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South Okanagan Photos

By-election candidate interviews, part 3

 By ROY WOOD

In the third of a four-part series, ODN interviews Susan Kosola and Donald Lawlor, candidates in the December by-election to fill a spot on Oliver council.

  • Sunday: Aimee Grice and Patrick Hampson
  • Yesterday: Charles Pollard and Lutz Stelzner
  • Tomorrow: Dave Mattes and Peter McKenna

The answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Susan Kosola is 62 years old and has lived in Oliver for six and a half months. She is semi-retired and “looking for gainful employment that meets my qualifications.” She worked in film industry and as a “roving steward” for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees local 891

What are the two most important issues facing council and where do you stand on them?

There seems to be a high incidence of crime including petty theft. One lady’s entire shed and contents got lifted the other night and a couple of golf carts have been stolen, as well as vehicles, including older trucks and some very expensive vehicles. We, as a community, have to do more than the police can do. The police need witnesses; they need evidence.

In Nova Scotia it’s mandatory for all houses to have reflective house numbers that are visible to the street for emergency vehicles. It’s not expensive and it could save lives.

What makes Oliver special?

I like Oliver. It’s just got a nice vibe. It’s well laid out. It has a lot to offer with the fruit industry, the wine industry. It’s not as busy as Osoyoos and I like the charm of the town.

What is one interesting thing about you that few people know?

I come from a comedy background. I took classes in Toronto. I plodded away. But, I didn’t become a star. I’m kind of funny. I think I could inject energy, ideas, action and humour into council meetings.

What are two new ideas you will bring to the council table?

One issue is the national park. We have to find the middle ground; what will benefit us most. With all the federal money coming in, it could be a big benefit, but I don’t want to take a stand on it until I’m better informed.

Some traffic intersections should be redesigned, particularly the one turning right onto Co-op coming out of No Frills. There’s a couple of others that aren’t coming to my mind.

In one sentence, why should anyone vote for you?

In IATSE, the membership was approximately the same as the population of Oliver and I was out and about visiting them every day in my job because I care about people.

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Donald Lawlor is 66 years old and has lived in Oliver for three years. He currently manages some properties that he owns. He formerly made his living as an engineer and project manager.

What are the two most important issues facing council and where do you stand on them?

There’s a whole mess of issues out there. But, the national park is a big one. I want to canvas both sides and then decide from the results what position to take. I’m not going to push my personal preference. I want to do a controlled and focused study.

The rate at which the town expands with new projects is important. I’d like to see expansion with controls. I don’t want us to turn into another Osoyoos, where the density is really high and people are avoiding the town because of it. We have to be careful how we expand. Maybe it’s possible to expand outwards instead of upward.

What makes Oliver special?

I think the whole wine industry is a huge attribute that attracts tourists. Also, anything related to cycling and marathons. I think those bring a lot of people here. The Gran Fondo runs right through Oliver.

What is one interesting thing about you that few people know?

My background. I’ve been implementing projects for over 30 years. Large ones, up to $35 million, in pharmaceutical, aircraft and transportation industries. The last one was an $8-million project in Vancouver where I put in a facility for Lush Cosmetics. I designed the manufacturing portion and a new head office on Cambie Street and I managed the building.

What are two new ideas you will bring to the council table?

One of the things I’d like to see is more wine tasting in the winter for locals and for tourists. There is kind of a void there. I’m not sure what council’s role might be.

In one sentence, why anyone should vote for you?

I’ll work with the group to get projects implemented and my experience will help me evaluate the viability of them, financially as well as to the benefit of the people in Oliver.