A by-election will be held June 24 to fill the Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing ward seat on Lake Country district council. The opening was created when Matt Vader stepped down after being hired for a district administrative position. The Calendar spoke with each of the three candidates for the vacant seat.
D. Oscar Barnes
A Lake Country lawyer, D. Oscar Barnes is very clear about why he is running for political office91裸聊视频攈e is concerned about what is happening with development in Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing and the impact on the area91裸聊视频檚 environment and rural lifestyle.
Barnes said that concern arose from the large scale O91裸聊视频橰ourke family vineyard and winery project now under construction.
Barnes says he has spoken to neighbours of the project who are frustrated by the constant construction noise and how the rock blasting has caused damage to their homes and properties.
Barnes bluntly says the district has turned a blind eye to this project, which calls for approval of 12 properties to be rezoned as A1 to accommodate the development, saying council may be influenced by rumoured promises from the developer to provide funding for a Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing Road widening project.
He also admits, however, that the project has become a very divisive debate among Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing residents.
91裸聊视频淧eople seem to be either totally against what this development proposes to do or totally for it,91裸聊视频� he said.
Barnes proposes the creation of a Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing preservation commission, what he calls a watchdog group, comprised of local residents to offer input on future development projects.
One of their initial tasks, he said, would be the responsibly planned widening of Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing Road.
91裸聊视频淭he idea is to open a clear channel of communication about these issues and to give residents a mechanism for having their concerns addressed,91裸聊视频� Barnes said.
If elected, Barnes said he is also prepared to ask questions about the winery project as to how the process of permit approvals has unfolded to this point.
91裸聊视频淚 am absolutely comfortable with taking that position to council. If I feel strongly about a position, I will advocate for that position and not care if the rest of council is against it. If I have a position, I stick by it.91裸聊视频�
Barnes said he would rather see large-scale projects pointed to other locations in the municipality that might be more appropriate than a residential agricultural area.
91裸聊视频淭here is a unique beauty and something very special about Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing. A lot of property owners take great pride in having a special place to live. Their homes are beautiful and their yards are immaculate. They work hard to keep everything in concert with the environment around them and I think that what makes the area so special.91裸聊视频�
Joanne de Vries
Joanne de Vries says there are four platforms that are the basis of her campaign91裸聊视频攅nvironment protection, parks and recreation, infrastructure improvements and land use.
She recognizes the conflict between protecting environment and rural lifestyle characteristics against the need to encourage 91裸聊视频榗lean91裸聊视频� development to augment the district tax revenue base to provide community amenities, and wants to encourage public discourse to arrive at solutions.
As a long-time communications consultant and founder of the Fresh Outlook Foundation, de Vries says she is an advocate for consultation to give local residents an opportunity to voice their views.
91裸聊视频淎 huge part of my platform relates to community collaboration. Our population represents many different sectors, and people have different ideas on how to proceed. We should all be engaged in that discussion,91裸聊视频� de Vries said.
She believes the district has already clearly defined existing potential areas for commercial development that should be the focus of future growth.
91裸聊视频淭here is a growth focus right now on Lake Country. The reason we are growing so rapidly is we have so much to offer. But having said that, we do have to be careful about how we grow.91裸聊视频�
Through her work with Fresh Outlook, de Vries says she has been able to connect with people around the world and see other communities doing amazing things.
91裸聊视频淲e have the capacity, we have what we need to be a world leader in progressive and collaborative local government and that91裸聊视频檚 what I plan to work towards if elected.91裸聊视频�
Jeanette Lambert
As a pro-development candidate, Jeanette Lambert says she wants Lake Country to be widely known as being open for business.
91裸聊视频淭hat has not always been the case in the past and we have an opportunity to change that way of thinking. We know for a fact we are the fastest growing community in B.C. and we need to keep pace with development,91裸聊视频� Lambert said.
Lambert said she is a supporter of the O91裸聊视频橰ourke winery project saying it fits in an agri-tourism theme appropriate for Carr91裸聊视频檚 Landing.
She said the 91裸聊视频榥ot in my backyard syndrome91裸聊视频� may be affecting the negative take on the winery project, but the construction phase will pass and the end result will change people91裸聊视频檚 minds.
91裸聊视频淚f you look at the La Casa Resort development across Okanagan Lake, the site was all stripped down and nothing much seemed to be happening for a time, but now you can see how it is coming around,91裸聊视频� she said.
She looks to Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 evolving reputation as a haven for winery and brewery tours along with high-calibre dining options, and asks why Lake Country can91裸聊视频檛 develop a similar reputation to draw visitors to the community.
She sees development as the answer for expanding the tax base to meeting the growing demands of infrastructure and other residential service needs, which could be bolstered further by the district selling road end parcels.
91裸聊视频淚 think some of them could be sold to neighbours of those sites to increase our tax base, and the revenue could be used to develop those road ends which are flatter and more user friendly as smaller park sites,91裸聊视频� Lambert said.
