Six candidates are vying for four councillor positions in Cache Creek, and the Journal sent the same questions to all six candidates, asking for their replies.
David Dubois is one of the Cache Creek councillor candidates.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself (i.e. background, previous experience in local government). I have a degree in Engineering and have been working in the renewable energy sector. I have three children and two grandchildren. I have been married to my wife Donna Middleton for over 20 years and have lived in Cache Creek since 2007. I served on council from 2014 to 2018, including during the floods and fire evacuation
2. What do you see as the biggest issue facing the community and how do you intend to tackle it? I think the biggest issue that we have in our community is housing: not just for purchase but also for rental. Our current business community desperately need more staffing in order for them to be successful.
Maintaining our current economic base is critical. We have to accept that our base is the service industry, which has limited ability to pay the high wages needed for home ownership. They can provide valuable jobs to skilled and committed people, but such people demand quality housing to live in. Once our businessed are supported and growing we can attract additional businesses to invest in our community.
3. What type of development would you like to see in your community, and what steps would you take to attract it? I think we need to support our businesses by ensuring they have the staff they need to survive and grow. In order to do that we need a stock of quality affordable rental housing for workers to support our businesses, and I think that we as a town need to invest in our own community to develop this housing. Most developers are not interested in our small market, so I think as a country we need to invest in both market rental housing and quality elder housing, including developing partnerships with BC Housing, Interior Health, and others to acquire vacant and underutilized land to build housing.
4. If elected, what is the most relevant skill or experience you can contribute to council? As an engineer and someone who does a lot of business development and project management, I bring an understanding of how to get things done efficiently and effectively while being respectful of all stakeholders. My experience in my private life developing award-winning municipal projects, as well as a calm, thoughtful attitude, make me well-suited to working with a diverse council to benefit Cache Creek.
General voting day is Saturday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cache Creek Community Hall. There will be advance voting in Cache Creek on Oct. 5, 11, 12, and 13 (at the Cache Creek village office; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 5, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 11-13) and Oct. 7 (at the Ashcroft Hospital and Health Site, 3 to 4 p.m.). For more information, go to https://cachecreek.ca/elections-2022.
editorial@accjournal.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter