Candidates Response

I agree one parking lot is a much better option; one lot means one lot for those not familiar with the area - no confusion:  one bin makes sense emptied regularly to avoid creating a mess by bears or people.

My initial thought is that our recreational offerings like Pidherny help make us an attractive city to move to and increases the livability of those already here. Of course, there are always two sides to any argument and it’s important to understand both. With that said, I would welcome the opportunity to meet and understand the situation and concerns before making a judgement.

Kudos to you all for the hard work you do to build, maintain, and operate the Pidherny recreation site. Folks like you are what make Prince George a wonderful place to live; you take initiative, work with what you have, and work hard to get generally slow-moving government agencies to work with you to make PG an even better place. My campaign is focused on building a thriving city and improving accountability. A thriving city attracts business and industry innovators, builders and encourages community organizations like the PG Cycling Club. An accountable city improves support, service, and response time to requests from the people it serves. No government agency can build community spirit like a volunteer group can, so City Hall, and whatever other governmental agency is involved-in the case of Pidherny; BC Parks, need to work together for the people they serve. I will work hard to improve the livability of Prince George by making it easier for organizations like yours to do what you love.

If I were to be elected, I would promise to attend a meeting of your club and I would want to bring my own questions to see what we could achieve together. I would like to see more connectedness of greenspaces and existing trails and walkthroughs maintained and made more accessible for multiple use. I have been a bike commuter for many years and having lanes that cars are not parked in would be really nice. Corridors and more specific infrastructure would be even nicer. I think that advancing any initiative requires that we build consensus, I am always cautious of people who say that they can do it alone or that they are the only ones able to accomplish something. I truly hope that you can get some traction (pardon the tire pun) with whomever forms the next council.

Community recreation is a huge priority of mine. I think it is an incredibly important piece in creating a healthy, vibrant, thriving community - and can also be beneficial for the economy with tourism dollars and for attracting much needed professions like doctors and teachers to an area. I have to admit Pidherny isn't an area I have been to, though everything I have seen on this subject (the parking lot/access) makes the city's current plan seem foolish. I would love to get more information, particularly about the solutions that the Cycling Club prefers and what options might be agreeable - while still keeping safety the top priority and accessibility right behind that. I believe the City has a duty to champion Prince George's needs with other levels of government and I would certainly support the PG Cycling Club with those endeavors!

If there is an opportunity to support the Pidherny Rec site around the council table, I will do my best to ensure I am fair and impartial in my decision making. It should be noted that council cannot promise to vote a certain way on an issue as it shows we are biased and therefore must recuse ourselves from a vote which can be detrimental when council is split. From one mountain bike lover to another, I can say that I deeply value Pidherny as an asset and the incredible work done by volunteers in our community.

I am a lifelong athlete and a coach– therefore I understand and deeply value the necessity for community and individual activities such as cycling. Moreover, I have ridden two wheels for thousands of kilometers, with motors and without. As I would not wish this situation on my own sports & recreational facilities, I will fight our fight for the cycling community in Prince George. I agree that it is ridiculous to “park & ride” for such a long distance. This is also creating an inaccessible environment for those with limited physical capacity - in turn reducing use of the actual trails. Not to mention the safety concerns to and from with no protected bike lanes. With our excess budget this term, we will come up with a solution for our 850+ residents sooner rather than later. On council, I will address this issue relentlessly. I encourage members and leaders of PG Cycling club to be present in council meetings and to push with me.

If I am being honest, I have not been overly aware of this conflict between the key users of the facility and the City's ideas for what should happen until much more recently, so my apologies for not being up to speed. 1. Your group is looking for a better parking solution: I think this is reasonable, and I would certainly advocate for a better solution besides 5km round trip. I would first want to direct staff to connect and work with your group to collaborate to see if a better solution can be found beyond what is currently proposed, and if necessary, step in to help drive that initiative more politically. 2. Your group would like to expand the current official boundaries of the park: I also think this is reasonable, especially if that space is currently already activated for this purpose. Additionally, if there are other connected areas nearby that could be identified as space for future growth for this site, we should be adding that in as well, so we have a growth plan for the facility. 3. Your group would like a garbage can(s) at the facility: Absolutely. Especially as we figure out the parking situation, let's ensure we're adding basic amenities to the plans!