The following people are running for School Board Trustee but did not respond by deadline: Bob Thompson.
Harold Edwards
Position sought: School District #57 Robson Valley Trustee
Harold Edwards was born at Blythe, California 22 July 1947. He graduated from Redlands High School in 1964, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Wheaton College, Wheaton Illinois in 1968, and went to graduate school for one year at UC Santa Barbara also studying Geology. He moved to McBride in 1970 and bought property in Legrand in 1971 where he currently lives. Harold was a faller in the 1970’s and 80’s, taught high school at McBride Secondary School from 1988 until 2006, and was part of a group that built a 6 megawatt run-of-river hydroelectric project in Castle Creek. Harold served as a councillor in the Village of McBride from Spring of 2016 to the present.
The new position of School District #57 Trustee for the Robson Valley will serve the citizens of the area best if the first person in the job can:
Be an effective conduit for the needs and desires of the students and parents to be conveyed to the district management.
Advocate for a new funding formula to better address the needs of rural and remote schools.
Support local schools in their effort to create new ways to deliver education to their students.
Address issues of fairness especially with regard to student access to extracurricular activities such as music, drama, sports, and fine arts.
I think that my background in education, business, and local government will be useful to the people of the Robson Valley in achieving these ends.
Ben Hunter
Position sought: RDFFG Area H Director
- Self Employed Carpenter/Renovator
- Candidate for Director, Area H, Regional District Fraser Fort-George
Integrity is the foundation of my character. Its walls are honesty, and it is roofed with reliability. The bulk of my work comes to me by word of mouth. When I am on a job my time is not my own as my client comes first. I speak plainly and truthfully. If I cannot do the work I say so immediately, explain why and suggest others who may be more appropriate. I place great value in keeping my word. All in it’s a tidy little house for consistency, dedication, and persistence to live in.
I have not held any public office before, though I have been a manager of volunteers several times including having been a Search and Rescue Team Leader, and Swiftwater Rescuer for eight years. I hold a 100% Live Rescue Rate over that time. If the subjects were alive when we got the call, they were alive when we found them and brought them out. Many lives were saved and changed, including my own. When I worked in outdoor retail, selling technical gear and clothing, I had some of the highest sales on record because I made it a point to learn as much as I could and I listened to my clients, many of whom knew far more than I did.
Over the course of my work many of you have expressed your concerns to me on topics from employment to education and resource management. I have listened to you and have learned a lot, though I recognize that I have only scratched the surface. These conversations sparked an interest in how our region has come to be where it is today; what decisions were made, how they were made, and why. I will keep listening.
Our region has been my family’s home since 1981. Its mountains, fields, and rivers are where I spend my downtime. As such, its well-being and future are my concern. I look forward to putting my experience and skills to work as Director for Area H, Regional District Fraser Fort-George.
Dannielle Alan
Position sought: RDFFG Area H Director
I manage the McBride Visitor Centre and the Whistle Stop Gallery for the non-profit Whistle Stop Gallery Society, have two grown(ish) children and a hobby farm between McBride and Valemount. Emphasis on the hobby part as the goats, chickens and ambulatory lawn mower will attest. I have been an active community member since my arrival in 2005, involved with various clubs and organizations and am currently the Area H Regional District Director.
As Area H Director I have been able to help in a wide-ranging and participatory role. We have brought local representation to the SD57 board, advocated for local decision making around backcountry access and development, supported clean energy, affordable housing, children and seniors.
We are attracting new people with new ideas into our communities and also attracting investment.
Economic and community sustainability are our two biggest challenges. We need to continue to attract valley-friendly industry and investment into our area, growing our employment diversity and building on the strengths of each community and each area in our region. We have to attract people to work here, live here and raise their families here. For this, we must have the kind of communities – vibrant, diverse, offering a healthy lifestyle and varied recreational opportunities – that people want to live in. We need to support our seniors so that they can be active participants and stay in our communities and make sure our children have the educational opportunities that will allow them to succeed.
We have the tools and resources to make this happen.
Our community forests are an enormous asset and our farmers, ranchers, railroad and forestry workers give us strength. Tourism is a supported economic driver and we are building new opportunities in this important industry. We are constantly advocating for and supporting high speed internet initiatives so that we can attract more people whose businesses rely on that access.
We need to support the people making a difference in our communities.
From building a playground in Dome Creek, a museum in Dunster, creating programs for kids in Valemount, refurbishing the community hall in Tete Jaune, to creating the new library/museum in McBride, community members are working hard with few resources.
We have dedicated people working on solutions for clean energy and clean air, and tireless advocates who have worked to restore fish and wildlife habitat while teaching residents and visitors alike about the importance of our environment.
We have people working with seniors, others finding solutions to our affordable housing challenges.
We have volunteers building trails, campsites and cabins for all to enjoy. Community members are helping lost and abandoned pets, working with children, being role models, creating opportunities and inspiring others with their passion.
I find that by working with people to find common solutions and approaching issues in a positive and collaborative way, we can make great things happen. Through advocacy and active involvement, I work to support the communities in the Robson/Canoe Valley, with your support I will continue.
