Local candidates clam up rather than speak to Comox Valley voters in public

Local candidates clam up rather than speak to Comox Valley voters in public

by | Oct 11, 2022

CAPTION CONTEST: Send us a caption for this photograph that relates to the current election campaign. There could be prizes.

Local candidates clam up rather than speak to Comox Valley voters in public

By

Alert! Call in the mental health professionals at once! The Comox Valley is experiencing a severe outbreak of Glossophobia among the candidates in this year’s local government elections. And strangely, it appears to have infected only the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky candidates.

Apparently, being a progressively-minded incumbent or challenger gives you natural immunity.

Glossophobics, as I’m sure you already know, have a fear of public speaking. And what other possible explanation could the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky candidates have for avoiding almost every opportunity to answer questions in a public setting?

Assuredly, this is an odd situation. Politicians in general, and especially those on the fringes, normally drool over any chance to speak in public and drown their audiences in a stream of non-sequiturs.

But this year, a specific group of candidates has refused to participate in normally sedate all-candidates forums. They are mostly those endorsed by the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky organization that imagines itself in the “mainstream” of Comox Valley ideology. And that’s a delusionary state in itself.

For Courtenay City Council, there were only two all-candidates forums and just one for the Comox Town Council. Electoral area candidates were invited to both.

So, other than a sudden onset of Glossophobia, we can’t think of any reason why Brennan Day, Deana Simkin, Mano Theos, Michael Gilbert, Starr Winchester, Phil Adams and Lyndsey Northcott didn’t show up for the Courtenay forum on Oct. 7.

Okay, Theos was on vacation in Greece and Adams was on a honeymoon trip, so they are just bad at scheduling.

But some of the same bunch didn’t show up at the North Island College Oct. 4 forum either.

Glossophobia infections went off the charts on the peninsula. Comox candidates had only one forum on Oct. 7 to make their pitch up close and personal with voters. But Peter Gibson, Ken Grant, Maureen Swift, Steve Blacklock and Chris Haslett blew it off anyway.

Even Tamara Meggitt in Area A caught the bug, as did Richard Hardy, who is running in Area B but actually lives in the heart of Comox. Both were no-shows at the Comox event.

When you look at this list of candidates who refused to participate there is an obvious common thread. They are the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky candidates.

And when we say ‘wacky,’ we mean candidates like Erik Eriksson, who showed up for the NIC climate-focused forum but didn’t join his colleagues on stage. Bizarrely, Eriksson sat in the front row and watched. Hey, Erik, a great display of mayoral leadership qualities.

Or, wacky like Area C candidate Matthew Ellis who has been laying low since the social media hounds found that photo of him standing in front of a confederate flag wearing a Trump Make America Great Again hat and holding both a shotgun and a bottle of Tennessee whiskey.

Maybe it’s a joke. But if you’re seeking public office and you leave that photo online, in my book you’re wacky. And if it wasn’t a joke, you are definitely wacky because you’re in Canada, dude.

So, all kidding aside, by refusing to spontaneously answer questions from the public, these candidates are usurping the democratic process. It’s the equivalent of Taking The Fifth Amendment (we know, American reference, but a good analogy) because they don’t want to incriminate themselves.

What could possibly happen by having the courage to stand up and defend your beliefs? Well, you might slip up and expose your truth, and that could cost you votes.

It’s a sad commentary on the state of election campaigning in the Comox Valley when candidates of similar ideology refuse to engage with those they want to represent. Just imagine how unresponsive they’ll be if you elect them.

These people hope to get elected by default, getting throw-away votes from people who just picked a name without really knowing the candidate. Dash that hope. Please.

 

WHERE WERE GRANT AND BLACKLOCK?

We know that Courtenay candidate Phil Adams was on a honeymoon, but what important business did Comox Council candidate Ken Grant have that kept him from the all-candidates forum last Friday afternoon? Well, readers report that he was sunning himself on the lawn of Milanos coffee shop just as the meeting was getting underway at the K’omoks Band Hall.

Meanwhile, Comox candidate Steve Blacklock took a different route. He didn’t go to the All-Candidates cafe-style forum Friday night either, but he sent a proxy with a phone.

