The community in Ucluelet has identified a need for more intentional communication. This is not to say that councillors and district staff have not been communicating, but rather that current efforts may not be achieving their desired impact.

Further, there is a need for elected officials to proactively lead discussions and raise motions, make greater efforts to consult with community members and business owners, and honour agreements to mitigate conflicts of interest.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• Quickly and efficiently audit existing communication mediums to highlight opportunities to reach a broader audience and close existing accessibility gaps.

• Partner with council and district staff to create and implement a plan that closes identified gaps, with clear measurement criteria that allow us to track efficacy of solutions.

Ucluelet’s core infrastructure is aging and in need of critical upgrades over the next 5-10 years. Our community has grown and with it, so has our demand on energy generation, water catchment and treatment, and waste management. Additionally, our humid, salty climate is harsh on our existing grid, built environment, and maintenance equipment.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• Partner with residents, district staff, and council to explore innovative funding options for critical infrastructure projects that reduces the financial burden on residents and businesses.

• Ensure that all net-new development projects include meaningful financial and in-kind contributions that diversify and scale critical infrastructure and disaster preparedness. And, also ensuring that developers have clear and defensible criteria for delivering projects that meet or exceed expectations.

To live into directives outlined in Ucluelet’s Official Community Plan (OCP), it’s necessary for the district to stimulate new housing development that ensures affordable housing is available for our current and future population.

Whether a seasonal worker, long-term resident, or senior citizen, residents are facing increased housing insecurity. A thriving economy means that local businesses are started, operated, and sustained by owners and staff who have options to live securely, to live without fear of eviction, and to raise a family here if they chose to.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• Ucluelet can and should develop a housing authority. I commit to speaking with residents and drafting a motion to establish a housing authority, or collaboratively expand Tofino’s housing authority to service the entire Pacific Rim region.

• As new affordable options come online over the next few years, I commit to working with the province of BC and the BC Residential Tenancies Branch to explore options for using existing housing stock to create long-term housing options that bridge our current housing needs. By partnering with homeowners and exploring tax and renovation incentives, we can collaboratively design solutions that ensure residents stay in our region until permanent options are built.

The lands where the District of Ucluelet is currently located, and the surrounding regions many locals and visitors touch, are ancestral Nuu-chah-nulth territories that have been stewarded by Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ, t̓uk̓ʷaaʔatḥ, ƛaɁuukwiatḥ peoples since time immemorial.

In the spirit of true reconciliation, reciprocity, and prosperity, I believe that daily decisions, actions, language, and place names should reflect the rich history and perspective of the nations whose lands we occupy. What this means to me is enthusiastic consent and partnership in decision-making, never speaking on behalf of nations and ensuring that honest efforts are always made to invite, include, listen, and honour contributions in policy and discourse.

I value and respect the people and lands who were here long before me, and the Indigenous Peoples currently here, and I am dedicated to supporting their future legacies and enrichment through consistent action.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• I commit to meaningful consultation with Indigenous nations to achieve proactive and collaborative involvement on all critical infrastructure, housing, heritage, language, culture, and economic initiatives.

• Seek innovative and novel opportunities to move Ucluelet forward while partnering with Indigenous nations and creating intentional relationships regarding decision-making, governance, and long-term economic prosperity.

In addition to our thriving tourism industry, I believe it is possible to diversify our region’s business offering to support a range of complimentary industries.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• Audit and create a transparent open data resource for current and prospective business owners. While existing data sources exist, we can bolster the strength of our economy by studying and highlighting community needs while investing in infrastructure to help business owners develop and launch innovative products and services.

• Partner with Parks & Recreation to explore options for supporting local businesses with district-owned assets. For example, reducing barriers for entrepreneurs who do not currently have commissary kitchen space to rent district facilities to develop food-safe products in clean, commercial-grade kitchens.

Towering trees, vast shorelines, and abundant plant and animal life are a few of the things many of us love about Ucluelet. Daily exposure to nature is not only beautiful, but spending time outdoors has been proven to increase parasympathetic activity (reduce stress!) and potentially improves respiratory health.

It’s important to consider Ucluelet’s growth and development in relation to the natural environment we exist in.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• Partner with Wildsafe BC to promote innovative, meaningful reduction of wildlife-related incidents with residents and visitors.

• Partner with the Ucluelet business community to create easy-to-use resources for local businesses to reduce negative environmental impacts and promote positive environmental behaviours.

It’s my personal belief that daily movement is one of the best levers we have to control our overall health. Whether a short walk or roll on Ucluelet’s vast network of paths and trails, or taking part in multi-day outdoor adventures, I believe that everyone should feel empowered to stay active in our region. And, as a community we should ensure there are well-thought, alternative forms of access for members of our region who face physical, cognitive, or financial barriers to daily movement.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• Explore external funding opportunities to expedite the creation of new recreational spaces and/or retrofit existing spaces to expand recreational offerings for sports like swimming, pickleball, and indoor rock climbing. (Activities TBD, pending results of recent Parks & Rec survey)

• Explore the feasibility of creating a hands-on Makerspace that promotes youth-centred skill development and collaboration with expert mentors and small businesses. Intentionally creating social spaces that are safe and inviting for youth can help create essential “third spaces” that we do not currently have.

Presently, Ucluelet’s tourism economy operates at its greatest capacity between spring and fall, with limited availability of services through November-to-May. Before we might consider expanding our tourism capabilities, we must first stabilize the industry we have at it’s current capacity.

Tourism requires more than tourist accommodation. Short-term accommodation is part of our total offering, but in order to welcome visitors from around the world, year-round, we must expand upon our existing entertainment, hospitality, and eco-tourism offerings by stimulating business expansion into new opportunity areas and by inviting new business creation. We can do this by analyzing industry data, monitoring and evaluating occupancy figures, pinpointing service gaps, and defining emerging market opportunities.

For example: While surfing, kayaking, sport-fishing, sailing, and storm-watching are great activities that have built our reputation, our trail running, pickleball, cycling, rock climbing, and hiking communities are quickly expanding and worthy of supporting.

Immediate actions I’ll take, if elected:

• I commit to supporting the creation of at least one demonstration event within our community. For example, creating a Vancouver Island ‘Gravel Series’ cycling race in collaboration with an organization like the Ucluelet Mountain Bike Association or building on the success of pickleball and hosting a larger regional/provincial pickleball tournament in partnership with the Ucluelet Pickleball Club.

• In addition to building more affordable housing (noted above), I’ll explore opportunities to support local businesses to identify, expand, and manage rental housing capacity for seasonal employees.