Gambier Island
Gambier trust candidates launch campaigns
Ben Ingram / Staff Writer
The campaigns of those in the running to claim the two trustee positions for Gambier Island are heating up towards the Nov. 19 election date.
Vying for a three-year term are Lynn Leboe of Trail Island, Bruce Bingham of Bowyer Island and Kate-Louise Stamford of Gambier Island. The three entries are up against incumbents Joyce Clegg of Gambier Island and Squamish resident Jan Hagedorn.
The candidates were each asked similar questions aimed at discerning their particular platforms.
LYNN LEBOE
A proponent of off-the-grid living, Leboe's platform rests on four main points - citizenship participation, caps on spending and taxes, sustainable development and the inclusion of all age groups.
"Many of the current policies of the islands trust will discourage youth from these islands," she said. "It's going to make it into an old person's rich island and that's exactly what we don't want."
She added support for trustee term-limits and broadcasting meetings using the Internet.
Spending time on the campaign trail, Leboe said she's been using the phone, email and trips on the ferry to court the several hundred voters in the area. More information can be obtained from her website at www.lynnleboe.info.
KATE-LOUISE STAMFORD
For Stamford, the task of campaigning has involved morning boat trips and door knocking.
She echoed her support for the Islands Trust but made clear her feeling that trustees need to improve communication and representation and to be free of any conflicting interests. As an active participant in the Advisory Planning Commission (APC), Stamford said her approach to land planning is a pragmatic one.
"It's how people are approached. I live on the island full-time, so I get to know people in a more in-depth level and connect that way," she said. "I think people, because they're used to the regional district, they don't really understand what the trust does and how important planning is to maintaining these rural areas."
More information on Stamford is available from her website, www.gambierkate.ca.
BRUCE BINGHAM
A resident of Bowyer Island, Bingham is less supportive of the work done by the Islands Trust so far. He pointed to a sharp divide between the desires of residents at the local levels and the aims of the executive.
"People are not being listened to and communities are being split apart by an Islands Trust that is being led by a very small group," he said. "The local trust, they are not speaking up. They're not defending."
For Bingham, his election strategy involves less door knocking and more harnessing his network of contacts throughout the trust area, making phone calls and sending out emails.
"People are activated," he said. "We have a network throughout all of the Gambier Island dominion."
JAN HAGEDORN
As one of the two incumbents, Hagedorn said she's been communicating her experience as one of her most valuable assets. To her, the trustee position is one that requires enough energy to balance the diversity of viewpoints in the area while taking a responsible stance on issues like water transport, sustainable development and environmental responsibility.
"I've really been active and, I feel, a responsible representative," she said. "I believe that this special environment is enhanced and preserved through the actions of the Islands Trust."
While her campaign has been quiet up to this point, Hagedorn said she has been focusing on an up-coming all-candidates meeting.
"What constituents really need is someone that is open and is willing to listen to all of the diverse viewpoints and make the most balanced decision," she added.
JOYCE CLEGG
Also an incumbent, Joyce Clegg of Gambier Island said she aims to carry out the mandate of the Islands Trust while offering transparency, sustainable development and responsible land-use decisions.
"For any decision making, certainly all sides of the issue are examined carefully," she said. "There will be lots of opportunity for public input [and] public consultation, certainly on the major decisions."
For Clegg, what constituents need most is direction combined with the assurance that their needs will be addressed while promoting the rural character of the islands.
She said her campaign has yet to get underway but interested voters can contact her with their questions at [email protected]
The all-candidates meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Nov. 5 at the Gambier Community Centre in New Brighton.