Voters at one of the Comox tables (candidates rotated among small groups to answer questions in more intimate settings) noticed a young woman texting who had introduced herself as a friend of Blacklock. She then read from her phone a text that she said Blacklock was sending her. The people at the table advised her that because Blacklock didn’t show up, it was inappropriate for her to speak on his behalf and that she should leave. Which she did.

Is this what some people think passes for meaningful public discourse these days?

Kudos to the candidates who had the decency to show up at last week’s public forums. That includes Comox Mayor-Elect Nicole Minions, who will be acclaimed, but showed up anyway to pay respect to the organizers and the tax-paying public.

 

KEN GRANT STILL MISLEADING VOTERS

This story was sent to us by a reader with access to questions sent via email to Comox Council incumbent Ken Grant. They asked:

“The urban forest is essential in making Comox the beautiful place it is and prevents overheating in heat domes or any time of excessive heat and helps regulates water flows (prevent flooding). What will you include in a ‘Tree Bylaw’ to ensure that the benefits of trees and other natural environments are maintained in Comox?”

To which Grant answered:

“We have a robust tree bylaw in Comox. We just increased the amount trees to be preserved on development from 25% retention to 30% retention. We have purchased Bay brook park a few years ago and are preserving the trees on it as well as with all of our parks (unless trees become dangerous). The tree canopy is one of the things that make Comox stand out as a livable community.”

But what Grant didn’t say was that he voted against the tree retention policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Courtenay

Advance Voting continues on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre.

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

Advance voting continues today Monday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and on Wednesday, October 12 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre.

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre. The next Advance voting takes place on Oct. 12

 

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Enter your email address to subscribe to the Decafnation newsletter.

More

Here’s the latest Comox Valley local government election results

Mayor Bob Wells and all Courtenay incumbent councillors have been re-elected. Evan Jolicoeur has also been elected. Manno Theos has lost his seat.

Jonathan Kerr, Jenn Meilleur, Steve Blacklock, Chris Haslett, Ken Grant and Maureen Swift have been elected in Comox.

Vickey Brown has been elected mayor in Cumberland, defeating long-time mayor and councillor Leslie Baird.

Voting down -20.6% in Courtenay, -22.3% in Comox and -50.9% in Cumberland.

Full results with Electoral Areas A, B and C, school board and Islands Trust results in the morning.

Daniel Arbour in Area A and Edwin Grieve in Area C won by wide margins. Richard Hardy defeated Arzeena Hamir by 23 votes.

Shannon Aldinger topped the polls in races for SD71 school trustees.

Click the headline on this page for complete results and voter turnout.

Our recommendations in the 2022 Comox Valley local government elections

Decafnation announces its list of preferred candidates in this year’s local government elections and for the first time we identify candidates that we think show promise and provide our reasons for not endorsing the other candidates. Our endorsements fall on the first day of voting at advance polls

THE WEEK: Who’s running for mayor of Comox? And Elections BC issues fine

THE WEEK: Who’s running for mayor of Comox? And Elections BC issues fine

by | Sep 2, 2022

With Incumbent Stephanie McGowan now residing in Courtenay and Mayor Russ Arnott’s candidacy uncertain, the Comox Town Council will look quite different after Oct. 15.

THE WEEK: Who’s running for mayor of Comox? And Elections BC issues fine

By

This article was updated on Sept. 6 to include comments from Stephen Blacklock.

With just one week left for candidates to declare their intentions, the big local government news heading into the long weekend involves the uncertainty surrounding who’s running for Comox Town Council and, more specifically, whether incumbent mayor Russ Arnott will seek a second term.

There have been social media posts from family members that suggest Arnott is not well and some community members confirm that he hasn’t looked well recently. Decafnation has reached out to the mayor via email, but we have not received a response. Some councillors have reached out as well without any response.

We can all empathize with someone who struggles with physical health problems and the complications that normally arise for their work and family. That is difficult to manage in any circumstance.

Arnott’s situation is particularly awkward and probably extra stressful for him because his health problems, whatever they may be, are happening during the local government office filing deadline, which allows him only days to decide whether he’s well enough to serve another four years.

That uncertainty has a trickle-down effect on other candidates who might choose to seek the mayoralty rather than a council position if Arnott steps aside. If he does, we would expect Ken Grant to file for the mayor position and he might be challenged by one of the other incumbent councillors, Maureen Swift, Nicole Minions, Alex Bissinger or Jonathan Kerr.

