Why I’m running for West Vancouver Council: Linda Watt

I believe that anyone in the position to make decisions that will impact the future of West Vancouver should understand that what’s done can never be undone. I am driven to be part of a forward-thinking West Vancouver council that engages and listens to community feedback while carefully planning for the future.

I arrived in Horseshoe Bay in the winter of 2006 with my young family. We were astonished by the profound sense of community and the symmetry of human beings coexisting with nature on the fringes of rugged wilderness and chose to make it our permanent home. I am an energetic volunteer and community advocate, my two boys went to Gleneagles, then Rockridge and like me, became creatures of the mountains and ocean.

My lengthy career in the global film industry immersed me in a variety of cultures, where respect and clear communication with diverse personalities was paramount while adhering to strict budgets and timelines, often in challenging locations. Our district needs to be run with a similar mindset, where respectful collaboration and fiscal responsibility are at the forefront of every decision. On council, I will fiercely advocate for better community engagement so that we can ensure that time and tax dollars aren’t wasted on proposals for capital-intensive projects that will never gain public approval.

It is my priority to ensure that permitting processes are streamlined. Residents are hamstrung by red tape over the simplest renovations. Our commercial villages are in desperate need of revitalization, but new business owners are deterred from investing as they face endless delays while grappling with red tape and the resulting cost overages.

Traffic is snarled. Traffic lights need to be synchronized and we need to progressively seek micro-transit options that will connect citizens to our commercial villages and major bus routes. The ‘little things’ matter. Crumbling sidewalks, garbage and cigarette butts, potholes and dangerous pedestrian crossings need urgent attention if we are to continue to enjoy what is inarguably one of the best places to live, on earth.

We are not Coal Harbour. This is West Vancouver and our residents would like it to stay that way. We need to protect the character of our neighbourhoods, revitalize our ailing commercial zones and ensure that new developments only be approved if they celebrate our landscape, protect our natural assets and don’t cast a stain on our vistas.

All of this is possible if we have powerful leadership with a mayor who can bring people together. I believe that Mark Sager is the right candidate, and like me, he is acutely aware that the decisions we make now will have a lasting impact on future generations.

lindawattcampaign@gmail.com
www.lindawatt.ca