Dear Cranbrook Citizens,

For the past 38 years I have lived in Cranbrook and have appreciated what this city and the surrounding areas have had to offer to ensure a successful lifestyle for my family and me.  I believe that now it is the right time for me to repay some of what I owe to the city and citizens of Cranbrook.  Being a council member demands a tremendous commitment and I am confident that I am up to that task.

Cranbrook deserves a council whose members will collaborate and work hard to engage the community citizens and other stakeholders. It is important that council creates an environment in which any members of the community can feel safe as they provide input and feedback. As a councillor I will make the commitment to listen carefully and ensure that council workings are transparent and communicated accurately.

Having attended most of the last three years of council meetings, open houses and our Mayor’s Brown Bag Lunches, together with reading through many appropriate reports and documents it is obvious that that our council continues to face some very real and difficult challenges. I look forward to being given the opportunity to serve the citizens of Cranbrook as council tackles these significant issues. I have proven myself to be an enthusiastic citizen who has put considerable time into researching, collecting evidence and considering arguments prior to making a suggestion or comment.

I have demonstrated myself to be someone who is willing to take on issues of importance and, as a councillor, I will be well prepared to tackle the challenges of the major issues that concern us all. Regardless of how things have been done in the past we need to take a new look at our present city and plan towards our city’s potential. We need a council that will make careful, creative and informed decisions as we all work together to shape our future.

It is important that our new mayor and council recognize how divisive many of the present Council meetings have turned out to be and also how polarized our city has become. The new council will need to work diligently to mend these rifts so we all can, once again, work cooperatively and collaboratively towards a shared vision for Cranbrook.

I have confidence that I am up to the task of an effective councillor if you, and other Cranbrook Citizens, vote support for my candidacy.  I am firmly committed to democracy and encourage all voters to make their feelings known by voting by November 19.

Some relevant experiences

˜ 35 years as teacher and school administrator

˜ 10 years as director of Friends of Fort Steele Society

˜ Past member of the Rotary Club of Cranbrook, and club treasurer for two years.

˜ Past member, and director, of Kinsmen Club of Cranbrook

˜ On-going volunteer at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel Archives

˜ Sports coach

˜ On-going volunteering for Cranbrook non-profit groups

˜ University training leading to B.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees

˜ Active member of six different UK and Canadian communities

˜ Cranbrook Citizens Come First

I believe that decisions made in Council should consider Cranbrook citizens’ needs first.  Cranbrook citizens should be offered a variety of safe avenues through which they may communicate with council members.

˜ Priorities and wise spending of our tax dollars

The Growth Management Study has identified many areas of our city’s infrastructure that are in a sad state of disrepair and in need of rebuilding. I believe it essential that our citizens be made aware of the extent of these problems. I also believe Cranbrook’s citizens should be given the opportunity to become engaged with generating a publicly announced plan that would see the potential timeline to have inadequacies addressed.

Our tax dollars have to stretch much further than this and have to be distributed amongst our various city departments and the many community requests. Only by having a careful accounting of our city’s spending will our citizens be able to confidently support council-driven priorities.

˜ Sustainable growth and development

I am a strong believer that if Cranbrook wishes to remain a major regional center for businesses and services, and continue to be a wonderful place in which to live, then growth and development need to be handled with care. Any growth and development need to occur in a thoroughly planned and sustainable fashion. Cranbrook’s beautification program needs to be expanded upon and be supported by a greater proportion of our community. By making careful choices today we will not only be thinking of the short term but will be ensuring a successful city for those generations who follow us. Citizens have spoken through the “Cranbrook Connected” documents and we also have our Official Community Plan bylaw that will assist us through this process. We need to remember that a city is much more than just buildings. Planning needs to recognize the importance of the interconnection of such things as green spaces, urban forests, biking and walking routes, industrial areas, shopping areas, accessibility issues for the elderly and people with handicaps. There are, of course, many other aspects to a successful city but each cannot be considered in isolation.

˜ Support for volunteers, clubs, groups and services

The citizens of Cranbrook owe a great deal to our volunteers and other groups who add so much to the improvement of Cranbrook as a community and to our citizens’ lifestyles.  I believe council and city hall are in perfect positions to encourage and enable these groups and to show they are appreciated and champion how much Cranbrook citizens have gained through these multiple hours of efforts.

˜ Promotion and support for local business

I believe that one of council’s roles is that of fostering a healthy business climate and encouraging increased opportunities for employment. Council needs to consider opportunities to promote and support present businesses and to encourage new businesses to relocate to Cranbrook.  Cranbrook is ideally located to provide services and goods to a ready market in this corner of the province.

For further information, or elaboration, please contact:

Dave Humphrey

email: [email protected]

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