Ken Blackburn For City Council

As we approach the end of the election there are some things I’d like to make clear. Votes or no votes - I want to say to everyone that is working in Campbell River to create this City as a compassionate, inclusive, and amazing place YOU ARE MY HEROES. You include: the Hospital Auxiliary, the staff and management at the Hospital, Hospice, Family Services, our Transition houses, our Social Services on the front lines of Downtown, our teachers, our fire fighters, our securi...ty and bylaw officers. And my many artist friends and small business owners who truly CARE about our community. This is not about vote-getting - this is just the last time I may have a media platform to say it to everyone I respect. Thank you for what you do, I try to work alongside you in creative ways. So many of you work unseen and unknown and do not receive the praise that you deserve. Your professions are not the most glamorous, nor well understood, but my experience has shown me you are by far the most essential. We simply don’t have any community quality-of-life without you. Thank you and it has been an honour to be able to give a voice for our sector a sector inclusive of anyone working with compassion and empathy for the people of our community during this election. Please Vote for Change! Whether for me or not, voter turnout is an indicator of community engagement. And healthy communities have strong engagement from their citizens.

I am appealing to everyone to get out and Vote For Change! Some of the economic ideas coming from other candidates are both backward thinking and lacking in social, cultural, or environmental understanding. We need a new voice on City Council, one that understands the development of social capital alongside economic progress. And one that understands the essential equality of the non-profit world with the private world within positive community development. No other candidate has demonstrated a clear understanding of these essential community connections and their economic inter-dependencies. Please participate in this election by casting a vote for creative and collaborative decision-making. I am that Candidate. Please support Ken Blackburn for City Councillor.

Have you been following the Mirror's Election coverage? This is a great place to find information about the candidates' views and vision for the community. I have participated in all of the weekly questions. Check it out and please consider voting: Ken for Council!

BIG News- I have been endorsed by the Canadian Labour Congress for the Campbell River Municipal By-election. I am proud to represent the workers of Campbell River in this election. I want to thank the Canadian Labour Congress for their endorsement. Let's together invest in our community, support public services, create good jobs and ensure sustainability"

The City Council vote on Monday night concerning bike lanes on Hilchey is not to be discouraging. It should serve to refocus our attention on the Master Transportation Plan. This is the KEY Plan through which we can address the many complexities that require careful consideration. Our biking community must be engaged at the absolute beginning of the planning and design phase of the Transportation Plan process. As we articulate the needs of density planning, of various leve...ls of income housing plans, of in-fill housing options, of downtown revitalization and of expected increases in tourism and economic development, it is obvious that the car issues traffic, parking, environmental impacts will only increase pressures on active transportation. Secondary in-suite housing options for example are well documented to increase parking pressure on streets. We will need a radical rethinking of how we move transportation through the city in order to accommodate our desires for density, alongside our active transportation needs and public transit. We will need creative approaches to establishing active bike and walking corridors, alongside a rethinking of traffic corridors. This will happen through the Master Transportation Plan. It is time to focus our collective attention there and make sure our voices are part of the early planning process. A vote for Ken Blackburn is a vote for creative leadership in all planning processes. Active Transportation is a vital aspect of our future community development.

This is the last week to learn about the Municipal Candidates before voting, this Saturday, Feb. 27th! So, while I want you to consider voting for me- it is more important to just get out and vote! We will be highlighting how, when, and where to vote this week on the page- so please get involved, get out, and VOTE!

We need leadership in the City that understands community connections. Our infrastructure, local economy, environment, and social sector all intersect. Ken Blackburn brings experience and creative problem solving to City Council. Vote for Ken Blackburn on February 27th to ensure positive change in Campbell River

The most important part of the election is happening RIGHT NOW, through to Saturday. So, get out, get involved, get heard, and VOTE!

We all know well the need for our households to follow a budget that balances our income with our expenses. Our City should be no different. The City budget should reflect the priorities of the community, with spending balanced against revenues and taxation. I know how to seek efficiencies in budgetary planning. A vote for Ken on February 27th is a vote that supports prudent and balanced budgets.

We need leadership in the City that understands community connections. Our infrastructure, local economy, environment and social sector all intersect. Ken Blackburn brings experience and creative problem solving to City Council. Vote for Ken Blackburn on February 27th to ensure positive change in Campbell River.

Community Questions #4 Q. Downtown safety is a concern. When the regional library is posting something like this, and people are saying they won't come downtown because its not safe, what are your solutions? A. thanks for the question and good to hear from you. Very difficult challenge downtown right now. One that is complicated and demands listening to the many diverse voices who are experiencing this challenge from different perspectives. I have been talking with many downt...Continue reading

Community Question #3 Q. What’s your stand on the proposed apartment complex at 3rd and the old Is Hwy. For or against? A. Thanks for the question, In short No. It was the wrong development for this site. I understand the city has sent the developer’s proposal back for ‘rethinking’ and for now the rezoning from R1 to CD is not viable. Our waterfront is our most important asset so let me be clear any development on our waterfront should be very closely scrutinized for ...environmental impacts, traffic and infrastructure capacity. I strongly support public access to our waterfront, so development on our waterfront needs to be very carefully considered. This proposal is a clear No. But I do want to say that this in no way implies that I am ‘anti-development’. Let’s be honest all development needs to be assessed with account for their individual environmental, social and economic consequences. We must choose each proposal within its own merits. Waterfront development in particular needs protection. Personally I would like to see no development on our waterfront - except for promoting green space, parks, play stations for children, public walkways, public art, food options, galleries, theatres the ocean front should be public and accessible. See more

Community Question #2: Q.We are an industry based town, what's your stance on mining, logging and fish farming? A. ... I worked for 10 years in mining and construction. I have been both a SteeIworker and Teamster union member. I absolutely support the working men and women in industry. I absolutely support industry that in turn supports their communities through industrial practices that respect labour laws, environmental regulations and that demonstrate an understanding of social responsibility. Because I currently work in the cultural sector I feel many people don’t realize that I come from an industrial background and have many friends still employed in mining, logging and fishing. We need industrial development, and as you say we have an industrial history. But let’s be clear times have changed. If industry has kept progressive in respecting shifting environmental concerns, alongside demonstrating a loyalty to its employees and community, what is there not to support? However if industry has remained stuck in past practices, practices that disregarded environmental impacts or worked to union bust and undercut local loyalty in favour of global shareholder profits, then I’m sorry I’m not supportive. Industry and community should be seen as mutually supportive. I want industry to think local first. So if industry is with me in putting community first, I am with them. As I am with my friends working in industry families who play on sports teams, whom I scuba dive with, who I see at concerts and galleries if industry respects them, then I respect the industry. I have been through shutdowns, strikes, closures. It is painful and as a worker and father I felt many times powerless. But as a community we can be collectively powerful. We must keep industry engaged with the needs of its workers and the best interests of the community. They are my friends and my neighbours. See more