Welcome to Your Kamloops!

Upcoming Civic Election Forums...

South Kamloops Secondary School Students Forum

Oct 10th,  School Library

1105am to 1210pm

 

Homebuilders Forum

Oct 10th, Colombo Lodge

5:30 – 6:30 : Registration

7:00- Dinner

7:30 – Forum begins after Dinner

(centred around residential construction issues. May need to pay to get in)

Boys and Girls Club Youth Forum

Oct 11th, John Todd Centre Youth Room

4pm to 6pm

My name is Rory McKerchar and I run the youth program at the Kamloops Boys and Girls Club. With the municipal election coming up I am planning a forum for our youth, with the goal of getting them engaged in decision making in their communities. To make this a reality I am contacting you and others running for city council/mayor to attend this forum in order to share your vision for Kamloops and respond to questions from the youth.

Kamloops This Week Community Forum

Oct 15th, TRU Grand Hall

6:30pm to 9pm

will also be livestreaming the forum through Facebook Live for those who cannot attend in person - the stream will be available through KTW’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kamloopsthisweek)

One of the challenges that has been identified in trying to host a forum with so many candidates is that candidates get relatively less time to address questions. To address this, our proposed format will be to conduct five "mini-forums" of 25 minutes each. The first forum will be for the mayoral candidates, and the other four will be for councillor candidates, with candidates being sorted into groups by random draw. The mayoral candidates will have opening and closing remarks of 2 minutes each with questions from the audience in between. The councillor candidate groups will have 1-minute opening and closing remarks for each candidate with questions from the audience in between. Draws of the councillor candidate groups and the order in which they appear will be conducted five minutes before the start of the forum.

Norkam Secondary Conversations with Councillors

October 17th, School Library

12:35pm to 1:25pm

We would like to set the library up in a roundtable discussion where our students will be able to ask questions to a variety of Councillors.  Our students will participate in a school-wide vote the following day. We would love to have as many Councillors here as possible but understand many of you may already have previous commitments.  Our goal is to bring awareness to the electoral process and to inspire our students to be active citizens when they leave high school. In fact, some of our students are eligible to vote during this upcoming election.  

Heffley Creek All Candidates Forum

Oct 17th, Heffley Creek Hall

6:30pm to 8:30pm

Midday Show

CFJC TV 7, 6 minute segment sometime between 12pm and 1230pm

With Alison Klie and Nicholas Adams

We are looking to book all candidates on the show for a chance to speak on some of the issues.

The segment would LIVE, the three of you will appear together and will weigh in on the same issues.

North Shore Business Improvement Association Forum

Oct 18th, First Memorial (Dignity) Hall, corner of Royal and Tranquille

6pm to 9pm

Forum style:

The forum will start with each candidate having two minutes to overview

their agenda and platform. We will starting with Mayoral then move through

Council candidates. All speaker orders will be random drawn.

At the conclusion of this session we will move to a speed dating format.

Candidates will move to an engagement station (2 per station), with the two

mayoral candidates at one also. Again, station positions will be randomly

drawn ahead of the session. Each set of constituent interactions

interactions will be capped at 15 minutes, and then groups will rotate (not

candidates)

Here is our proposed agenda:

1.      Open statements by moderator (Jeremy/Bryce from the NSBIA) 5:55 to

6:00

2.      Opening comments 6:00 to 6:45 pm
3.      Round 1 6:45 - 7:00
4.      Round 2 7:00 - 7:15
5.      Round 3 7:15 - 7:30
6.      Round 4 7:30 - 7:45
7.      Round 5 7:45 - 8:00
8.      Free interaction time - 8:00 - 8:20 (time for voters to freely

wander and engage with candidate of choice)

9.      8:30 - 9:00ish pm open questions (panel style)
10.     Conclusion 9:00 - 9:05 ish

Some topics of interest that we have heard regarding the North Shore

include:

1.      YKA highway connection / development of airport lands (hotels, city

entry zone, etc)

2.      Westsyde river crossing (through traffic bringing greater

development and services)

3.      Park space improvements (security, enforcement)
4.      Social Issues (housing, services, integration of services, community

impacts, policing)

5.      Improving developer processes for building and improving land and

property

6.      Rejuvenation of the Tranquille Corridor
7.      Adding Pathway style Sidewalks to Tranquille to connect Rivers trail

across the city in a safe manner

8.      Replacement and updating of planters and treescapes along Tranquille

corridor

Please RSVP by using the voting button above, as soon as possible to confirm

your attendance.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to connect with the

City's North Shore communities.

