Transportation, employment and the high cost of living are just some of the concerns Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living's (SCACL) participants, board and employees are grappling with this election season.
Last Thursday, Nov. 10, the first ever Sechelt council candidates' meet-and-greet was held at the SCACL quarters on Mermaid Street.
Billed as an opportunity for both voters and candidates to learn more about each other, the meeting featured both prepared and extemporaneous questions for the election hopefuls. The informal setting featured several tables of SCACL stakeholders that each of the candidates visited in turn to answer the questions.
The forum, a brainchild of SCACL executive director Glen McClughan and program co-ordinator Christie Totten, was an opportunity for the folks they work with to engage in civil politics.
"It was a great day for me. This is real grassroots politics. Our people are citizens and they want to be informed," McClughan said.
And while he likened the format to political speed dating, he said the outcome was as valuable for the candidates as it was for the SCACL participants a position incumbent Sechelt Coun. Alice Lutes agreed with.
"I knew I would hear about a lot of concerns the Community Living folks have. I appreciated the sincerity of the group. They are truly interested. They asked personal questions, not formatted questions. They know what their problems are they don't drive, they're isolated and they need affordable housing," Lutes said.
One of the questions posed to many of the candidates made some uncomfortable. Asked to bring a Walmart to Sechelt, most of the candidates said they could understand the need for low cost goods, but some of those running had difficulty supporting the huge conglomerate.
However, former councillor and mayor hopeful Ed Steeves said that some of the concerns people had when Canadian Tire located to the Coast never materialized, and the same could happen with Walmart. It could create employment opportunities, he said.
For their part, would-be councillors Chris Moore, Mary Bittroff and Norm Blair all acknowledged the difficulty the SCACL people have making ends meet. SCACL participants receive only $375 per month for rent. If the cost is higher, it means less money for food and other necessities.
Asked about what kind of economic development they would like to see on the Coast, Moore said that to him the obvious answer was the "low hanging fruit tourism."
"It could grow very quickly, and it doesn't have to be low paying. A conference hotel in Selma Park, West Sechelt or Porpoise Bay by the Lighthouse Pub could provide opportunities right off the bat," Moore said.
And while transportation actually comes under the umbrella of the provincial government, many council hopefuls promised to bring SCACL's concerns forward, if elected, at any opportunity they might have.
As an organization, SCACL brings revenues of $2.2 million to the Sunshine Coast each year. SCACL supports individuals with developmental disabilities with residential group homes, supported living programs, supported employment programs, respite care for adults and children, home sharing residential supports and life skills programs. Half the people SCACL cares for grew up on the Sunshine Coast, and half of them came here after they graduated with their retired parents.
Voters requiring help marking their ballots are allowed to have one assistant aid in the process. Totten said that the forum was invaluable for her participants. She was glad the group had the opportunity to meet the 12 candidates who could take time from their busy campaigns to be part of the ground-breaking event.
