When my partner, Tessa, and I returned to Alberta in 2011 after training and education that took us to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, we were ready to set down roots and grow our little family. We chose Beaumont because of its proximity to a multitude of amenities and its friendly, small town feel. In my work as a Christian Pastor (B.A. Sustainable Rural Development - Augustana University College; M.Div - Lutheran Theological Seminary at Saskatoon) I have always striven to be a catalyst for the systematic formation of communities that resemble the Triune God through their loving inclusion, vigorous health and capacity to forge/sustain right relationships.

During the pressures of the Covid19 pandemic I sensed an opportunity to bring these skills to bear in my home community while also enjoying the benefit of spending more time investing in the wellbeing of our family. Together Tessa and I are the proud parents of Zephyra (12), Josiah (9) and Solomon (6) as well as two covid-kittens, Percy and Dusty.

I am seeking election to Beaumont City Council in order to honour our history, plan for a sustainable and vibrant future, and work in the present to thrive the common good.

How will you support the Beaumont's competitive advantage and market affordable housing? How do you see fees, levies, taxes and municipal cost control playing a role in housing affordability? Note: CHBA-ER refers to “market affordable housing” as housing that is market priced and meets the general requirements of affordability based on household income. Market affordable housing may include market rental housing and market home ownership.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to your questions. I want to say, first, that I appreciate the work of the CHBA-ER on behalf of its membership. I believe the common good is well served by groups working collaboratively in pursuit of their common interests. I will do my best to answer your questions in a meaningful way. However, the most honest answer I can give is that this will need to be an on-going conversation - one that I am committed to.

I believe that the government of Beaumont is generally on the right track with its approach to housing development. I know significant progress has been made under the outgoing administration with respect to rationalizing administrative requirements and "red tape". I am especially supportive of the Intermunicipal Planning Framework (2018) that allows for the collaborative development in the areas where the City of Edmonton, Leduc County and City of Beaumont jurisdictions interact.

In the context of this collaboration I am most interested in pursuing Beaumont's competitive advantage in ways I would characterize as qualitative. I see no reason why it should cost more for businesses to operate in or out of Beaumont compared to the rest of the sub-region. That said, I do believe that citizens and business interests alike must always pay their fair share of what it takes to build and maintain communities that are sustainable, equitable, and vibrant.

I see Beaumont as having qualitative strengths in the sub-area that I believe should be protected and expanded. Beaumont is a growing city with a small town feel. Beaumont has a proud francophone heritage and an increasingly diverse population. Beaumont has unique geographic and environmental features that can and should be conserved in support of the health of its residents and the wider region. Finally, I am glad to hear you speaking of housing affordability. I believe that the community of Beaumont will be well served and enlivened by the active pursuit of more diverse housing solutions in order to serve the increasingly diverse population. The pandemic has demonstrated the need across Canada for better housing solutions for our elders. I am also very interested in expanding our low-income and supportive housing stock. 

What steps do you believe are necessary to reduce red tape and support business investment in the residential construction industry?

I do believe that it is imperative for the city of Beaumont to improve its ratio of Business to Residential tax base. I think good work has been done over the last 4-6 years in that respect, but this will remain a focus for me. Since I am not an expert in this area, let me reiterate that I am appreciative of the work of the CHBA-ER. I am committed to continuous dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders towards developing Beaumont in ways that are sustainable, innovative, equitable, and mutually beneficial.

My father was a journeyman water-well driller. He would often remark to me that the way the engineers drew things up did not always fit the realities required in the field. That said, he wasn't one to disparage the work and expertise of others. In his work, my father always worked to understand the interests and goals of all the parties involved and to help them come to a solution that served their common interests. That is the way I will approach my work as a Councillor of the city of Beaumont.

Do you support welcoming a diversity of housing types throughout Beaumont?

This is an easier question for me to answer: Yes! I believe that diversity builds resiliency. Given the social and environmental challenges we are all facing today and into the future, we need to focus on developing more resilient communities. I am particularly interested in working to create more space in Beaumont for housing types that are sustainable, innovative, inclusive and affordable.

Is there anything about your platform that you think CHBA-ER members should know?

I want to work with investors and businesses towards developing opportunities that are mutually beneficial and sustainable over the long run. I believe it is particularly vital that our community be focussed today on fostering diversity in our demographics so we can be resilient in the face of the changes and challenges in front of us.