Pitt Meadows 2011 Municipal Election
For anyone not aware, I am a political geek.
Not to the point of crafting policy, but I like to be aware and informed, and as there is a Municipal Election on November 19th, I have been looking over the candidate options, their communications and their various approaches to getting elected.
I am also a Social Media geek. I find it interesting to see how some municipal candidates had already embraced this, some are doing the Young Drivers of Canada “brake and avoid” and a few rushing to embrace it.
As I review the information I gathered at the All Candidates Meeting, it seems that there is more of a focus on quality of character, over substantively addressing the issues.
(Although, in the process of hearing the candidates speak, I was able to identify several candidates that would NEVER receive my votes… for a variety of reasons.)
Looking at the literature I brought home from the ACM, I thought I would compile a list (as best as I can) of the different sources to get information from the candidates… (Other than newspaper interviews, which are always interesting, and Shaw Cable interviews, which air on Sunday Nov 13th at 4 pm)
| Pitt Meadows Mayor Candidates | ||||
| Name | FB | website | ||
| John Becker | john@johnbecker.ca | @EJohnBecker | FB | www.johnbecker.ca |
| Gary Paller | garypallerformayor@gmail.com | x | x | www.garypallerformayor.com |
| Deb Walters | debwalters@live.ca | x | x | www.debwalters.ca |
| Pitt Meadows Council Candidates | ||||
| Name | FB | website | ||
| Bruce Bell | bbell@pittmeadows.bc.ca | x | x | x |
| Doug Bing | doug@dougbing.ca | @DouglasBing | FB | www.dougbing.ca |
| John Clancy | jbclancy@hotmail.com | x | FB | x |
| George Coghlan | gcoghlan@shaw.ca | x | FB | x |
| Gay Conn | gayc@shaw.ca | x | x | www.gayconn.com |
| Janis Elkerton | jelkerton@shaw.ca | x | x | x |
| Michael Hayes | michael@mhayes.ca | x | FB | x |
| Rick Kreklewetz | rkrek@shaw.ca | x | x | x |
| Tracy Miyashita | tracymiyashita@yahoo.ca | x | x | x |
| David Murray | tigerdave@shaw.ca | x | x | x |
| Gwen O’Connell | paulandgwen@telus.net | x | x | x |
| Charm Prophet | charm.prophet@gmail.com | x | FB | www.charmprophet.ca |
| Mike Stark | mdstark2@shaw.ca | x | x | x |
Please research your choices and VOTE on November 19th
Pitt Meadows Voter Information & Voting Locations
* Please note that every effort was made to find links, webpages and such. If any errors or omissions are discovered, please email Bob !!! (E&OE)
Here is a video, shot by the Pitt Meadows Community Association, at the Pitt Meadows All Candidates Meeting at South Bonson Community Centre, on November 7th.
I did my research, and made my choices, which I debated listing differently, but I don’t believe my endorsement would carry any weight… nor should it. A few of the candidates I voted for (at the early poll) may not have the name recognition, and as such, they may not get elected… but in my opinion, they are the best candidates. Researching the choices are important, because these people will manage our community for the next few years, and make decisions and choices that will affect our taxes, our communities’ resources, amenities and infrastructure, and the direction our community takes, moving forward.
Remembrance Day
I saw that a store my wife and I shop at was opening at 11 am, on Remembrance Day, and this brought me great sadness.
Over the ensuing weeks, I continued to struggle with this, to the point I was going to “call them out” on Twitter…
But then I realized, that this was cyber-bullying.
I vented my frustration in a tweet, and drew a visceral and immediate response, which prompted me to write this letter to the store’s owner:
Hello –
My name is Bob Gray, and for many years I managed a store.
I saw a while ago, that you are opening YOUR store, at 11 am on Remembrance Day, and I have bit my tongue and held my thoughts… but as we draw closer to the 11th of November, I find that I can’t let it go.
I don’t believe the day is about war mongering or flag waving… just about respecting those who made sacrifices, to protect us and our freedoms.
In retail, sadly there are few days that are “off limits.”
Indeed, in Ontario and some other provinces, Remembrance Day is not even a statutory holiday.
However, in my opinion, it is important that the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month is put aside to show respect to the Armed Forces who have served to protect us and our way of life, and to honour those who have fallen in battle.
I would suggest that if you were to open at Noon, you would finish the day with the same amount of sales, without disenfranchising those who wish to observe the Remembrance Day services.
