LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- September 23, 2008
Dear Editor:
I have been asked by many people to stand for election to Princeton Town Council. After much thought, I have agreed.
I am deeply honoured to have been asked, having been a genuine Princeton citizen for only just over a year. My wife and partner Rika Ruebsaat and I have known Princeton for many years. We bought a vacation property here four years ago, and were so delighted with the town and its friendly welcome to us that we decided to retire here permanently.
"Retired" is probably the wrong word. Since that time, we have dived into Princeton affairs with both feet. We are singers and musicians, who have both been teachers and researchers for many years. We founded the Princeton Traditional Music Society (PTMS) last year, and organized this summer's very successful Traditional Music Festival. We founded the Princeton Waits, a group of singers bringing back the tradition of outdoor winter singing around the Christmas season. We also issued this summer a CD of Princeton traditional songs and poems, "Now It's Called Princeton", as a fundraiser for the Museum and the PTMS. We also belong to the Chamber of Commerce (where I drafted revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws), the Museum and Archives Society, and the Vermilion Forks Field Naturalists (where we are learning about birds, after taking part in last Christmas Annual Bird Count.) We are both active in the Princeton Arts Council, where Rika is President and I am Secretary.
What I can offer Princetonites is three things: vision, drive, and competency.
I believe the next few years will be critical for this town, and we need a council that can look ahead, identify what problems might or will arise, and plan for them. I've been President of the Canadian Traditional Music Society and have played active roles in my years as teacher with professional and union issues. Rika and I are frequent broadcasters on CBC, and have long experience in BC politics, at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. Vision, drive and competence were essential in these endeavours, and they are no less required by would-be Town Councillors.
The re-opening of the mine and the development of the Industrial Park will bring about many changes in Princeton, and we need to plan for them now. We will need in the next three years to come to terms with the changing demographics of the town. How can we encourage young families to make Princeton their home? What services will an ageing population need and how can we best provide them? I believe that vision, drive, and competency will be the assets we need in facing these challenges.
I hope you will support my candidacy in the Election. Election day is Saturday, November 15th, with voting from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM in the Canadian Legion on Bridge Street.
If you would like to help my campaign, or if you would like more information or would like simply to chat, please email me at
Jon_Bartlett@telus.net or call me at (250) 295-6010.
- Jon Bartlett, Princeton
To The Editor;
I have always had an interest in local governance, particularly the Regional District and our own Area H. Area H is large, with a widespread diverse population, often times with differing concerns.
Issues important in Tulameen may be of little concern in Manning Park or Osprey Lake or Allison Lake. When we add rapid population growth, industrial development and other critical issues we begin to appreciate the necessity of achieving meaningful representation.
To ensure that Regional Directors meet with a range of their constituency on a regular basis, upper level governments strongly recommend that all area directors appoint Advisory Planning Commissions (APC's) to assist in the process. This APC is simply a group of interested local individuals in touch with various aspects of the district willing to work with the director in receiving and disseminating information and ultimately in the decision making process.
This course of action is demanding. It requires finding, organizing and meeting with dedicated volunteers. However, it is a far more daunting task to make decisions that impact the welfare of the community without that appropriate participation. When you consider that the town of Princeton, with only a slightly larger population than Area H, has a council of five elected officials receiving public input, it is obvious that no single elected official can effectively represent this large and diverse area without an active APC.
This has not been the case in Area H. Over the years this APC process has been at best an on again, off again practice.
What recently brought this to my attention was a project in which I was involved in Area F near Summerland. That process, which involved acquiring approval for a charitable development, opened my eyes as to just how much consultation can occur involving the director and his or her APC. The procedure included a very lively and productive interaction with the director and his APC which ultimately resulted in a considered decision that was well understood by the community and therefore received wide spread support.
The procedure was lengthy and yet the members were more than willing to participate.
In speaking with many individuals from Area H I have been impressed at how many are interested in being a part of this meaningful process. Community input and representation through an active and ongoing APC is not only possible it is unequivocally essential.
- Brad Hope, Princeton
