You can tell when election season is upon us, social media posts start showing up, polls suddenly appear in your e-mail boxes, and then there is the partisan language that many declared, or yet to declare, candidates start using on a daily basis…

“so….. what do you think about…….?”  “Can you believe……?” 

Here at the NSBIA we are a strictly non-partisan organization. that means we neither endorse nor discourage any candidate or single issue as “the” issue or candidate.  We do however, meet with any candidate that reaches out to discuss our vision for the future of our community and the goals of our organization. To date we have met with seven of the declared candidates, and welcome any additional conversations that come our way.

Without specifying a set of “asks” I think it is appropriate to discuss the type of candidates we are hoping will be elected.

• They Understand the Limits – there are legal limits to what the city can do under the community charter. As such, moving blindly forward on issues which are beyond the legal purview of the City could have the potential to deadlock Council and the City staff, causing damage to any forward momentum we have created.
• They Build Community – a strong community builder is both a critic and champion. Community leaders look for opportunities to build relationships, communication, and understanding. They are active in community leadership, they work well with others. They do not criticize, condemn, or complain, without a positive solution.
• They Have Positive Impacts – When you look at the candidate, have they had positive impacts in the community. Are they involved in community in some way? Do their social media posts and comments contain positive or growth mindset content? When they act on something, do they rally the troops and bring energy to the conversation and solutions?
• They are Leaders – Stephen Covey once identified the seven qualities of leaders as: Envision a positive future: Engage with those around them in a positive way; Persuade others of the quality of their ideas; Empower others to do what needs to be done; Exemplify the behaviours that we want see; Execute a strong plan of action; and Acknowledge those who contribute to the outcomes.

Being a Councillor is not for the faint of heart, which brings us to the final quality: Courage. Being a strong community leader means standing up when the stinging winds of the vocal minority beat at your sails. It means sticking to your convictions and showing the community the best you regardless of what comes at you. Council is not a part time job, for the fainthearted. It is aligned with those who are passionate about our community, our collective goals, and our belief in a positive legacy for Kamloops.