In anticipation of the upcoming Provincial Election, we asked the three candidates running for MLA in our riding of West Vancouver - Sea to Sky questions about how they would address issues here on Bowen Island. These are the answers from Jen Ford, who is running for the NDP.
What is your professional/political background?
Prior to entering politics, I worked in Tourism at Whistler Blackcomb for 14 years. I was first elected to Whistler Council in 2014 and have continued to serve there, as Chair of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District, and as President of the Union of BC Municipalities.
What motivated you to run for office?
I ran for office in 2014 because I saw so many of my friends, family, and peers struggling to keep up in a BC where the BC Liberal government had allowed housing prices to more than double, had made health care cuts instead of investments, and had made life less affordable by piling new fees and charges on people while giving those at the top tax breaks. I believed that I could make a difference and believe I have through my work with the Whistler Housing Authority and our local health collaborative.
This election will mark the first time since 1991 where the riding won’t have a BC Liberal/BC United MLA. Why should voters choose you and your party for the new road forward?
Amongst all the parties in BC, it is the BC NDP that has consistently stood up to put people first. And today, it is the BC NDP that has a plan to tackle today's tough challenges and make life better for people. We have passed bold reforms, we are starting to see results, and though we're not yet where we need to be, we won't stop until the job is done.
John Rustad and the BC Conservatives have presented a plan filled with cuts and costs - rolling back progress on housing to drive up housing costs, and cutting healthcare. And many of their candidates - including their leader - have expressed conspiracy theories and values that, if I'm being honest, would make me worried for our future if they were allowed to guide public policy.
Only the BC NDP can form a government to stop them and deliver on the priorities of British Columbians. John Rustad and his candidates are a risk we can't afford.
What do you see as the top priorities for Bowen in the upcoming term?
Bowen is a unique community. But people there have told me that they face the same struggles as people across BC – finding a family doctor, finding housing, and just making ends meet. That’s why I will be laser focused on helping to deliver new housing options, continuing on our path of connecting every British Columbian with primary care by 2025, and helping people make ends meet.
What steps will you take to address the current state of the Bowen ferry route?
When John Rustad was in government he supported the plan to turn BC Ferries into a private corporation. It’s a plan that hasn’t worked for communities like Bowen. We need to find a better way to ensure reliable service for residents and to do so in a way that includes and reflects the views of Island residents.
What efforts will you make to bring more frequent and wide-ranging public transit service to the island?
The ferry connection to Bowen is the end point of a broader transit network. David Eby has committed to investments in transit that will not only strengthen it in the most populated areas of Metro Vancouver but also in areas like the Sea to Sky. And that includes investing in inter-city buses between key transit hubs, and reviving the option of a transit rail connection through the Sea to Sky corridor.
How would you tackle the lack of affordable housing and rental housing on Bowen?
As Premier, David Eby has laid out a housing action plan that has received global recognition for its boldness. It is helping people and communities do more to deliver housing people need. And he’s not done. In this campaign he has laid out plans to help thousands of families and individuals buy homes they can afford and to deliver an additional 300,000 homes in the next 10 years. Bowen can be and will be part of this.
What are your plans to address climate change, especially for island and coastal communities?
Climate change is hitting close to home, with extreme weather events affecting our communities. The BC NDP is taking action. As with its housing action plan, the BC NDP government, in cooperation with the Greens from 2017-2020, created the CleanBC climate action plan recognized by the UN for its innovation. As Premier, David Eby has doubled down on making BC a leader in meeting the climate challenge. We will make big polluters pay their fair share and put in measures to incentivize the transition to a clean economy. And we also developed and will implement BC’s first Coastal and Marine Strategy that will protect Howe Sound and the rest of BC’s coast.
What will your approach to tourism on Bowen be, and how can communities such as ours strike a balance between the tourism economy and issues that arise from it (ferry capacity, increased strain on island services such as emergency, infrastructure, etc.) while also continuing to maintain a rural character?
Millions of people come to BC each year for obvious reasons. These visitors sustain, in part, Bowen’s local economy. As with other places, Bowen needs to find a balance that works for its residents. A BC NDP government, by protecting coastal and marine environments and by protecting 30% of BC’s land mass by 2030, will help our community achieve that balance.
Bowen is facing significant infrastructure costs in the coming years including water, sewage and roads. How will your party assist with supporting these projects?
Communities across North America are facing escalating infrastructure costs. David Eby and the BC NDP are making sure that people in BC, especially in rural and remote areas, have the services and infrastructure they need - building roads, schools and hospitals, while doubling trade apprentice seats to over 50,000.
We must also ensure value for dollars. David Eby called on Metro Vancouver to do an audit of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant - and now they're doing it.
How will you stay engaged with Bowen if elected?
As Chair of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District I’ve become accustomed to the hard work of travelling to places that are “off the beaten track” to connect with the people that make these places tick. I have many good friends and professional relationships on Bowen already and I look forward to being able to deepen my connections there as your MLA.
