The City of Cranbrook has a vacant council seat and a by-election is being held Saturday, May 11, (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Advance polls will be held Wednesday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 8 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

In the lead up to the by-election, e-KNOW invites by-election candidates to submit op-ed pieces/letters to the editor to outline why they are running for council and why you, the voter, should give them your support. We are not otherwise soliciting pieces from candidates. See below for more info on the by-election and how candidates can submit pieces to the editor.

Meet a candidate

Ron Miles

Why am I a candidate seeking a seat on city council in the upcoming by-election? If you don’t know my background, please read on.

I come from a family of eight children, six of whom have at least one university degree. Higher education was something that was very important to my father, as he himself did not have any formal education beyond high school. I spent seven years at the University of British Columbia, graduating with bachelor degrees in both commerce and law.

After graduating from university, I spent a couple of years working in Vancouver before moving to Cranbrook in March 1987 to join a local law firm. Within a couple of years I joined another law firm as a partner for a couple of years before deciding to open my own practice. I then co-founded a law office in 1995, which in its present form is Miles, Zimmer & Associates.

Community involvement and leadership also play major roles in what makes Ron Miles tick. I started my community involvement long before moving to Cranbrook and even before getting married.

As a 17 year old, I started coaching minor lacrosse. A year later I took over my youngest brother’s rep lacrosse team, eventually leading the team to provincial championships at the bantam and midget level.

After moving to Cranbrook in 1987, I reacquainted myself with community involvement when I joined a local service club, then known as the Kinsmen Club of Cranbrook. I enjoyed 10 straight years of perfect attendance in Kinsmen and twice served as club president.

During my tenure with the Kinsmen, my community involvement expanded to the Cranbrook Hospital Board where I served as chair for a few years prior to my being elected to city council in 1996. By that time I had also joined the noon hour Rotary Club.

In addition to my other community service work, I became involved in coaching again. For over 25 straight years I enjoyed coaching my children in soccer, hockey and lacrosse. Lacrosse is one of my passions. To be able to coach my kids in that sport, I was a co-founder of what later became the Cranbrook Lacrosse Association.

I spent two terms on city council from 1996 to 2002. After an unsuccessful attempt at a mayoral run, I resigned from service clubs and accepted an appointment to the board of the Columbia Basin Trust (the Trust), serving on the board from 2002 to 2011. During that time frame, I was appointed to the Columbia Power Corporation, sitting as a representative of the Trust, and sat on that board for six years.

After leaving the Trust and Columbia Power Corporation boards, I was asked to sit on the BC Assessment Board. While I enjoyed my time on that board, after four years I chose to not let my name stand for reappointment because the position required me to be out of town and away from my family for the board meetings.

To really understand Ron Miles, you have to know that, although community service is important to me, my biggest priority is, and will always be, my family.

In 1987, my wife, Frances, and I, and our oldest child, Molly, moved to Cranbrook from the Lower Mainland, where we were both raised. We were forced to leave Vancouver as I was unable to find work as a lawyer due to the tail end of the recession of the mid-80s. We expected to live in Cranbrook for a couple of years until I could secure a position with a law firm in Vancouver. Little did we know what a blessing it would be to live in Cranbrook!

Having grown up in a big city, we had no idea of what small town life offered. With six of our seven children born in Cranbrook, we experienced first-hand that Cranbrook is the perfect place to raise children.

Both Frances and I have always believed it is important that we set a positive example for our children when it comes to participating in the community. In addition to doing a great job at home with our children, Frances herself has always remained active in the community as a volunteer. I am proud that our children are obviously getting the message as all of them have engaged in their own volunteer work as well, both at school and in the community.

As you can see, giving back to the community that has given so much to me and my family is the biggest underlying reason for my decision to run for council.

Having practiced law for the past 30+ years in a small business environment and working with others for over 25 years in a boardroom setting has provided me with valuable experience working in a goal oriented team environment.

I believe I have the right background, qualifications and proven leadership skills, together with the right motivation and attitude, to make a positive difference at the local council table – I am confident that I can contribute significantly both in terms of decision making and shaping policy.

So what motivates Ron Miles to return to local government? The answer is really quite simple – I care about Cranbrook, a community that has blessed me with a successful career and a wonderful family.

More on the by-election

By-election candidates: Submit your piece to: [email protected] ; please include a high resolution photograph (jpeg).

e-KNOW

Article Share