We’ve heard there was a large turnout of potential candidates and interested citizens at the Comox Council candidate information night this week, so it appears voters will have lots of choices.

And, of course, we wish Arnott peace and clarity of mind as he works through this heart-wrenching time.

 

ELECTIONS BC FINES LOCAL CANDIDATE

Staying with Comox Council, Decafnation has learned that Elections BC issued a monetary penalty on June 9 to Stephen Blacklock, a candidate in last November’s Comox Town Council byelection, for a violation of the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA).

Blacklock was fined $1,115.52 for “exceeding campaign period expense limit contrary to s. 68.02 LECFA.” It is the second largest penalty imposed by Elections BC in the last four years.

According to public records made available to us, it’s the first time Elections BC has sanctioned a Comox Valley candidate for a breach of the laws it administers.

Blacklock told Decafnation on Sept. 6 that he received a campaign invoice after the by-election that was “much higher than expected.” Rather than “haggle and fudge my way into compliance,” Blacklock said he simply paid the Elections BC fine. 

Elections BC (EBC) is “the independent, non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for administering electoral processes in British Columbia in accordance with the Election Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and Referendum Act.”

But in terms of municipal elections, EBC is responsible for only monitoring campaign financing and advertising regulations. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs regulates local government election

According to Elections BC Communication Director Andrew Watson there have been 58 valid complaints since 2018 about candidates’ violations of advertising or financing regulations. Most were related to campaign financing and only a few resulted in disciplinary action.

“Every complaint is unique and we investigate every complaint we receive,” Watson told Decafnation.

He said a complaint could result, if verified, in a monetary penalty, a criminal prosecution or a warning letter. The complaints can take months or even years to investigate and adjudicate, but the EBC tries to conclude them as soon as possible.

“We don’t want to cause any harm unnecessarily. So we don’t act until we have all the facts and have conducted a fair process,” Watson said. “We are neutral and non-partisan.”

The EBC considers a number of factors before taking action on verified complaints, including whether the violation gave the candidate a material advantage.

Watson said the Blacklock monetary penalty was comparatively large because the law at the time stipulated the fine for overspending the expense limit was two times the over-spend. Since the start of 2022, the EBC has been given more discretion to levy fines for overspending up to a maximum of two times the over-spend.

 

WHO’S FILED SO FAR

The websites for our four local governments display a list of candidates as their file their nomination papers. Here are links to each website so you can follow along as candidates announce.

For Courtenay, go here.

For Cumberland, go here.

For Comox, go here.

For the Comox Valley Regional District, go here.

As of noon today, only incumbent Leslie Baird had filed for another term as mayor of Cumberland and only Erik Eriksson had filed for mayor of Courtenay. Edwin Grieve in Area C will have a new challenger in Matthew Ellis. And it appears newcomer Shannon Aldinger will seek one of the Courtenay seats on the District 71 School Board.

It is curious that the websites of Cumberland, Courtenay and the three electoral areas at the regional district show the names of candidates who have filed, while the Town of Comox website shows that no candidates have filed to date. UPDATE: Candidates who have filed started showing up on the Comox website late this afternoon.

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Enter your email address to subscribe to the Decafnation newsletter.

More
The Week: Misinformation campaign sullies Comox by-election featuring four good candidates

The Week: Misinformation campaign sullies Comox by-election featuring four good candidates

by | Nov 23, 2021

This election could go either way  |  George Le Masurier photo

The Week: Misinformation campaign sullies Comox by-election featuring four good candidates

By

Decafnation has covered elections for public office on both sides of the US and Canadian border, from local council positions up to gubernatorial and US Senate races in the state of Washington. And we have learned that one of the realities of any election is that the higher the stakes, the nastier the campaign.

Based on that, it appears that some people think there’s something at stake in the race for an open seat on the Comox Town Council, which voters will decide this Saturday, Nov. 27. 

Here’s what’s going on. Someone or several people have spread a number of unfounded rumors over the past several weeks designed to hurt candidate Dr. Jonathan Kerr at the polls.

It’s difficult to identify the people spreading misinformation because it usually happens in conversations on the doorstep or in coffee shops and pubs. But it’s clear that whoever has started or is spreading the allegations doesn’t want Kerr to get elected.

Why? Probably because the negative campaigners worry that the control of the Comox Town Council is at stake.

