A three-term Powell River councillor wants to use his background of connection and cooperation to be the next mayor.
Rob Southcott points to being eight years on council concentrating on urban planning plus his leadership background being a former leader in Powell River for the BC Ambulance Service.
He is a born and raised Powell River resident with a long family history in the area.
In an interview with Vista Radio, Southcott says new economic development, especially on the former mill site, will help improve other aspects of the city.
“Our town being a mill town in transition, we are really looking for new economic development. The B.C. government’s Look West (Jobs and Prosperity) Strategy and the country’s federal promise to send a whole lot of money into redevelopment that’s aimed at the military essentially I think gives us all sorts of opportunity,” Southcott said.
He says Tla’amin Nation is a force the city should get behind when it comes to business development.
“I think we’re at a juncture where our region is absolutely positioned to work together better than we have in the past. The Tla’amin Nation is a real force to be reckoned with and their development and the potential that they have actualized is amazing,” Southcott said.
Tla’amin Nation and Cranberry Business Park each own a part of the former Catalyst mill site.
He says a prosperous local economy will drive everything else but issues like homelessness, drug use and the request from Tla’amin Nation to change the city’s name still need to be addressed. “That’s something we need to dig back into again but when we start working together, I am absolutely convinced that our communities can work together, find common ground and move forward on these things,” Southcott said.
Southcott also says there’s also lots of potential around city-owned waterfront land that could be a deep water port.
“I feel such an excitement and enthusiasm about the potential of us working together in this region. We’re an isolated region. We’re very special here and we have so much going for us, natural beauty, extremely rich culture within our community,” he said.
You can read more on his election platform on his website by clicking here.
Election Day is Saturday, Oct. 17.
