With just a week and a half left until municipal elections are held across British Columbia, the Fitzhugh is continuing with its series of candidate profiles in advance of the Nov. 19 vote.

This week we feature profiles of Valemount mayoral candidate Jeannette Townsend as well as Peter Reimer (who didn’t send photos) and Stuart Tait, who are running for Valemount council.

Next week’s edition, Nov. 17, will be the final issue of the Fitzhugh before election day in B.C. In that issue we will feature profiles of all the remaining candidates who agree to be interviewed. 

Former mayor seeks re-election

Valemount’s former mayor of 18 years, Jeannette Townsend, is running again.

“I’m coming out of retirement because I know that I can help,” she said. “It’s my town. I’ve lived here for 25 years, and I’m concerned with the well being of the community, both economically and socially.

“I feel a responsibility and I know that we can turn things around again because we’ve done it before in the past.”

Townsend was mayor from 1990 to 2008. She said although she has greatly enjoyed her retirement, she is answering the call of community members to return to politics by running in this year’s election.

Having been mayor for nearly two decades, Townsend said she has the necessary knowledge and connections to help pull Valemount out of an economic slump.

“I have established over the years a very close working relationship with senior levels of government, as well as industry leaders and it has remained current.

“I would use all those connections to restore stability here. That’s what I really want to see is stability restored.”

As a step toward regaining that stability, Townsend said she would like to see the municipality re-establish its economic development committee.

“I should like to see that made current again,” she said, noting that it would need members from the municipality, the business community and the general public in order to succeed.

The community also needs to look beyond big business, she said. There needs to be a greater acceptance of smaller industries and businesses entering Valemount.

“I say to everybody don’t be looking for the big project, like a big, big mine, that will come in and be the saviour. Don’t despise starting small and don’t discount anything without trying first.”

Townsend said she’s always reminded of a quote by a professor from Simon Fraser University. Dr. Michael Goldberg, who was a keynote speaker at a 1999 seminar in Valemount, said a municipality can’t just depend on one resource industry because then it is subject to market fluctuations that put it in a difficult position when the resource is depressed. He suggested that there needs to be an alternate industry to act as a “shock absorber.”

Townsend said since that seminar, the shock absorber in Valemount has been tourism. She said that has been very beneficial to the community, but there is still room to grow.

She said the community needs to use it’s proximity to places like Jasper and Mount Robson to its advantage, while also marketing itself as the beautiful mountain town that it is.

Businessman applying for council seat

Peter Reimer said running for village council is like “applying for a job” and it’s a job he’s qualified for.

“I think I have some skills and qualifications that will qualify me to do the job, and that’s what I’m applying for. It’s up the voters whether they give me the job or not,” he said.

Reimer moved to Valemount 22 years ago when he bought Underwriters Insurance Brokers, a business he’s been operating ever since.

He said what he hopes will come from a new council is a more transparent way of doing business that allows community members to feel included in the decision-making process.

“I think people want to be involved and want to be in the loop,” he said, noting that participation will give people greater pride in their community.

“I think people should have the idea, ‘I’m from Valemount and good things are happening here,’” he said. “People should be proud to be from Valemount, not want to run away from it.”

Reimer said the biggest issue facing the community depends on who you are and what you do. He said if you’re a student it could be getting a proper education. While if you’re a business person, it could be how to remain profitable. 

He said whatever the issue, if there are more people living and working in the Valemount, it will be easier to address. To attract those people and businesses, Reimer said the municipality needs to consider all possible opportunities, while working with provincial leaders and departments and other businesses.

“Improving our situation will depend on a lot of things, not just one person,” he said. “We can work at it and keep a good attitude.

“The little things are important – having a good attitude, having an openness to doing the job right, keeping an atmosphere that will certainly invite (industry and business), all those other little things are important. 

“It takes everything working together.”

Reimer said although the economic downturn is affecting the community, it’s not all “doom and gloom” in Valemount. He said there are still new families and people relocating to the community and there are currently projects underway that utilize the natural facilities the community already has. For example, the ski hill, he said.

“That’s a positive thing. That’s an opportunity for more people to come here and take the opportunity to do things in this area.”

Retiree wants to make positive change

Retiree Stuart Tait said he wants to be a pair of fresh eyes for Valemount village council.

“We need some new blood and fresh thinking,” he said. “I’ve lived here 18 years and I want to give it a shot.”

He said over the last 15 years he hasn’t always been happy with the decisions made by council, so he’d like to have his voice heard and his ideas considered.

“I just feel that I’ve got the time now to sit in there and listen and see that things that I see that are important are looked after.

“I don’t have any agenda. I just want to see what makes it tick, how it works and what changes I can help make to make it better for all of us.”

He said the major problems facing the community are the lack of good paying jobs and the lack of reliable power. Without both of those, he said Valemount won’t be able to attract businesses or families to the community.

“We’ll never get, as far as I can see, any large industry without sustainable power and things like natural gas, but if those come down, then who knows, the sky’s the limit.”

He said it’s time that the community look beyond tourism and toward attracting new industry to town.

“We need to diversify into something again,” he said. “Tourism is fine, but it doesn’t put a lot of bread on the table for the majority of the folk, so industry is required.”

He said Valemount is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to attracting people and families. 

“There’s not much here for the spouse and kids. There’s things here that have to be looked at to bring the families in and make them want to stay. I mean, sure, you can bring in a construction crew, but the families won’t follow if there’s nothing for them to do here.”

He said the trouble is, the municipality can’t spend the money to build something, like a swimming pool, in hopes that it will attract more families to live in Valemount.

He said something needs to change to keep people in town and he wants to help create that change by being on council.

“I want to give it a try and see if I can help make a positive difference.”