PARKING

Please note parking is free on the shore, always!

There are two options for the best parking, Option one is in the church

parking lot immediately beside the Wilson House. This lot is open and has

lots of capacity, then walk the 1 block to the meeting venue.

Option two is the First Memorial lot, space is quite limited here, however

street parking is also available surrounding the venue.

44 questions Kamloops Council Candidates have been asked so far....

My intense answering questions face :)

 

Lots of questions coming in so far - mostly from the media. Also one set from the Thompson Rivers University Students Union. Great to participate in all of these. Also time consuming and always a bit nerve wracking :). All requests below verbatim:

 

CJFC

 

Hello Kamloops election candidates,

I'm contacting you today about CFJC's coverage of the upcoming municipal election.

 

A large portion of our coverage this year will consist of two main components:

1. CFJCToday.com: Candidate Questionnaires

Candidates will receive a questionnaire from CFJC Today later today via email. Further instructions on how to fill out and return the questionnaire will accompany it.

2. CFJC TV: Video Profiles

Each candidate will be asked to come to the station, 460 Pemberton Terrace, next Monday, September 24. You will be given a 30-minute window in which to be here. Note the schedule below.

 

If you can't make your scheduled time, you can a) make arrangements to trade time slots with another candidate, or b) come in during the final time slot, at 1:00 p.m. Depending on the weather on Monday, we're hoping to shoot these profiles outdoors. Please dress accordingly.

 

We would like to get all of these profiles recorded in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, that means we can't be particularly flexible with our schedule, as there are just too many candidates. If your schedule is completely inflexible and you can't make it Monday, please contact me via email. There will be at most one more opportunity to record your profiles.

 

During your scheduled time, you will be given 60 seconds to talk about your priorities on camera. Please be prepared. We will be on a tight schedule. If you are having a hard time filling 60 seconds in preparing for this task, ask yourself questions such as, “Why did I decide to run for office? What frustrates me about Kamloops that I think I can help improve? Why should people vote for me?”

 

Once each 60-second segment is complete, it will air on our newscasts, dispersed throughout the following weeks. The segment will also be posted online, and shared through our social media platforms. Feel free to share your segments on your own social media feeds once they are posted.

---

 

Hi 2018 Kamloops council candidates,

 

As per my earlier email, one of the main components of our election coverage this year is your responses to a questionnaire. I have attached the questionnaire and also copied it below.

 

Please respond with your answers via email. Make your answers as detailed as you like, but remember: readers appreciate concise and easy-to-understand explanations.

 

The deadline to return this questionnaire is the end of business on Tuesday, September 25.

Once the deadline has passed, we will publish your responses on CFJCToday.com. The responses will be combined with video from your 60-second profile shoot (see earlier email) onto one page. Once that page is live, we will share it via our social media feeds and you are welcome to share it through your own social media channels as well.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

James Peters CFJC

Questionnaire:

1. What do you love about Kamloops? What frustrates you about the city?
2. The City of Kamloops has budgeted for a 2.08 per cent tax increase this year. Do you believe that is reasonable?
3. Has the City of Kamloops done enough to attract business and investment?
4. Does the city’s snow removal budget need a boost in funding? Why or why not.
5. How would you propose city council deal with housing affordability concerns in Kamloops?
6. Has the City of Kamloops done enough to address homelessness?
7. Should the city budget for more police officers in the city? Why or why not.
8. Interior Health’s supervised consumption sites have been operating in Kamloops for over a year now. Are you in favour of the sites and how would you propose dealing with the issue of discarded needles?
9. Are you in favour of a Performing Arts Centre in Kamloops? Why or why not. If so, what would you change from the initial proposal?
10. Should city councillors be paid higher salaries?

 

---

Hi Arjun,

 

Thank you for taking the time to chat with me for a profile story in advance of the upcoming municipal election. As the campaign progresses, we would now like to run issues-based spreads in the paper. As such, we are asking each mayoral and council candidate to answer the following four questions, which will run weekly until the election. While I know it might be challenging, answers must be limited to 150 works max in order to include everyone’s answers. The first question will run on Wednesday, Sept. 26. I need all of the answers emailed back to me at jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com by Monday, Sept. 24. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

 

Here are the questions:

 

1) Considering what the city has done thus far to address the linked issues of addiction and homelessness, what should be the next step taken by city council?

 

2) The residential property-tax increase in Kamloops has been about 2% per year for the past decade. Are you comfortable with that annual hike? If not, what can be done to reduce it?

