09/15/2026
This election is about the future of rural Spallumcheen.
RURAL vs URBAN
PLEASE SHARE to get the message out. Thank you.
Council has been working on the Southeast Sector Development Plan, including road access and drainage. In 2025, Council endorsed a Greenhow Road access plan.
In June 2026, staff recommended spending $15,000 on a Southeast Sector drainage requirements review, specifically because of development interest, the planned wastewater project, and changes in legislation.
There is also a much larger infrastructure question in the background: wastewater, roads, drainage, water, fire protection and other services have to be considered if substantial growth occurs.
So there are really two separate questions worth examining:
Why is Council spending so much time on the Southeast Sector?
Because decisions being made now could determine how—and how much—the area develops for decades.
Are taxpayers actually getting good value for the money being spent?
That's a different question, and it can be investigated by looking at the actual contracts, consultants, staff costs, engineering studies, infrastructure commitments and which costs are supposed to be paid by developers versus existing taxpayers.
There is also an important issue concerning potential conflicts of interest that shouldn't simply be assumed away:
The August 2025 minutes record Mayor Christine Fraser declaring a conflict because her family owns property in the Southeast Sector in connection with the Greenhow Road access matter.
That doesn't by itself establish wrongdoing, but it is a legitimate reason to look carefully at the governance and disclosure records.
Phase 1 of the proposed development in the South East Sector could add approximately 1,350 homes and 3,400 new residents to Spallumcheen.
And this is only Phase 1. The South East Sector is planned as 16 phases of development over the next 10 to 20 years.
That raises an important question for every voter: What scale of growth do we want for Spallumcheen?
If you support this scale of growth for Spallumcheen, then I would not be the right person to vote for.
It has taken more than 130 years to build Spallumcheen into the farming community we know today, with approximately 5,200 residents.
We must protect the rural character, agricultural land, and quality of life that generations have worked so hard to create.
LET ME BE CLEAR:
Spallumcheen needs responsible growth to remain a strong and viable community.
But high-density development is not necessarily the right answer. Growth will not happen overnight.
It may take many years for our population to increase to 8,000, 10,000, or even 15,000 people. That gives us time to plan carefully rather than rushing into decisions that could permanently change the character of our community.
I believe voters deserve a clear choice about the direction our community takes—and an honest discussion about the scale of development our rural community can accommodate while preserving what makes Spallumcheen special.
Yes. The idea is that residential development can create infrastructure costs that are larger or occur sooner than the tax revenue generated by the new homes.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICITS
When a community adds new housing, it also has to provide and maintain additional public services, such as:
Roads: New streets, intersections, sidewalks, and traffic improvements may need to be built and maintained.
Water and sewer: New homes require connections, pipes, treatment capacity, and eventually costly repairs or replacement.
Fire and police services: More residents can increase demand for emergency response and public safety services.
Schools and other public facilities: Population growth may require additional classrooms, parks, libraries, or community facilities.
Utilities and drainage: Development can require expanded stormwater systems and other infrastructure.
The key issue is long-term fiscal sustainability. A new development may generate property taxes and other revenue, but the municipality must compare that revenue with the full lifetime cost of constructing, operating, maintaining, and eventually replacing the infrastructure and services needed to support the development.
For example:
A municipality approves 500 new homes. The homes generate additional property-tax revenue, but the development also requires new roads, water and sewer capacity, drainage infrastructure, and additional public services. If the long-term cost of those obligations exceeds the revenue generated, the municipality faces an infrastructure or fiscal deficit.
So, more precisely, the argument isn't that all residential development is bad. It is that development can become costly when the infrastructure and service costs associated with growth are not adequately funded by development charges, taxes, or other revenue sources.
It's official:
I have filed my nomination papers.
Yes, I am running for Mayor of Spallumcheen.
https://localelections.ca/electi.../124_2026_candidates.html
I want to sincerely thank all the good people of Spallumcheen who have encouraged me to run for mayor again. Your support and encouragement mean a great deal to me.
It was an honour and privilege to serve Spallumcheen as your mayor from 1989 to 1996, including the memorable year when we celebrated Spallumcheen’s Centennial.
I believe that if you want to ask for change, you have to be part of the change.
And change starts in our own community with and my strong team of new candidates.
Yes, you can make a difference, by coming out and cast your ballot.
Today, I believe it is time to bring back open, honest and transparent local government and I can do it again.
During my two terms as mayor, I worked to provide Spallumcheen taxpayers with an open and transparent government where communication, cooperation and accountability were important.
We should be able to trust the people we elect to represent us.
I also believe that public office is about serving the community—not serving yourself.
After two terms, I believe it can be healthy for elected officials to return to private life and allow new people with new ideas to step forward.
I don't believe in career politicians who, after being in office too long, begin to forget that they were elected by the people.
Every elected official, at every level of government, should remember one important principle:
We elected you to protect and represent our interests—not to control us.
There is no place in politics for self-serving politicians.
Together, we can make a difference.
I still believe in the same approach I used during my years as mayor:
Listen to the people.
communicate openly and honestly.
Work cooperatively with council, staff and the community.
Be accountable to the taxpayers.
Respect different opinions and encourage public participation.
Make decisions based on what is best for Spallumcheen—not personal interests.
Remember that elected office is a responsibility and a privilege, not a right.
I am running because I still care deeply about Spallumcheen and the people who call it home.
I believe our community deserves local government that listens, communicates, works together and is accountable to the people.
Together, we can make a difference.