I rarely write letters like this, because if a store does something I don’t like, I choose not to shop there. I “vote” with my dollars.
But, my wife and I really like your store, so I thought I would share my thoughts, so that in the future, you might find it in your heart to consider the observance of Remembrance Day and the significance of the 11 am hour, and consider opening at noon, if you have to open.
Thank you for your consideration.
Most sincerely,
Bob Gray
Whether you go to a Remembrance Day ceremony, watch it on TV, or observe it just by wearing a poppy, I hope that at 11 am, everyone will take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices of the many people who selflessly gave up what they treasured.
I received a reply from the Store’s owner, and it includes the following:
…The last thing I want to do is appear insensitive to anyone, let alone my customers. I’m realizing, though, that this might be an unintended by-product of my decision to open at 11am on Nov 11. I realize should have opened at Noon. It was an oversight, plain and simple.
I really do appreciate you taking the time to let me know your thoughts. I do not take them lightly. I will post a special note on my Social Media sites and website talking about this. If I decide to stay open on November 11 next year, I will open at Noon. Tomorrow’s class is scheduled to start at 11am. Before that happens, I will hold a minute of silence to honour those who have given their lives to protect our freedom.
Halloween 2011
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Not sure what the going word rate is on video. (As you can tell, we don’t have our new video camera yet)
Below is either an eerily similar video to Blair Witch, or SOMEONE… *cough* LorieGray *cough* …thought the camera was on stills, while it was on movie. LOL
Hope everyone had as much fun as we did at Halloween !!!
Katie’s Place Animal Shelter
There are certain things we hold true in our society:
– That if something bad happens to us, the Police will help us.
– If we have a fire, the Fire Department will come to put it out.
– If there is a small animal being mistreated or abandoned, they will be cared for. In Maple Ridge, the latter was not always true.
It was only ten years ago that Katie’s Place Animal Shelter opened its doors, in an old barn, on a country lane off 240th Street.
It began (and still is) a No Kill animal shelter, looking after primarily cats, but along the years they’ve cared for ferrets, guinea pigs, pigs, mice, rats, rabbits, and all kinds of other creatures.
We first heard of Katie’s Place when friends were looking for a cat companion, after losing their cat Molly to FIV.
In the tiny barn, the staff had created large pens to separate the boys and girls, those needing to be isolated due to medical concerns (FIV) and some of the less social kitties, who were abandoned and became feral.
A year later, we got our boys (Barnum and Bailey) from Katie’s Place.
In the intervening years, we have tried to help Katie’s Place, by supporting them with creating awareness and fund-raising, as both my wife and I are only able to spend limited time in the shelter itself, due to allergies.
The volunteers who work there are tireless, caring and loving Moms and Dads to their kitty families, until they find their forever homes.
A few years ago, as the price of land went up, and Maple Ridge was a bubbling real estate market, the housing developments started getting closer and closer to the old red barn.
There was a further fundraising drive, and they were able to move to their current location.
Now, in their new location, with more space, better lighting, hot and cold running water and waaay fewer draughts, they have been able to lead the charge in caring for animals.
When there was a “cat house” discovered in Merritt with over 100 diseased cats, the folks at Katie’s Place made sure that the cats were not euthanized, and distributed amongst No Kill shelters.
They do this without blinking, without a second thought… over and over again.
This weekend is their 10th Anniversary, and they are having an open house, at their shelter, at 10255 Jackson Road, Maple Ridge — right behind the Maple Ridge SPCA buildings.
Drop by and share the wonderful vibe the place has, and if you can support them with a donation of cash, kitty litter, or cat food, I’m sure their cats will all thank you !!!
See you there !!!
All Candidates Debates
Earlier this week, I was driving to West Vancouver to show support to a friend, Reema Faris, who is running for School Board Trustee in West Vancouver. (She earned my vote with her answers, but sadly, I can’t vote for her, as I live in Pitt Meadows.)
The West Vancouver Citizens for Good Government were hosting an All Candidates Debate at the Kay Meek Centre.
As I listened to the Trustee and Councillor candidates give their speeches and answer questions, I gained some valuable insight into municipal elections.