 

3) There have been many ideas about enhancing the vibrancy of the city, including the proposed performing-arts centre, the proposed outdoor ice rink, the pedestrian plaza pilot project, the Peterson Creek Park pathway and the yet-to-be decided fate of the former golf course on McArthur Island. What would you like to see to enhance the vibrancy of Kamloops?

 

4) Voter turnout in civic elections in Kamloops is usually about 30%. What would you suggest can be done to increase that percentage?

 

---

 

Please fill out and return by noon on Tuesday, Sept. 4 to tverenca@kamloopsmatters.com. Please also attach a high-res headshot/photo of yourself. Thank you!

 

Basic Stats:

 

Name:

Age:

Number of years lived in Kamloops:

Current Neighbourhood:

Occupation:

Reason community would recognize your name:

 

Questions:

 

What is the most important issue facing Kamloops, and how do you propose to deal with it?

How should Kamloops be addressing the issue of crime in the city?

What is your specific reason for running?

Where can the city spend less?

Where should the city be investing more?

What new business or feature would you like to see open up in Kamloops?

Next time you’re walking in the woods you come face to face with a sasquatch; what do you do?

If the next city council does something film-worthy, who would play you in the film?

 

Complete the sentence:

 

When I’m not at home or at work, you can find me:

The most random, yet interesting fact about me is:

My favourite beverage is:

For Christmas/Hanukkah/the gift-giving season, I would like:

The best park in/near to Kamloops is:

If Kamloops didn’t exist, I’d be living in:

When I need some pump up music, I listen to:

 

 

---

Candidate,

 

On behalf of the residents of Kamloops, we want to thank you and congratulate you for stepping up to represent the city.

 

As part of our coverage of the municipal election, iNFOnews.ca invites you to complete the following questionnaire, which will be published in a section of answers with other candidates. Our goal is to help voters get to know you better and where you stand on important community issues.

 

Please complete the following questions. Be as brief as possible. Submissions over 300 words may not be accepted. Off-topic or offensive answers may also be rejected. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and language.

 

Please complete the questions before Friday, Sept. 28. We will not accept late submissions.

 

Return completed questionnaires to news@infonews.ca.

 

Good luck in your campaigns and if you have any questions or concerns, contact editor Marshall Jones at mjones@infonews.ca or call me at 250-718-2724.

 

Thank you,

 

Marshall Jones

Editor

iNFOnews.ca

 

 

1. Who are you and why should voters choose you?
2. Drug and street issues have become a major issue in the past few years. Does the City of Kamloops share any responsibility for this development? If so, what should have been done differently?
3. Do you consider these issues primarily an enforcement problem or a social problem and how would you address these issues?
4. How would you help increase the affordability and availability of home rentals in Kamloops?
5. Is the City of Kamloops doing enough to cooperate with its neighbours, particularly the Tk’emlups Indian Band?
6. Kamloops has struggled for years with a doctor shortage. How can council improve this situation, if at all?
7. Kamloops has also had more than its share of major crimes, including gangs. If the RCMP can’t find more police officers, how should the city find more options for enforcement?

 

One more question, please.

 

8. What neighbourhood do you live in?

 

 

---

 

Hi Arjun,

 

With the 2018 Municipal Election quickly approaching I am starting to reach out to candidates to invite them to participate in a short video interview with the TRU Students’ Union. As we did for the by-election last year, we will be building a non-partisan election website with information on candidates as well as voting information for students and the broader community to access. Your video interview will be posted there as well as promoted through social media.

 

I’ve attached all of the questions that we will be asking below. Each candidate will be asked the same questions. We will once again be conducting all of the video interviews in the Students’ Union building on campus to ensure that the interviews are consistent.

 

Can I schedule a time with you within the next couple of weeks for the video interview? My schedule is fairly open at this point so if you let me know a time that works for you I should be able to accommodate.

 

Thanks!

Leif

 

 

1. Please introduce yourself by saying your name and under 30 seconds about your

background

2. What is your vision for Kamloops?

3. Students and young professionals make up a significant and growing part of the city of

Kamloops. What will you do to attract and retain this demographic?

4. Kamloopsians have many options for getting around the city including by car, transit, bicycle,

or walking. What do you believe is Kamloops most urgent transportation need?

5. Rental housing in the City of Kamloops is increasingly expensive and challenging to find. If

elected, what will you do to address this problem?

6. What do you see as the biggest challenge and opportunity for the City of Kamloops over the

next twenty years?

7. What is one of your proudest professional achievements?

Good work by Infotel Kamloops...

