BENLOUWERSE

After a lot of consideration, I have made the decision to run for Councillor for the District of Clearwater.

Those I have spoken to about this know that I have not made this decision lightly. Doing this job well requires a significant commitment of time on top of my full-time career and family commitments, and importantly, it carries a serious responsibility to our community.

So why do I want to do it?

I grew up in Clearwater during a very different period in our valley's history. We had two large local mills, several smaller locally owned mills, high school teams competing at the AA level, and an abundance of small businesses that were successful year-round. Tourism was important, but it was largely a bonus to an economy supported by forestry and other year-round employment.

Since then, I have watched many of those well-paying jobs leave the valley, while tourism has grown to become one of the dominant industries supporting a smaller population.

In 1996, roughly 5,000 people lived in the Clearwater Valley. Today, fewer than 4,000 do. Because Clearwater was not incorporated in the 1990s, this comparison uses TNRD Area A in 1996 and the combined District of Clearwater and Area A today. That represents a population decline of more than 20%.

Our businesses, infrastructure, community organizations and services now draw on a substantially smaller population than they once did. At the same time, inflation-adjusted household incomes have not kept pace. When people have less disposable income, there is less money to spend at local businesses, less capacity to donate to community initiatives, and often less time available for volunteering. In that environment, every increase in the cost of living or taxation is felt more acutely, and services and amenities we once held dear become harder to sustain. The T-bar at the ski hill cost $250k in 1980, well over $1m in today's dollars, and this was paid for almost entirely through community donations. Could our town accomplish that today through local giving? I suspect no, and that's not for a lack of generosity or will.

If we want well-maintained roads and utilities, enough skilled tradespeople, better access to healthcare, and a broader range of services that reduces our dependence on Kamloops, we need growth.

But what do we mean by growth? And what kind of growth do we want?

Growth does not have to mean becoming a big town or losing our character or our soul as a small town. Clearwater is a place where people value space, quiet, access to nature and a strong sense of community. I do not want to lose those things.

As such, I believe the focus should be on prosperity and increasing median household income.

A more prosperous community supports stronger local businesses. It makes new commercial development more viable. It gives families more ability to improve their homes and properties. It provides greater capacity to support charities, clubs and community organizations. And it makes it easier for people to build their lives here rather than eventually having to leave in search of opportunity elsewhere.

Higher household incomes do not directly increase municipal tax revenue, but prosperity creates the conditions for investment in property, new businesses and commercial development, all of which can strengthen the municipal tax base over time and provide more resources for roads, utilities and services.

But prosperity alone will not solve every problem. Some population growth will be necessary, and I believe some is desirable. Our valley's population is more than 20% smaller than it once was, and attracting new services, businesses and skilled professionals will inevitably bring new residents with them.

But our objective should not simply be more people.

It should be more opportunity per person.

And to create those opportunities, we need a broader economic base.

Tourism will continue to be an important part of that economy. In fact, I grew up in it. My parents established Helmcken Falls Lodge and later operated tours throughout British Columbia.

But tourism cannot be our entire economic strategy. Much of our tourism industry is seasonal and relatively low margin. It can struggle to provide high wages, long-term career progression and year-round employment.

And while we are the gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park, people generally do not travel to visit a gateway. Wells Gray is a destination in its own right.

The question I hope to address is: How does Clearwater become a place where people choose to visit, to build a business, grow a career, and make a life?

I believe part of the answer is building an economy that encourages home-grown businesses, industry and entrepreneurship. We should work toward reducing our dependence on decisions made by large external corporations with limited connection to our valley. The Trekor mine certainly presents opportunities, but if we become dependent on it, we fall back into an old trap.

My goal would be not simply a resilient local economy, but an antifragile one.

Resilience means being able to withstand disruption. Antifragility goes a step further. It means creating an economy with enough diversity, flexibility and experimentation that change and uncertainty can actually create new opportunities rather than simply threatening what we already have.

One of the most important ingredients in building that kind of economy is entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is inherently risky. Many new ideas will not work. If we want more local businesses, we have to make trying something new less difficult, less expensive and less intimidating.

We should become a community that celebrates people who are willing to try, and that learns from the experiments that do not succeed. Failure should not automatically be viewed as something shameful; sometimes it is simply the cost of discovering what works.

I understand that local government cannot create successful businesses, but it can help create the conditions in which people are more willing to try.

That means looking for ways to streamline approval and permitting processes. It means helping entrepreneurs navigate funding programs and other resources. It means supporting initiatives that allow people to test ideas at relatively low cost. It means incentives when able. It means critically examining our regulations and bylaws based on their actual costs and benefits to Clearwater, rather than simply adopting approaches developed for very different communities. And when provincial legislation creates unnecessary barriers for rural communities like ours, I believe our local government should be willing to advocate for change.

If elected to Council, these are the kind of ideas that will guide my questions, my contributions to Council discussions and ultimately my votes.

I want Clearwater to be a place where young people can see a future for themselves. A place that can attract and retain skilled workers in healthcare and the trades. A place where starting a business or pursuing an idea is encouraged and enabled. A place with a diverse economy that is less vulnerable to decisions made in corporate offices hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.

Most importantly, I want Clearwater to be a community that is optimistic about its future and willing to experiment with how we get there.

If that is the kind of Clearwater you would like to help build, I would appreciate your vote this October