Kerr is a progressive candidate who has been endorsed by three sitting council members and, if those four votes coalesced on important issues, that threatens the stranglehold on power held by the old guard of Russ Arnott, Maureen Swift and Ken Grant.

It’s uncertain whether Steve Blacklock, the other frontrunner in this election, shares values with the old guard or the younger progressive population growing in the town. He may well march and vote to his own beat.

But to those afraid of losing power in Comox, it is Kerr who must be defeated at all costs.

The allegations directed at Kerr by themselves aren’t that serious. Some are actually petty. But that’s not the point of negative campaigning. Spreading false information undermines the targeted candidate so that anyone uncertain about who to support will be less likely to vote for that candidate.

So what are the dishonesties being spread in this campaign?

Kerr has been accused of taking false credit for the recruitment of four new physicians to the medical clinic in Comox where he practices family medicine. Even people who have endorsed Blacklock have repeated this deceit.

But Decafnation contacted one of the owners of Sea Cove Medical Clinic who confirmed that Dr. Kerr did indeed recruit the four new doctors.

“Jonathan is our clinic lead and has been very effective in that role. He was lead recruiter of four new doctors to our clinic. Working with our clinic manager, he was the voice of the clinic … we couldn’t have done it without him,” Dr. Carol Ostry told Decafnation via email.

It has also been insinuated that Kerr would use Comox Council as a stepping stone to running for provincial or federal offices. But this charge appears baseless. Decafnation could not find any evidence that Kerr has ever shown interest in higher-level politics, and he denies it now.

Of course, jumping from local government to the provincial Legislature is not uncommon in the Comox Valley. Among those who’ve made that leap are Social Credit Stan Hagen, BC Liberal Don McRae and current MLA Ronna Rae-Leonard of the NDP. And ex Comox Mayor Paul Ives unsuccessfully sought the provincial nomination from the BC Liberal Party while serving on the council.

The latest untruth surfaced this week when a Comox resident contacted Kerr to ask if it was true that he was “pushing for a ban on residential, outdoor Christmas lights.” The person had heard the allegation from a neighbor who said it came from “someone associated with” Blacklock.

Kerr says it’s a ridiculous fib. He told Decafnation that anyone who knows him also knows that he “loves Christmas lights.”

Some of the negative campaigning might be the work of members of an anonymous group called Concerned Comox Valley Citizens who placed an attack ad in the Comox Valley Record alleging that Kerr would bring provincial party politics to local government. (Decaf note: When you send an email to the address they provide, you get no response.)

Aside from the unscrupulous aspect of an anonymous attack ad, the effect of introducing party politics at the local government level is a reasonable campaign debate point.

The Kerr campaign made itself vulnerable on this issue when a group of his supporters decided to call themselves the Comox Greens. That was a poor decision because it suggests a provincial party affiliation, whether or not it was intentional.

Kerr defends aligning himself with the Comox Greens because he says the 50-plus members are merely local citizens who share what’s known globally as the six “green values.” And, he says, there are members of the NDP, the federal Liberal Party and others among his supporters.

But that might not convince people who see the color of his signs and the inclusion of “Comox Greens” on his campaign material as a direct Green Party link.

Candidates can’t control all of the people who support them, so sometimes overzealous campaigners say things they know aren’t true or that they haven’t bothered to question.

And sometimes they do it for nefarious motives.

In any case, mudslinging and spreading false information have no place in local politics. It reeks of desperation and it’s really election bullying.

Decafnation contacted Blacklock this week about the attacks on Kerr. He told us that the allegations about his opponent “sound ridiculous to me,” and he vehemently denied any involvement in them. He said he doesn’t condone negative campaign tactics and would tell his supporters not to engage in them as well.

 

IN OTHER ELECTION NEWS

— Decafnation asked each of the candidates about their vaccination status. Blacklock, Kerr and  Don Davis said they were fully vaccinated. Judy Johnson declined to comment on her vaccination status.

— The two frontrunner candidates, Kerr and Blacklock, have diverse opinions on a proposed bylaw change about urban agriculture and allowing backyard chickens in particular. Kerr and the other two candidates, Don Davis and Judy Johnson, all support the proposed bylaw change. Blacklock opposes it.

