Prior to the provincial election scheduled for Oct. 19, Coast Reporter spoke with MLA nominees from the NDP and Green Party for the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast, as well as John Rustad, leader of the Conservative Party of BC. The questions asked of the candidates were largely based on topics discussed each week by residents in the “letters to the editor,” section of the paper.
Randene Neill, NDP nominee for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, is keeping busy on the days leading up the election, by splitting her time between campaign offices in Sechelt and Powell River.
“We’re making sure that we're spending at least half our time up there [in Powell River],” Neill said, during a short break in her Sechelt campaign office.
Transportation/new highway
Neill says those visits to Powell River have really driven home the need for proper transit service between that community and the ferry terminal in Langdale.
“Or even all the way to Vancouver,” she says. “At least two rides a day to get them in and out — to get them to the appointments they need to get to. That's huge, especially for people up there.”
Neill says while campaigning, she’s knocked on close to 1,000 doors and many people she’s spoken with have stressed the need for a new highway, particularly residents of Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Davis Bay. She adds, one mom she spoke with recently purchased a safety vest and "Stop" sign from Amazon, which she uses to help her child cross the busy highway near Roberts Creek. She notes, while a new Coast highway is important, it will take time because it would be hugely expensive and take the cooperation and joint funding from all three levels of government.
“So, at the bare minimum, at the bare minimum, what we need to do immediately, is get some crossings in place with lights, and left-turn lanes,” says Neill. “So many people have driveways right off the highway, which makes it so difficult, especially in the summertime, when there's so much more traffic from tourists... We need crosswalks to make it safe for kids to go to school every morning and home every afternoon. And we definitely need to look at upgrades on the existing highway or potentially an alternate route that bypasses the highway to West Sechelt.”
Ferry foibles
Neill agrees with many Coast residents that, prior to the extra sailings added between the Langdale and Horseshoe Bay this past summer, attempting to take a ferry was an “absolute nightmare.”
“But, as soon as that second ferry came on, all of the complaints went away,” says Neill. “I know the ferries have to go into maintenance dry dock for up-keeping and to make sure they're safe, but if we could keep that second ferry at a minimum through the shoulder season right, like starting in April until Thanksgiving, I think it would solve so many of our ferry issues immediately.”
Affordable housing
She notes, many of the extra ferry workers needed for the enhanced summer schedule were required to move to the Sunshine Coast, where the cost of housing is rapidly rising. Neill says affordable housing is vital to retain not only essential workers, like the ferry employees, teachers and nurses, but workers in general.
Neill says the current NDP government recently introduced a new affordable housing program called BC Builds, which combines government, community and non-profit owned land, low-cost financing, and grants to lower construction costs, speed up timelines, and deliver more affordable homes. She adds, a new housing project built under the program, recently opened in Gibsons and more are in the works for other locations, including Powell River.
“So, it's working. It's having the [NDP] MLA in the region working with municipalities to say there's another tranche of housing coming available from BC Builds,” she says. “Let's work together to get these applications in so we can get this housing built.”
Neill says affordable housing and the workers who need it, are tied to everything on the Coast, including infrastructure, roads and water.
“We need to make sure that the non-sexy stuff is all in place to support a growing population. And we desperately need more workers for the hospitals, for the schools, for ferries, for everything, but we need to make sure we have the infrastructure to support them as well,” she says.
Crime/bail reform
Neill says there are several things to consider when it comes to dealing with crime. She notes it’s not just a crime issue but also addictions and homeless issues.
“We need to really strike at the heart of getting these people who are unhoused and who are breaking into things to get money to buy their drugs. We need to get them the supports they need, the wraparound supports they need, with lots of people working with them to keep them in their homes, which they all deserve to have,” she says. “The housing first model works. It works everywhere in the world. So, we need to get them into homes and we need to help reduce the stigma and shame around mental health and addictions issues.”
Neill adds, in Sechelt at least, there seems to be a small number of the same repeat offenders who are committing the most crimes and causing the most havoc. She’d like to see the federal government step up and assist through bail reform, which would make it more difficult for repeat offenders to make bail, get released and go straight back to committing crimes.
“We really have to zero in and target those folks,” she says. “And we have to work together and fight for those reforms and more police, more mental health workers on the streets, more housing, more local wraparound services. They're looking at turning Totem Lodge into a rehab facility with beds, and I think that’s a great idea.”