I've noted a series of articles by Karen Edwards at Infotel Kamloops with an almost City Council 101. The one I will note today specifically is entitled "What a city councillor actually does". I can't easily find the other article I saw.

I've been really impressed by this effort and really this kind of content can really keep local media valuable to citizens and ultimately profitable. It's important information presented in an easy to digest format. 

I also really like the video and text. Gives people a choice if they want and also the two formats complement each other well. 

Peter Milobar is a great choice as a subject matter expert with his many years of local government experience, both as councillor and Mayor.

What do you think? Here is the link to the article again. 

 

 

Next Civic Election - Oct 20th 2018

 

A little over 13 years ago, I announced a candidacy for city council that set me on an incredibly journey. I used to blog a lot back then. Before there was a facebook or a twitter, an instagram or a snapchat. Here is my first ever post here announcing my candidacy for the 2005-2008 city council. 

I have neglected this blog for quite some time and I am hoping to post more regularly as we enter into this home stretch of this civic election campaign. More long form writing will probably the most suitable thing to do on these pages.

I also wanted to warmly invite you to visit my campaign website for the election, and my facebook candidacy page. 

To find general voting information, city hall has the info.  And here the officially nominated candidates thus far (list will grow until Sept 14th nomination deadline)

Snow Plowing Budget Increase Proposals....

To make a bit of a long story quite short, in the last couple of years, we have had a few very challenging snow plowing years in Kamloops. Mother Nature has given us a lot, with more intensity, and with less reprieves between major snowfalls. Our city crews have been awesome but it's been very hard to keep up. 

This has generated more community concern. 

City staff have researched the issues and opportunities and have presented council with a proposal to increase the annual snow removal budget from 1.6 million dollars a year to 2 million dollars a year. This would be to add three new staff, 2 new trucks, and a bit of new technology and training. More details in the photos below. 

This would help city staff keep up with the existing service levels of snow plowing, mainly making sure local roads are plowed by established times.

Significantly, this would not change any city service levels with regards to windrows or snow piles that accumulate on curbs in the city. We received important complaints about these this past winter. I would like to better understand the cost of not having such large windrows accumulate in sensitive areas of the city and I will be asking council to support a report from city staff to research windrow removal practices and costs. 

We will be making a final decision on these proposals in a future council meeting. 

 

 

Rainy Days and Unexpected Opportunities at City Hall...

Letter to the Citizens of Kamloops - Launching my 2018 Reelection Campaign...

 

Dear Kamloops Citizens,

 I hope to earn your support as I seek re-election to council this fall. The civic election is on Oct 20th.  

 Serving on Kamloops city council for almost 10 years has been the honour of my life. I love this community with all my heart and I am incredibly thankful that the community has provided me with this amazing opportunity to serve.

 In my time on council, I’ve worked on a great diversity of issues. I feel very well versed in community opportunities, concerns, and issues in Kamloops.

 Specifically, in this term of council, highlights include:

• helping connect the local technology industry more closely with city hall
• helping secure over 100 units of supportive social housing
• assisting the formation of council’s Sustainability Advisory Committee
• supporting the plans for a Performing Arts Centre,
• working to successfully establish a junior city council.

 My accountability statement on my 2014 council platform (please click on image for larger view):

In May of 2017, when Mayor Milobar was elected to the provincial legislature, I was honoured by my council colleague’s unanimous support to become the Acting Mayor until Mayor Christian was sworn in early October. This was an incredible experience for me and I learned even more about city hall operations. I helped lead the community through our wildfire response and the final steps of our decisionmaking on the Ajax mine proposal.

 On a provincial level, I am currently the First VP of the Union of BC Municipalities and President of BC’s Local Government Leadership Academy. I try to bring as much of my provincial learnings and relationships as I can to my work in Kamloops.

 I strive to take a very positive and constructive approach to my council work. We definitely have challenges but the way to address these challenges is to focus on our strengths and opportunities.    

I strive to be a councillor everyone can feel comfortable with and to be a councillor who brings our wonderfully diverse community together over issues and initiatives.

I aim to thoroughly research and engage the community on issues. And, once I’ve made decisions, I commit to clearly explaining the reasoning behind my decisions.

I hope you will consider actively supporting the campaign. I am hoping this will be our campaign, not just my campaign.

Thank you so much for being part of what Kamloops an awesome place. Please be in touch anytime.

 Very best

Arjun Singh

Cell: 250 377 1797 | Email: arjun@fullworld.com

Community update - Facebook Live

Just posted on Facebook: 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160285497825247&id=773295246