— Advance polling numbers indicate that voter turnout might be strong. Fewer people normally vote in by-elections than in general elections. But on the first day of advance voting last week, 412 people cast ballots. That compares with 390 on the first day of advance voting in the 2018 general municipal election.

This article has been updated to correct Judy Johnson’s vaccination status.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Enter your email address to subscribe to the Decafnation newsletter.
More
Steve Blacklock says Comox needs more housing, quicker to address affordability issues

Steve Blacklock says Comox needs more housing, quicker to address affordability issues

by | Nov 8, 2021

Steve Blacklock considers housing affordability the top priority for Comox Council  |  George Le Masurier photo

Steve Blacklock says Comox needs more housing, quicker to address affordability issues

By

Steve Blacklock says he was always going to run for council. It was just a matter of when.

“I thought about it four years ago and had my eye on next October until this by-election opportunity came up,” he told Decafnation.

Comox will hold a by-election on Saturday, Nov. 27 to fill the seat vacated by Partick McKenna, who recently relocated to Nova Scotia.

Blacklock filed nomination papers on Oct. 19 for the open council seat “to make a difference” in the community where he was born and raised.

“I’m a community person, a small-town guy with an eight-year-old daughter, so I’m invested in the next generation and beyond,” he said. “I would hope anyone who really knows me would support me. I’ve been meeting people who like what I stand for, which is simply a love of Comox.”

He envisions continued growth for the town and believes he can help manage it properly. And he says that growth is already shifting the town’s demographics toward a younger population.

“I see the future of Comox like trying to squeeze an orange through a straw. What’s on the other side without the post-war generation?” he said.

 

HIS TOP PRIORITY: MORE HOUSING

Blacklock’s prediction of the town’s growth meshes with his career in property valuations.

After earning a certificate in Real Property Valuation at UBC he worked for BC Assessments before returning to the Comox Valley in 2006 to join Jackson and Associates doing a wide range of property valuation and consulting work specializing on the Powell River and Sunshine Coast areas.

So it’s no surprise that he sees housing affordability as the top issue confronting the Town of Comox and its residents.

“This is a huge issue that stretches beyond the purview of the Comox Council,” he said. “But the solution is to create more supply and that’s something the council has the ability to affect.”

He believes the town should streamline its development application process and make clearer rules around infill and rezoning.

“We need more housing and quicker,” he said.

He would also like to see the town set clear minimums and maximums on housing density and says the developers he knows would like that, too.

“Why is every rezoning application an open-ended negotiation?” he said.

Blacklock points to the Aspen Road development where the town made a trade-off to allow the developer to add more density in exchange for including some below-market units and 26 daycare spaces.

“If I had been on council, I would have negotiated for more amenities from the developer before giving more density,” he said.

He notes that there are “zero” vacant lots for sale in the town and that it has taken 15 years to approve the development of Northeast Comox due to issues around stormwater runoff. But now, he says, the Northeast properties are zoned R1.1 that requires minimum lot sizes of 0.16 acres (between one-eighth and one-quarter acres).

“That’s too big,” Blacklock says. “Comox and other communities can no longer afford to allow large houses on large lots. We need more density than that.”

He wonders how municipalities went from post-war bungalows to 3,500 square-foot houses for two or three people. Instead, he supports the land use framework promoted by Smart Growth BC.

And while the “die is cast” for development of the Northeast Woods and the loss of some trails because it was long ago included in the town’s urban growth area — “we can’t claw that back” — he says the Town Council can still control the size of the lots and housing on them.

He says the council should increase the density in the Northeast Woods to as many units as possible and require those developing the area to include an integrated trail network and other outdoor recreation amenities.

 

OTHER CAMPAIGN ISSUES

Blacklock says his second top priority is to promote more outdoor recreational opportunities for young people.

Lamenting that so many kids today seemed locked into a digital world, he would like to encourage more outdoor opportunities, such as a skate park or bike park. He says there was a skate park proposed many years ago and never built at the corner of Aspen and Bolt.

He has also heard from senior citizens about a need for more daytime activities, such as a larger seniors center.

He’s also concerned about the status of garbage removal and recycling within the town.

“Why can’t our waste removal contractor stick to a regular schedule with on-time pick up on the same day each week?, He told Decafnation. “It’s clear our residents need a new purpose-built recycling center to bring their recycling and organic waste to.”

