An All-Candidates meeting hosted by Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce at the Best Western featured candidates that sounded increasingly well-versed and polished, as the May 9 election looms.
The lunch hour event marked the fifth forum for Chilliwack or Chilliwack-Kent candidates, with at least one more to come. But not one of the events so far has corralled all seven candidates under one roof.
Last week the topics touched on the impact of homelessness, the state of the rental market, and mass transit vs. highway expansion. They were grilled on how they’d grow business, and how they’d improve the lot of aboriginal kids in care.
The twin spectres of addiction and homelessness came up once again, but from the point of view of local business. Candidates were asked how they would help the situation.
BC Liberal candidate Laurie Throness pointed to solid commitments by BC Liberals for subsidized housing funding, adding he believes treatment should be paramount.
“If we were to provide more residential treatment it would get half the people off the street,” Throness said.
NDP candidate Patti MacAhonic said the culprit was “chronic underfunding” in the face of growing homelessness, and said a mental health and addictions ministry would help.
“And it’s needed now. We have to act fast,” she said. “This has gone on way too long. The BC Liberals had 16 years but yet it’s gotten progressively worse, with part of our town looking like Old Whalley. We need to do better under an NDP government.”
Green Party candidate Wayne Froese ticked off party strategies that included safe injection funding, youth programs, and the need to address affordable housing.
“The model needs to be ‘Housing First’ with wrap-around services, rather than treatment before housing, because that doesn’t work,” Froese said.
BC Liberal candidate John Martin touted their record of solid funding secured, underlining the $500 million overall for affordable housing across B.C. of which Chilliwack managed to get two subsidized housing projects approved.
“We were able to wrangle the single biggest cheque,” Martin said, securing the $18 million needed for Chilliwack projects at Ruth & Naomi’s, as well as the Urban Village.
“No community got more than that.”
One of the questions pitted expansion of the Trans Canada Highway up against the idea of rapid transit expansion.
Candidate Martin stated it’s crucial to have the ability to get goods to market and not idling on the TCH.
Candidate Throness said “it’s not either or, it’s kind of both,” mentioning the success of the $5 regional FVX bus service, as well as the need to expand the highway.
Candidate Froese said he favoured a “multi-pronged” transportation approach, in which transit is seen as vital and viable for workers.
“Also what we need is uniform tolling so the costs are spread more equitably,” Froese said.
Canadidate Macahonic echoed Candidate Throness when she said, “it’s not either or” but both, pointing out that expanded mass transit options and highway expansion were both needed.
