A current director on the Fraser Valley Regional District board wants to represent Abbotsford-Mission in Victoria as an indepedent.
Wendy Bales, who unsuccessfully ran for the NDP nomination in this riding, said she continued to try for a seat after she believed there wasn’t “anyone I wanted to vote for this time around.”
This is due to where the majority of her political competitors stand on big issues, she said.
Bales, who lives in Deroche, is concerned about the state of the health care system in the province, and says that for the past decade, while there have been improvements, it’s “still not as good as it was before.”
Mission Memorial Hospital used to be a full-service facility, but it’s been heading “downhill ever since Fraser Health Authority took over. There’s been a lot of top-heavy administration.”
Also topping Bales’ list of worries, is the Aggregate Pilot Project (APP), which lists sites where gravel mines should be located.
She believes increased gravel mining will affect tourism and wildlife habitats, and that if some proposed pits are placed near drinking water sources, their viability could be undermined.
Bales is now in her second term as area C director, and says the work has provided a good education that would prepare her for being an MLA. She has sat on two provincial committees through her FVRD work that addressed issues such as the APP, agriculture and livestock, the Water Act and forestry.
Bales also notes that several other countries are far ahead of Canada in terms of renewable energy, and more moeny needs to be targeted towards training so that the nation can keep pace globally.
The self-employed landscaper has lived in Deroche for 24 years, and the riding for the past 38.
She can be reached at wendybales.com.
Other candidates: