The City of Whitehorse has an annual operating budget of over $110 million and spends another $45 million on capital projects. With that money the City provides services - including road construction and maintenance, sewer and water services, waste removal, fire-fighting, public transit and recreation facilities - to a community of over 30,000.

 

That’s a lot of responsibility and we need responsible people at the helm.

 

In addition to providing effective ongoing support for budget management, City Council provides leadership on important issues. ​As a lawyer, I’ve learned to analyze evidence - and to meet claims with healthy skepticism. I will put that to use on Council.

 

My priorities will be:

 

• Increasing Whitehorse’s housing stock, especially affordable housing, by reducing barriers to land development. and increasing incentives. My goal is a Whitehorse where home buyers, especially first-time home buyers, have a lot more options than they do now, including for homes downtown and in the nearby subdivision.

 

• Land use - including increasing the number of homes downtown and developing vacant prime land. I live in a 12-unit condo that was built on two standard size lots and where there were previously two small bungalows. The developer increased the density by six times with a building only 3 stories high, with space for a lawn, trees and parking.

 

• Promoting active transportation by creating safe, practical commuting routes for cyclists and pedestrians. Safe enough to send our school age kids out on as well as for their parents to ride. I am a big proponent of separated bike lanes.

 

• Public transit good enough to actually get drivers out of their cars. Car owners –and that includes me– won’t take the bus just because it’s cheap or even free. What will get us out of our cars is public transit that is convenient.​ 

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• Encouraging new business ventures. Whitehorse is home to many talented entrepreneurs. You see some of them at Yukonstruct’s Co-Space. Sharing space works for some businesses, especially in the incubation phase. To really grow though, a lot of businesses need bricks and mortar space. That space can be too expensive or too expensive to renovate. The City can play a role in reducing barriers to entry and growth of business.