Elphinstone and West Howe Sound have a pair of candidates each who will be running to be directors on the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board, following the closure of the nomination period for local government elections.
Mark Hiltz declared his candidacy for director in West Howe Sound at the beginning of August and was unopposed until last week’s nomination deadline, when long-time Coast resident Dave Brackett filed.
Brackett, 58, is a realtor for Royal LePage Sussex. After providing an interview to Coast Reporter following the closure of the nomination period, he requested that it be held until after Friday, Sept. 21, which is the deadline for when candidates can choose to withdraw.
Hiltz, 57, a former wastewater treatment operator with training in geology and library sciences, wants to move ahead with the four water projects currently underway at the SCRD. Within Area F, he said he will address two types of derelicts: Granthams Hall and boats. The community hall is awaiting repairs but funding has been an ongoing challenge. As for boats, “West Howe Sound has gone through this evolution from highly toxic industrial area to something of re-growth, so to show continued stewardship is important,” he said. “I think we need to find a solution.”
Meanwhile in Elphinstone, two candidates submitted papers by the Sept. 14 deadline: veteran Elphinstone director Lorne Lewis and former journalist and Gibsons Chamber of Commerce executive director Donna McMahon.
Lewis has represented Area E at the board since 2005 and said he made the decision to run because of the “unfinished business” of forest preservation and water security – he has consistently voted against the Chapman drawdown. His aim is to preserve DL 1313 as a park, as the proposed cutblock is used by Elphinstone residents as a recreational area. He would be the only incumbent of the rural areas at the SCRD board if re-elected.
McMahon said she will draw on her time as a reporter to supplement the experience she lacks as a politician. “I’m the only person on the Sunshine Coast who has been going to all the meetings of all three governments, so I actually know a lot about what’s going on at Gibsons, Sechelt and the SCRD and the relationships,” she said. She also opposes the Chapman drawdown and is in favour of a reservoir. She wants to find a solution to the soon-to-expire landfill and suggested that protecting DL 1313 would provide the area of Elphinstone north of the highway with green space, something it currently lacks.
The campaign period for the local government election starts Sept. 22 and voting day is Saturday, Oct. 20. Candidates can choose to withdraw by 4 p.m. Sept. 21.
Interviews with candidates can be found at https://www.coastreporter.net/audio.
