I attended the all-candidates mayoral forum at UNBC. I am new to Prince George (from Surrey) and am working towards a Master's of Science in forest ecology at the university.
I feel like I got a strong sense of all the candidates' values and priorities from the forum, but one candidate stood out as a person whose principles I'm drawn to, mainly because his ideas provided a contrast to some of the tired messages I was hearing from the others.
While most of the mayoral candidates dwelled on unsophisticated civic accounting details and worn-out business banalities, Bruce Fader seemed to personify the kind of vision and pragmatism that I think a city mayor should.
Although I don't agree with all of his positions, I welcomed his comments on the importance of forests to workers and the community, and his acknowledgment of First Nations cultures to our well-being as a city.
I also appreciated his discussion of the need for alternative fuels and transportation, and outright opposition to unsustainable and inefficient pipeline projects.
None of the other mayoral candidates even pretended to have any concerns for Prince George's underrepresented low-income citizens, which Fader mentioned directly after he introduced himself.
From the others, I instead heard the phrases "open for business," "you can't stop progress" and "a culture of yes" twice each.
The use of these lines suggests to me that those candidates think that Prince George should allow outside business interests to decide the form and function of this municipality, a position I think is neither appropriate nor beneficial to the people who live here.
I should know, since I come from a place no one brags about for this exact reason.
I think a mayor should be able to make finance decisions that allow Prince George to have snow-plowed roads and low property taxes, and I don't think these problems are particularly unsolvable for someone with math skills.
But I also want a decision-maker who can see outside the windows of City Hall and envision a place where people will live healthily and happily.
I hope the mayor Prince George ends up getting will understand this.
Michelle Connolly
Prince George