When asked about the Mack Laing trust agreement controversy, Blacklock says he was told not to comment on the issue. When asked who told him that, he said he believed it was Comox Chief Administrative Officer Jordan Wall.

He pointed out he has not been privy to in-camera council discussions or discussions with town staff on this long-running controversy.

 

REGIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY ISSUES

Blacklock says the next term for Comox elected officials is particularly important because it will include updating the town’s Official Community Plan and participating in a similar update of the Regional Growth Strategy (RGS).

“I want to help reach people who don’t normally engage in these kinds of policy processes,” he said. “Otherwise the agenda gets driven by a small number of the most passionate people. We are all in this together. We need to hear from every citizen.”

He points to conflicts that exist within the RGS between current zoning and the kind of smart growth we need in the future. An example of that type of conflict was highlighted over 3L Developments unsuccessful Riverwood subdivision proposal.

“3L could develop their land according to existing zoning (10-acre residential lots), but that isn’t the kind of housing we want,” he said. “But we denied their greater density proposal because it wasn’t identified as one of the three future settlement expansion areas.”

And while Blacklock favors protecting the Stotan Falls river area, he acknowledges that sprawl is not efficient growth.

 

OPPOSED TO PARTY POLITICS

Blacklock says he finally decided to run in the Nov. 27 by-election after hearing about the Oct. 12 rally by a local group calling itself the Comox Greens, where BC Green Party leader Sonia Fustenneau spoke on behalf of candidate Jonathan Kerr.

“I fundamentally oppose party politics at the municipal council table,” he told Decafnation. “The Comox Greens is a registered elector organization and has sponsored their star candidate. I think our town deserves better.”

Asked about his own endorsements, Blacklock said there is no organized group supporting him. He said former mayor Paul Ives and current councillor Ken Grant are supporting him and that former council member Patti Fletcher has endorsed him.

“But I believe I would have their support anyway just because I’m a native son, a community person, not some doctor from Ontario,” he said.

Blacklock said he “would like to think or at least hope” that some of the current council members would have endorsed him if they had known he was running before endorsing Jonathan Kerr.

 

WHO IS STEVE BLACKLOCK?

Blacklock was born and raised in the Comox Valley and graduated from Highland High School. He is married and has an eight-year-old daughter.

He’s a charter member and current fundraising director of the Rotary Club of the Comox Valley, and an active volunteer with the We Can Shelter Society, Kidsport and Habitat4Humanity. And he’s a member of the Comox Valley Road (and Trail) Runners, Comox Valley Run to Beer Club, CV Rapids Junior Rugby and the Glacier Greens Golf Club.

In his professional life, Blacklock is a national board member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) and a past president of the BC Association of the AIC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEVE BLACKLOCK

Age 46. Born and raised in the Comox Valley. Attended Highland High School, class of 1993

BA in Administration and Urban Geography from Simon Fraser University. Certificate in Real Property Valuation from University of British Columbia

Previously worked for Deloitte and Touche and BC Assessment. Currently employed at Jackson and Associates in Courtenay.

Endorsements:

“Steve Blacklock would bring a dynamic voice to Comox town council. Steve thinks for himself, and with measured thought and consideration is not afraid to speak his mind. Steve has what it takes.” — former Comox council member Patti Fletcher”

“Sometimes the right person comes around just at the right time, and I’m confident Steve would be an outstanding Councillor for the Town of Comox. I don’t know anyone else in the valley who is more plugged into the community, gives his time generously, and knows what makes it tick. Comox is changing in front of our eyes, and I believe Steve has the dedication, passion and unique ability to make everyone’s voice heard at the table.” Chris Morrison, co-owner, Church St. Taphouse

“I have known Steve Blacklock for over 30 years in the Comox Valley and strongly endorse his candidacy as a councillor for the Comox town council. Steve has a deep understanding of the issue and challenges facing this community. What he brings to the table is a high level of integrity, a devotion to community service and good honest down-to-earth common sense. I cannot think of a more ideal candidate for this position.” — Dr. Chris Bellamy, physician

 

ELECTION INFO

Election day is Saturday, Nov. 27 at Comox Recreation Centre

Advance voting will take place on Nov. 17, 20 and 24 at the Genoa Sail building in Marina Park

Mail-in ballots are available here

 

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Enter your email address to subscribe to the Decafnation newsletter.

More