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Ashcroft Council candidate John Kidder

John Kidder seeks his first term on Ashcroft Council

1. My grandfather was a judge here in the ‘30s. I first came in the ‘60s to the Chataway Ranch, the Bar Q (now the Sundance) and the Mesa Vista (now the Bar M), and to Lornex in the ‘70s. My father Kendall and my mother Jill built our place on the Bonaparte in the ‘80s. My wife Siri and I bought the place in 2006; I moved here after Siri’s death in December 2009.

2. I am a business executive and governance professional. I have been a cowboy, a miner and a fish worker, an agricultural economist and range manager. Since the mid-’80s I have been starting companies. My last company, APRIO Inc. (www.aprio.net) provides software for boards of directors of companies, financial institutions and non-profits.

3. I am a director of the Winding Rivers Arts and Performance Society, and a director of Bill Drinkwater’s society to produce his book of photographs of the Thompson Corridor.

4. I have not served on any local councils. I have been active for many years in civic, provincial and federal politics, and I have served on a number of city, provincial and national non-profit boards.

5. Ashcroft needs new economic activity. Restaurants, retailers and service shops can’t make a living here. These services, provided by small locally-owned businesses, are lifeblood. They need a better business environment to survive. They sustain our community, and without them the town is not sustainable.

6. We can build a vibrant downtown. Ashcroft has unique natural assets, and an excellent brand. But we’ve not yet developed the practitioners, business and services to deliver on the promise. I can help build a downtown environment that supports wellness and is supported by arts and culture.

7. It is very attractive to see large projects as potential saviours. But we are not in control of such decisions. To build a sustainable community, we should focus on what we can do ourselves. I have skills and experience in building businesses and community. I look forward to adding my strengths to those of the Mayor and Council as we work together to revitalize Ashcroft