By and By-election (11.23.01)

Squamish is a town divided. Gasp, shock, horror. Yes, I too was shocked and appalled when I crawled out from under my rock and found out that not everyone in Squamish shares the same vision of what our town could be. This is nothing new though. Throughout history some of the greatest achievements have come from places with tremendous passion and the leadership to focus that passion into a prosperous future.

Earlier this year our leaders had a remarkable opportunity to bring the community together and show that they recognize both Squamish's rich history and bright future. However, our Mayor and council thought it would be better to pit neighbor against neighbor in a divided community.

Was it intentional? Unfortunately I fear it wasn't. After the historic woodchip meeting I had the opportunity to speak with our mayor. She was convinced that "the other side" bussed people in from Vancouver because she didn't recognize anyone. I remarked that I recognized almost everyone. "Well you must know more people in this town than I do." I was speechless. The war was declared and she didn't even recognize the enemy.

So it is, with that mindset, we're faced with a By-election. Normally I get fired up about elections but as Terrill said, Who you vote for isn't going to make a lick of difference in how the council votes. Like I said before, Corinne, Paul, Wendy and to a lesser extent, Rick and Cheryl have made it clear what side they're on. They've declared an ugly, unnecessary, war on tourism.

So who is it going to be:

Norm Verner. Once the Dust settled and they figured out who would drop out and who would run, Norm was the last one standing to tow the line. Basically if you think Squamish is run perfectly and you think this town is headed full steam in the right direction, vote for Norm.

Ian Sutherland. Ian will certainly stir the pot. A town's council should have all sorts of viewpoints. As it stands now it has only one. Ian wants what many want. A Squamish where kids don't leave once they graduate. A vibrant downtown etc. You want a change, vote Ian.

Then there's Terrill Patterson. God love him, Terrill is Squamish's intelligent rhino party. It was funny to hear Norm call Terrill names when it was suggested that Terrill was Squamish's un-elected councilor. But Terrill has shown time and time again he has both an understanding of the issues and a ludicrous amount of time on his hands.

Oh, and then there's the referendum question. First it was going to say do you want a Big Box in Squamish. But Rick was opposed to that wording because the developer could hold us to it. So now it has to be one of those stupid, convoluted referendum questions designed to confuse. I have a question, There is already a big box on our highway, why would you bother asking us now if we want one? Doesn't make much sense to screw the downtown merchants then ask if you should use a condom. But all in all a Canadian tire is better than a Wal-Mart. either way every dollar spent there isn't coming back.

So this Saturday, grab your neighbors, grab your friends, heck, even grab your dog and come out to vote. As a wise cracking man once said. Don't Vote? Don't BITCH!

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