Students at the Sunshine Coast Alternative School are participating in Student Vote this week. To help them make their decisions, they held an all-candidates’ meeting with Gibsons candidates on Nov. 6.
The event was organized in just four days, and although most of the candidates were able to make it, current mayor Wayne Rowe sent his regrets.
“At that point in time I was actually scheduled to be in the IGA for seniors’ day,” Rowe told Coast Reporter. “I was up there for about two and a half hours … my campaign team schedules a lot of different functions for me to be at and that just happened to be what was the situation in this case.”
Despite the short notice, candidates Dan Bouman, Barry Janyk, Katie Janyk, Lee Ann Johnson, Stafford Lumley, Charlene SanJenko, Jeremy Valeriote and Silas White were able to make the meeting, along with mayoral candidate Suzanne Senger, although not all of them could stay for the lunch-time social planned afterward.
When introducing themselves to the students, many candidates congratulated the teens on their desire to get involved in the process.
“I just want to thank you for all of your work on this. You and the Chamber of Commerce are the only two groups that have managed to pull together an all-candidates meeting for Gibsons, and it’s really important to hear from you and for you to hear what we have to say,” Valeriote said to applause.
Cindy MacInnes, one of the teacher organizers of the event, noted a few of the students were able to vote in the upcoming election, but all would cast a ballot in the student vote planned for Nov. 13.
“There are students right across Canada participating in the student vote,” MacInnes said, noting the program encourages youth to get involved in the election process.
Whether students were of age to vote or not in this election, candidates encouraged them to share their thoughts and opinions about how to make Gibsons better.
“You might not be able to vote, you might be able to vote, but I hope you’ll think about it. I hope you’ll understand if you participate now your voice will be heard and if you don’t it won’t,” Senger said.
Due to the long time it took for all nine candidates to introduce themselves, there was little time left for questions and only a handful were asked. Students wanted to know how candidates felt about the George project, economic development, bus service and creating more jobs for youth.
Barry Janyk said the George “could be a good thing” for Gibsons if it was built short and wide, as opposed to thin and tall on the waterfront.
On the topic of economic development SanJenko said that shopping locally and encouraging others to do the same could help a lot.
“So if we want more employers to hire more young students, those employers need to make better money year round,” SanJenko said. “Remember if you put money into the pockets of the people who have businesses here they can put money back in your pocket.”
When the comment was made that more jobs for youth were needed, Lumley agreed, saying he hires youth at his restaurants in Lower Gibsons.
“Absolutely, I’m there,” he said.
On the topic of buses, Valeriote noted the Sunshine Coast Regional District was investing money into the transit system to eventually create half-hour service along the highway.
“We need to make it work for you and I think we’re getting there because everybody realizes how important it is,” he said.
Student moderator Adam Crane had to call the meeting when it reached the hour mark; however, he invited candidates to join the students for some one-on-one conversation over lunch, when more questions were asked informally.
The student vote was held on Nov. 13 The results were announced after Coast Reporter went to press this week.
