and his priority. He believes it essential to review Regulations governing farming and develop ways to protect the Small Farmers in our community. He noted that by comparison to the United States, our small farms are dwindling in numbers.

Town Council Candidates:

Councillor Candidate: Lilly Zekanovic believes we need a reality check! She also stated; “I speak my mind”. Lilly spoke of the need for increasing our supply of affordable housing and stated that Doctors are dwindling in number due to retirements and that existing Doctors are no longer taking new patients. She hopes to see that trend reversed.

Councillor Candidate Petra Veintimilla is a local businesswoman who believes Oliver has great potential. She has been involved in many positions locally including former president of the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce. She wants to be proactive in approaching new residents and believes in the principles of environmental protection and the benefit of Smart Growth on the Ground; Petra considers Downtown Revitalization a priority especially a hotel. Her experience as a businesswoman has taught her to be committed to sound decisions and she told the audience has the drive and experience to be a Councillor.

Incumbent Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger noted that he came to Council as the result of his win in the By-election. He believes that we must encourage residential and commercial development in town to expand our tax base and would support a moderate tax increase where necessary. He noted that Council approved relaxing parking regulations and offered businesses property tax relief as an incentive to new businesses. He believes the correctional center north of town will benefit Oliver. Besides attracting a hotel he hopes to move forward with the roundabout on Fairview road by the school. Larry would allocate funds for increased By-law enforcement.

Incumbent Councillor Dave Mattes is a local businessman who is focused on lower taxes and commits to remembering where the tax money comes from. Mattes pointed out that the business tax had been lowered by 1/3. He commented on our beautiful school and theatre and stated that he supports the Venable Theatre with SD #53 contributing  $60,000 towards maintenance of the facility. Former Councillor Michael Newman told Dave that if you could “accomplish one thing in three years you will have done well”. Dave Mattes says much more has been accomplished in this year by council acting as a team.

Incumbent Councillor Maureen Doerr has been involved in the community since 1985. As a three year incumbent she has found the work as a Councillor rewarding as well as challenging. As a businesswoman, Maureen considers the airport to be a great asset to Oliver as will be the new Correctional Center. She noted that parking on Main street is important and accessibility for everyone especially seniors is important.

Incumbent Councillor Jack Bennest is the longest serving member of Council and has noted great improvements during his terms. He sees Oliver as a multi-faceted community but believes “we can do better”. He supports the concept of ‘Zero Base Budgeting’ where Council sets the starting point. He believes that with proper guidance from Council the Town can improve facilities while recognizing that we have an aging population. His current concern is with the Town’s lack of control over unsightly commercial and residential properties.

Councillor Candidate Jeff Ashe made his opening remarks stating that the taxpayers’ opinions count and it is his intention to monitor growth patterns and make sure new buildings are in the correct zones. He guarantees the funding of the Frank Venables Theatre and will work to ensure residents have the necessary amenities and redirect funds as needed. He suggested that combining the Oliver Library and the Venables Theatre might be an idea worth investigating.

Eight audience members presented questions focusing on the following issues:

• Preservation of Oliver’s heritage and what is proposed to continue adequately funding the Heritage Society?
• Candidates position on the Frank Venables Theatre Referendum and future funding?
• Any strategies or any help available from SD #53 to work with RDOS and Town to encourage future staff of the Correctional Center to move to the area with their children?
• The issue of poverty and violence and how the candidates will address the problem?
• What is the candidates’ position on providing funding to assist Canadian temporary workers?
• Will successful candidates pursue research on the future of the National Park proposal?
• Is there a plan in place to make alternate use of schools if the SD has to close them?
• Will the candidates commit to the foundation of affordable housing in Town?

In general all the candidates answered the questions with positive comments and potential solutions. There is general support for the Heritage Society and recognition that the operation is essentially frugal with the expenditure for 2014 pegged at $123,700.

The Venables theatre enjoys considerable support but two Council hopefuls are concerned about the management of the facility and would want to review the operation and at a later date to assess the work of the Society with a view to making changes if necessary.

The Trustee candidates want to continue communication with the Town and Area ‘C’ regarding better communication about what can be achieved and it was noted that SD #53 has already communicated with the Town; however the SD is one of the biggest budget items on property taxes.

Some interesting comments were made regarding hunger and violence. Many of them revolved around working with the RCMP, the existing ‘Food for Thought’ program, positive messages decrying violence, keeping taxes low and create more jobs, look out for your neighbors welfare, get children to learn how to grow food, but the most credible suggestion was the importance of creating a good positive childhood educational message which will carry on into adulthood and the necessity of a vibrant economy.

The issue of funding and housing for migrant workers from Mexico as opposed to nothing being available for the Quebec picking force brought out support for Loose Bay and the possibility of continued funding from the Town. Some candidates believe that local farmers who benefit should contribute while others think that the Town and Area ‘C’ should provide funding.

There was a question about the National Park and regardless of personal opinions, the majority of candidates support continued dialogue between the Province and the federal Government.

The question with the longest history of being asked was affordable housing and various candidates offered several solutions such as funding from developers and comparison with other communities to determine if and how we can address the matter and put policies in place to assist developers financially. However it was noted that the cost of building is no longer economically possible even with the offer of land at a low cost.

There were no real surprises and most candidate offered well thought out response regardless of the short timeline for response.

If there is anything to be learned from the comments, local government participation is a tough job and unless one has been there they do not understand how much commitment and work goes into being a Councillor. All the candidates offered something of value to the community; it will be a tough decision for some residents and time will tell what evolves. Please get out and vote!