Incumbent Mayor Lawrence Chernoff speaks to upcoming election
By Contributor
As Mayor of Castlegar for the past nine years, it has been a joy and a privilege to serve with the residents of this great city. As I reflect on this past term, there are several accomplishments and achievements of which I am particularly proud.
Castlegar has invested heavily in its infrastructure—major improvements in the water distribution system (including a new reservoir), the extension of water and sewer across the river to the airport lands and road improvements. In addition, we have retro-fitted the existing Water Treatment Centre with new treatment systems including a UV reactor; a $1.2 million dollar project that received $760,000 in grant funding. Castlegar became the first city in British Columbia to convert to LED street lighting. We will continue to invest in our infrastructure in a well-planned and affordable way.
I am incredibly proud of the initiatives of SculptureWalk and Communities in Bloom. Castlegar is thrilled to hold the title of “SculptureWalk Capital of Canada”. Furthermore, what an incredible honour it was for Castlegar to receive top spot in the 2014 Communities in Bloom International Challenge. Such recognition is a testament to the outstanding volunteers that live in our community. As a City, we have assisted in upcoming Destination Marketing funding with the Chamber of Commerce. We have moved significantly into the internet with a major expansion of our web page as well as our establishment on Facebook and Twitter. The current City promotional video is available on the City’s web page. I spoke with a resident who relocated here after viewing this video.
As with most other City representatives, the completion of the Natural Ponds at Millennium Park was a highlight of this past term for me. The construction of this $1.6 million feature was jointly funded and received a grant of $400,000. Furthermore, future additions to Millennium Park include an off-leash dog park and Celgar Pavillion, thanks to the hard-working members of Rotary.
All of these projects have been completed without incurring one single penny of debt.
The airport continues to be aggressively marketed to competing airlines in hopes of attracting additional service providers such as WestJet. We continue to work towards a new navigational procedure that will continue to improve landing/take-off reliability. We are currently arranging meetings with Air Canada and NavCanada on this issue.
Castlegar continues to push for reliable health care in the region and City Council participates actively in Kootenay Boundary Regional Health Board. Council has initiated a regional approach to the provision of health services through the engagement of Jim Gustafson. This report is before the Regional Health Board with a recommendation that the board undertakes a regional health strategic plan.
All of these accomplishments do not fall on my shoulders alone. They come through cooperative partnerships, whether through present council, community groups, staff or other levels of government. A good leader can build rapport with others and pull these partnerships together to create an amazing place to call home.
Supported by the hard-working and dedicated individuals around me, I am that leader. I have the courage of conviction, the clear vision and the ambition to succeed. I encourage the team to perform to their optimum and drive organizational success.
Castlegar deserves a mayor who acts with integrity, provides clear direction and communicates effectively. It is about having a leader who is pro-active, resourceful and open-minded. It is someone who isn’t afraid to embrace change and make the tough decisions A good leader is accountable, confident and optimistic about what the future of Castlegar will be. I am that leader.
My focus and inspiration have always been the citizens of Castlegar. I pride myself on being the leader that listens to the people and one whose drive and determination get things done.
Castlegar residents: Let’s move forward together and continue what we started. The future looks bright for Castlegar. If we stay on this path, the possibilities are endless.
Nothing can be taken for granted. Please exercise your right to vote.
On November 15, choose a leader who believes in Community over Confrontation. Vote Lawrence Chernoff for Mayor.
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