The West Van candidates were talking about education, needing to strike a balance between core educational needs and preparing the students for the coming technologies. Wanting to provide a balanced growth of residences, with provision being made for housing for everyone, from the older, long-time residents, right up to any new incoming residents. That just because someone WANTS to develop a building, even in these challenging times, that there should still be an impartial, level-headed look at the development, with a review that judges that the building isn’t just for today, but will it hold up well, tomorrow. There was discussion of Green programs, and the candidates commitment to protecting the environment. There was discussion about needing to strike a better balance between slapping advertising on everything that stands still, and taking opportunities to subsidize the costs of public spaces.
In other words… the discussions that largely go on at MOST All Candidates Debates, in most cities and towns.
We don’t generally go to OTHER municipalities to hear about their troubles, and what they would like to see done better… but it doesn’t seem to vary much, from Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge… right over to West Vancouver.
So, as I drove home after the event, I had time to mull over the similarities.
And, how, wherever you go, it comes down to the quality of the character of the individuals, their knowledge, experience and work ethic.
Most people are driven to run for office, by the desire to want to effect change, or to address an issue that they feel is not being dealt with. It seems to me that the ones who CAN make that change are the ones who understand the system, and how it works.
One of the School Board Trustee candidates at the meeting that night, stunned me with her answer that she had NOT attended a School Board Trustee meeting in the last three years.
I didn’t hear the next question or the answer that was given, because I couldn’t get past the fact that THAT candidate was asking for a promotion, without having done her homework.
And then it occurred to me that she might get lucky, because (especially for Municipal elections) a lot of citizens don’t do THEIR homework either, and having a name at the front of the alphabet may be enough to get elected.
I’d like to write further about the meeting, but I have to go do MY homework.
Please remember to vote on November 19th, but BEFORE you vote, remember to research the candidates, their qualifications, and their commitment to doing a “proper” job.
Fly Zone Bodyflight
Tonight I had one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
For my Birthday, Hayley and Chloe (two of my nieces) and my Sister-In-Law Shelley, bought me a Groupon for the Fly Zone Bodyflight.
At first, I wasn’t sure WHAT I was being given… and then I remembered that I had seen something on Rick Mercer a few years back.
Turns out they put a really high powered fan underneath a plexiglass tube, and you can “fly”!!!
(Effectively, it is like parachuting, but instead of jumping out of an airplane, you start on the “ground”, and get blown up.)
With all our busy schedules, it was tough to get an evening when we were all available, but tonight was the night.
Two words:
AAAAA…. MAZING!!!
(Yeah, I know… usually one word, but that is just how much of a wild experience this was.)
We arrived, handled the paperwork transfer, signed the disclaimer, and got a chance to watch some other video bloggers who were in the group ahead of us.
What was really amazing was watching the staff have a blast, doing flips, barrel rolls, sailing up, and swooping down.
Just like birds.
After a while, the rest of our group assembled, and we were taken into a small room with a sort of a pommel horse/vaulting box in the middle… (sorry for that ugly gym class flashback) … and we were told about the proper “flying” position, what we should TRY to do… and what the hand signals were, for when we were NOT flying correctly.
(Because of the noise from the fan engine, and the earplugs worn under the helmet, even shouted instructions would be unheard, so thus, the hand signals.)
After the quick lesson, we zipped into our flight suits, put in the ear protection, put on goggles, pulled a helmet on, and we were set to go.
Standing even a few feet away, you have no sense of the power of the fan. You just get a sense that it is loud.
You start off lying, face down, on your stomach, with your chin up, your hands in front of you, and your feet off the ground.
Then the fan starts up, and you suddenly aren’t having to hold your feet and hands up… they stay that way.
And you also suddenly notice that your stomach isn’t on the ground any more.
You’re flying !!!
For beginners, like everyone in our group, there are two instructors in the tunnel with you. One on each side. Our flight suits come with handles, so they can “guide” us through the flight… but the goal they have is to get you flying with enough stability, that you can “solo”… fly without them holding on.
Hayley and Chloe did much better than I did.
We signed up for the deluxe package, which includes two sessions of two minutes each time. (Normally a $99 value.)By our second go, each of us had figured it out a little better… (again, the girls, more than I) …but the second session was after dark, so you’ll have to take my word for it.
Below is some video Lorie shot from the first session:
And some shots taken by the folks at Fly Zone:
If you want one of the best experiences of your life, call the folks at Fly Zone Bodyflight.
They are located at 7150 Tilbury Road, Delta, BC, and are open Wednesday to Sunday.
It is both literally and figuratively… a BLAST !!!