Glenn Sutherland says Nelson is a dynamic community, making it a desirable place to live. But not everyone can afford to.
Sutherland, who is running for city council, has lived in the city for close to 25 years, served as president of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce, and on several different boards such as Interior Health and the Canadian Automobile Association.
“Affordability is a key concern in Nelson,” says Sutherland. “I think on the housing front we have a lot of expertise we can draw on to make a positive change in our community.”
Sutherland feels that with collaboration between city hall and all members of the community, growth and affordability should be handled efficiently and carefully.
“There is a lot of opportunity for discussion between council and the other organizations, like Nelson Cares, to advance forward and make life affordable in Nelson.”
Sutherland believes it is not just the affordability issue plaguing the City of Nelson, and climate needs to be addressed by the next council along with the various programs in place to combat the changing environment.
“Climate is key going forward,” says Sutherland. “All the organizations I have been involved in, on a governance front, climate is top of mind with all boards and they are all looking at the planning and impact of climate change.”
Sutherland boasted of the city’s climate program,Nelson Next, and says he firmly believes everyone in the community supports this plan to address this growing concern, not just on a local level but on a planetary scale.
“Everyone needs to know that this is a lens that we have to put on all decisions,” he says. “This will guide us forward, and should be embedded in the minds of everyone.”
Sutherland says he firmly believes in the program and its potential.
“It is not enough to just use this plan,” he adds. “We need to learn, and analyze, all the metrics that come from this to make better decisions. That is how we are going to get better.”
Sutherland congratulated the city on the work that has already been done to reduce Nelson’s carbon footprint, but adds there is still a lot more to do.
“There are a lot of great things going on in the city right now,” Sutherland says. “There is a corporate greenhouse gas reduction plan, low carbon path to 2040, e-bike program, community solar garden, energy retrofit program, home weatherization program and so many more.”
Sutherland says the biggest concern the city needs to look at is wildfire preparedness. He says it is critical to address this concern, especially with the number of lightning strikes we had this past summer.
“This is critical, and there are a number of stakeholders that need to come to the table,” he says. “There were a number of strikes that came really close to Nelson and we need to be extremely prepared.”
Sutherland is running against incumbents Keith Page, Jesse Woodward, and Rik Logtenberg as well as Ainsleah Hastings, Leslie Payne, Kate Tait, Brenton Raby, Kyle Wilkinson, and Jesse Pinerio.