Election Forum Highlights
Billie Wong
Community safety, infrastructure, economic development, social problems, climate change, disabled parking and just getting along with one another were the highlights of the by-election forum held Tuesday evening at Peacock Collegiate.
Attended by between 75-100 people, the event put on by the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club, inter-mixed supporters, special interests and undecided voters asking questions of the four councillor candidates running in the October 17th Byelection.
The four candidates running are Mike Bachiu, Doug Blanc, Heather Eby and Steven White.
The following are some of the highlights and brief responses by the candidates.
QUESTION: Candidates were asked about Community Safety and how that would correlate when it came to closing the flagship Fairford YMCA building?
“I agree with you 100 percent we need to get kids involved,” Steven White said.
Heather Eby
He spoke about recreation opportunities already in the city and how there were even provincial champions here and nobody seemed to know about them.
White said a communication process was necessary to support local athletes so people know about these accomplishments.
“I do believe the YMCA is vital,” Mike Bachiu said, going further to state “I do believe the YMCA is critical for this city.”
“It’s vital for youth to be involved,' Doug Blanc said, adding “it keeps the mind active, and body active and keeps them away from gangs “
Blanc said there was a need to encourage youth to participate and “the YMCA was part of that.”
Eby responded “we're not closing the Y. So none of the programs lost. We are not really here tonight to talk about the Y.”
She also added “not one of us can say (there is) $3 million for the Y...for anyone of us to say that, that is a lie because it is not going to happen."
QUESTION: A question was asked about crime and how it may not all be because of youth, but older people. The questioner wanted to know what each candidate would to create opportunity to keep older individuals away from crime?
Blanc said “we do need some good jobs in the city...we need to move this City forward.”
He said pressure had to be placed on the City's two MLAs to get them active in bringing jobs and opportunity to Moose Jaw.
Bachiu called for a multi-pronged approach involving all parties.
He spoke about the proposed Canadian Protein Innovation pea fractioning plant announced in principle but now apparently shelved.
“I don’t know why it’s stalled. I don’t know why it’s not here.”
Steven White
Bachiu said the Province needed to assist making the City more attractive for investment to help bring industry.
White said the City needed to be more open for business.
“We had the opportunity to have K + S headquarters here and (they were) pushed away.”
He called for proper roads and proper water lines. He mentioned how rates for parking and fines were chasing people away from the Downtown.
“If we don’t fix the basics how can we have the other things?” White asked.
Eby said “Bad choices (by perpetrators) and the economy plays in on that I don’t agree City Council is not trying to do something.”
The new airport authority carried the potential to create more business opportunity, she said.
QUESTION: Candidates were asked if economic development was their number one priority?
Bachiu responded that infrastructure was the number one priority and economic development second.
Eby said “economic development is one of those things we take for granted.”
She called it fairly important but infrastructure was a driver of it.
Blanc tied economic development to a growing tax base and more jobs meaning more money for infrastructure.
“More money in (our) pockets to fix infrastructure,” Blanc said.
Mike Bachiu
White called for more and better policies to drive economic development.
He once again spoke out against the parking situation in the Downtown core stating "people don’t want to go down there because they can only go down there for 120 minutes.” He felt more time would benefit people in the Downtown and add greater economic activity.
QUESTION : A question was asked about the social side when it came to things such as housing, the poor, mental health and addictions.
Eby said “so many areas intersect with that and part comes through policing. And the lack of the police not being able to help.”
A new dedicated person with the police to help with mental health and addicts would help, she said Council needed to listen to its advisory committees.
Bachiu said the police issue was really good but there were “other really good resources not utilized in the community.”
He called for partnerships with other agencies and the City.
“I do believe there are organizations in place to do that.”
Blanc said “we need to promote agencies that help.”
”We need to have an access to that on the City’s web page so people know they are there and can access them.”
White mentioned working with people with developmental disabilities and how people could help.
“There is untapped potential just putting time and effort to help people get attention from,” White stated.
QUESTION : Candidates were asked how they could work together for the good of the City instead of bringing their own agendas.
Eby said one of the reasons she ran in 2009 was because of the disunity she saw in Council. She said she was happy to be part of five people working together.
“We didn’t have pre-determined votes,’ Eby said adding “we spoke on Monday morning amongst each other.”
Blanc said Council needed to start working together and communicating with one another.
Doug Blanc
They’re “not Independent members they have got to start working together and communicate.”
Bachiu attributed part of the problem to a large number of closed door meetings.
“There should be those phone calls and impromptu meetings so we don’t just get a big fight. It’s really great to have a soap opera playing out in front of us every second Monday but I don’t believe that serves the City well.”
White said he was “very good bringer of people together…all through my life I have worked with all kinds of people.”
“We have to work together and communicate…by actual polling and understanding what you want there should be no communication problem.”
He said Council voting against the survey on curbside garbage collection should have been a “no brainer.”
QUESTION : A question was asked for each candidates opinion on removing free metered parking for those with disability placards or veterans.
Bachiu, who is chair of the Special Needs Advisory Committee said “we were shocked because we were not consulted.”
“I’m very much in favour of it remaining.”
Blanc said it was something which should not have happened because it had been in place forever.
He typified it as unfortunate and supports restoring free metered parking for people with disability placards and veterans.
Eby said “those exemptions are important and they need to stay in place.”
“Man is that embarrassing that that slipped by,” Eby stated.
White was not happy with the City eliminating the free metered parking and spoke out forcefully against it.
“I think it’s a travesty,' White said.
For more in depth candidate profiles please read:
