Election questionnaire: Janice D. MacLean

Name:

Janice D. MacLean

How many years have you lived in Squamish?

26

How many council or committee meetings have you attended since Sept. 1, 2017?

Due to time restraints, I usually watch them live or once they've been archived. I have attended 2 and watch 4-5.

What do you love most about Squamish? (150 word limit)

It is a community of passionate people that truly care about maintaining its beauty, its uniqueness and its vibrancy. It is a safe, diverse cultural community, with family friendly neighbourhoods, surrounded by beautiful nature accessible directly outside our back door, with lots of opportunity for outdoor recreation, organized sport, the arts, business and entrepreneurial opportunities and a stone's throw from the ocean.

Are you endorsing a particular candidate for mayor? (question for councilor candidates)

No/Not at this time

What do you think is the biggest single issue facing Squamish? (150 words limit)

I view issues as challenges or opportunities. I believe there are two primary challenges facing Squamish: 1) Its affordability and 2) retaining the integrity of its natural beauty.

We need to protect Squamish's as a place where you can breathe, enjoy nature, outdoor recreation, the arts and the cultural diversity of its unique live, work, play lifestyle.

Our opportunity, is to balance growth with respect and vision that is responsible and sustainable: socially, environmentally and economically so it is viable, bearable and equitable for all stakeholders.

In the last term, what was council's single greatest accomplishment? What was council's biggest failure? (150 character limit)

 I believe there are several accomplishments of our current council in the last term, however, the one that stands out is the process and adoption of the 2040 Official Community Plan. This was an enormous undertaking and it provides the next council with a comprehensive foundation for future decision-making. 

I don't see any complete failures, however, there was a lot of the community that did not understand or support the Blue Tree project expenditure.

Residents often complain about traffic (speeding, parking etc.) What would you do to improve traffic and parking in Squamish? (150 words limit)

This subject is not unique to our community. Let's explore successes and lessons learned from other communities that have had the same challenges and create solutions that work for Squamish.

Our residential and commercial areas are spread over 13 km on a major highway that is the only connection between Vancouver and Whistler. Additionally, our downtown is situated on a peninsula with limited access and egress. These are conditions beyond our control, but we can take a closer look at traffic patterns and the connectivity of our communities, alternative means of transportation and support solutions which mitigate traffic congestion, speeding and parking.

Squamish has a housing affordability crisis. What would you do to improve affordability? (150 words limit)

There are more economic and social factors that come into play which are out of our control, along with our neighbours to the North and South impacting our housing and rental prices. It won't be solved by providing a few dedicated 'affordable housing' units in new developments unless we consider the bigger picture and look for solutions that are sustainable for all our stakeholders. 

Personally, I would like to look at the viability of a tiny house community and use models of success from this concept from elsewhere in Canada and globally. These can help young people get into the market by purchasing a tiny home, or they can rent a pad and provide their own tiny home.

When we look at challenges and opportunities within our community, it is important to be thorough in our investigation for evidence based decision-making that meet our objectives and vision for Squamish.

Do you support stronger regulation of AirBNB?

I support registration, inspection for quality control, standards and certification as a regulation, but I don't immediately support additional taxation if it is a portion of a primary residence. This is how we can help provide high-quality much needed short term accommodation with transparency of our property owners, understand supply and demand and contribute to the experience of travellers that desire this type of accommodation.

How would you attract new businesses and employers to Squamish? (150 words limit)

There is considerable opportunity to attract clean and sustainable businesses to Squamish that provide higher paying jobs with employees that want the lifestyle we offer in Squamish.

I have been in business all my life; I have an MBA and worked with numerous industries in Canada and abroad, this is where I believe I can add value to the Squamish Council.

We are in a more desirable position to attract businesses due to housing availability, businesses that will contribute significantly to our tax base, add value and are environmentally friendly:  clean industries such as technology and biotechnology, research and development, green energy, marketing and communications, engineering, education and post production for the film industry are just a few examples.

It is important we take a proactive approach to seek out businesses that match our vision for Squamish.

Do you have a strategy to implement regional transit? (150 word limit)

There has already been a lot of collaboration on this challenge. When we look at regional transit, we need to have a strategy that is innovative and collaborative and considers short-term and long-term solutions.

This is an opportunity to also address several areas; transportation needs at a local and regional level, industry trends and look at models of success from communities with similar challenges.

We have partners within and outside our community that we can continue to engage to benefit all stakeholders; governments, regional communities, Canadian National Railway, BC Transit and private coach lines, rental services, and services like Car to Go.

Given limited financial resources, what do you think is the single highest priority for Brennan Park? (150 word limit)

The swimming pool expansion of Brennan Park opened within months of moving here with two young boys and pregnant with my third. At opening, the entrance bulletin board was covered with letters and newspaper clippings that opposed this municipal expenditure. As a family with "gills," we were shocked.

26 years later, Squamish has long since outgrown both the pool and the arena, but it remains an integral amenity for our growing community to retain and attract new residents and business.

We definitely require expansion of both the swimming facility and another arena sooner, rather than later.  There is government funding available for these types of projects and public-private partnerships; all vital to explore to find sustainable solutions. It could be an opportunity for good will for a corporate investor to have a presence in Squamish, or maybe the YMCA would consider a partnership.

Do you support cannabis retail shops in Squamish?

Yes, I support entrepreneurial retailers, and yes, I support cannabis retail shops in Squamish ... but not on every street.  I don't believe we want to be known as the cannabis capitol of Canada.

Would you consider yourself pro-WLNG or anti-WLNG?

Neutral (3)

Are you supportive of the Garibaldi At Squamish project?

Neutral (3)

Do you support development of the Cheema Lands (Lot 509/510)?

Neutral (3)