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 McBride mayoral candidate Al Birnie, as well as Lori Kimpton (didn’t send a photo) and Rick Thompson, who are running for McBride 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.  

Retiree wants community involvement

Al Birnie is running for mayor because he wants to help mobilize the people of McBride to make the community the best that it can be.

“I want people to get involved in the municipal government,” he said, noting that it’s only when the whole community comes together, sharing their ideas and energy, that McBride will be successful.

Birnie has been living in the valley for five years. As retirees, he and his wife chose McBride as their new home. Since relocating to the village from Toronto, he has dedicated a great deal of his time to volunteering with different organizations and committees.

Among other things, he is a member of the Elks of Canada, a trustee on the library board, a youth soccer coach and a volunteer at the Robson Valley Music Festival.

“I’ve been very involved in the community,” he said, noting that he has a lot of leadership experience.

“I’m good at organizing people and mobilizing people.”

Those are two of the strengths that Birnie said he would bring to the mayoral seat. He said he is also a good listener and cares about what community members have to say.

That’s what the village needs, he said.

“McBride needs a village government listening to and working with other community members,” he said. “We certainly need a change.”

Birnie said there are four priorities that he thinks should be the focus of the next three years. The first is to create more jobs with the McBride Community Forest. He said the priority of the forest should be job creation, not making money for the Village of McBride.

The second focus, he said, is to attract retirees, like himself, to the community. Third is to develop more outdoor activities for tourists. And fourth, he said, is to encourage new industry and business.

“Getting more people in town needs to be a priority,” he said, noting that that won’t happen without the support of local government and the community.

School teacher offers new ideas

Lori Kimpton, who was born and raised in McBride, said she’s running for council because she cares about her hometown.

“I’m not in it for the glory. I’m here because I care. I’m deeply concerned about what’s happening with McBride.

“There’s just a lot of unease in the community with the economic downturn – people are worried and concerned. So I just think that we need fresh new ideas, a new perspective, and I think that I have some new, fresh ideas to offer.”

Kimpton, who is an elementary school teacher, said she would be an ideal candidate for council because she’s organized, she’s energetic and she likes to get things done.

“I’m certain I can step up to the challenge,” she said, noting that part of that challenge is getting the community working as a team.

“I’m just trying to lift up community spirit and get us working on the same page and working together.”

Kimpton said she would like to see the community flourish. She suggests that one way to do that is to promote it as a tourist destination. She said although there is so much beauty in the valley, people don’t know about it, so they keep on driving.

“I’d like to make McBride more of a destination point rather than just a drive through – where people come to McBride for a purpose.

“I think we need to develop that.”

She suggested that the municipality use the Internet to capitalize on McBride’s natural beauty and the natural resources it has to offer, that way attracting both tourists and possible industry to the community.

Kimpton expressed hope that the proposed EcoTech project will come to fruition, but she said there needs to be a plan in case it doesn’t.

“I’m hoping that this EcoTech industry comes through and if not we really need to get out there and profile McBride to bring in new business.”

Thompson shoots for fourth term

Retired high school principal Rick Thompson is after his fourth term on council.

“I’m running on my record of hard work, forward thinking and my vision for McBride, which is, ‘A prosperous place where every family wants to live,’” he said.

Thompson first ran for council in 2002 because he felt he had good ideas, problem solving skills and an ability to think outside the box.

He said during his time on council a number of important projects have been completed, but there is still a lot to do to ensure families stay in the community.

“We need to continue to work to attract more employment opportunities and bring people back home, keep families together here.”

Thompson said he sees some opportunities presenting themselves to the community in the near future.

He said the municipality is looking at bioenergy, which would require a purchase agreement with BC Hydro so the power could be sold back into the grid, and there is also the proposed EcoTech project.

“Our doors are always open to new ideas,” he said. “If you can get someone who can create 30 jobs in town, there’s going to be spinoff effects that are good for everybody – more jobs in the grocery stores, more kids in the schools.”

Thompson said the municipality has prepared itself well for the possibility of an influx of people. 

“What we’ve done over the last number of years working with council is we’ve upgraded our infrastructure during the difficult times to upgrade our water system, upgrade our sewer system and we’ve begun a process of installing storm sewers and road paving and sidewalk improvements, so that it’s a community that’s able to grow if people are moving in.”

Thompson said most people don’t often read council agendas, so they don’t realize the work that council is doing. To fix that disconnect between council and residents, he said there needs to be better communication.

“(Residents) want to see that we’re on a well thought out plan for the future. And so I think communicating that is important, because we do have a good thought out plan and we are getting there.”