229720
232884
Kamloops  

City of Kamloops councillor candidate profile: Jordan Proctor

Get to know Jordan Proctor

Castanet Kamloops is going to help you get to know the candidates running for city councillor over the next few weeks. Every weekday morning starting on Sept. 12, we will be posting a Q&A for each hopeful running for Kamloops council in the Oct. 15 local general election. All council candidates will be asked the same questions, and their answers, submitted to Castanet by email, are published in full.

Castanet Kamloops: Why do you think you would be a good councillor for the City of Kamloops? What unique perspective, skills or vision do you bring to the table?

Jordan Proctor: I have a long and consistent history of committing to goals and seeing them through to completion. My role as a supervisor on large scale construction projects has taught me the ability to create a plan and follow it through to completion, all the while being dynamic enough to recognize when the plan is not working and to re-evaluate. When roofing through the middle of summer in Kamloops, you are asking a lot of your co-workers. Managing their wellbeing and different personalities has given me a wealth of experience in how to get the best out of people and make them feel good about what they have achieved. Similarly, in my time working in mountain bike advocacy, I have always stressed that it is as important to build a culture of maintenance and pride of collective ownership, as much as building the facility itself. The same concepts apply to the city that we all care for and share.

Between my job as a roofer and my time volunteering in the outdoor recreation community, I have had the opportunity to build relationships with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. This has provided me with a good sense of what the needs, hopes and desires are from a broad cross section of the community at large.

What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the community today?

Proctor: Property crime, homelessness, the opioid crisis and housing affordability.

How can the city best tackle social issues — mental health, addictions, homelessness, crime — given the need to work with other levels of government responsible for those areas?

Proctor: First and foremost, I think what we need to recognize is that what we are currently doing isn't working. With the recent firing of half of the board of BC Housing and the retirement of the CEO, it is clear that structural change is on the horizon for that organization. It will be imperative for the City of Kamloops to advocate for our interests so that the changes to BC Housing positively affect our community.

Short term solutions would be to follow the city of Surrey's example in ensuring strict adherence to civic bylaws by housing, shelter and recovery sites in the interests of the safety of the entire community. One of the biggest challenges that the various organizations (BC Housing, ASK Wellness, Mustard Seed, Canadian Mental Health Association, City of Kamloops, Interior Health Authority) face in managing these complex issues is communication. As a result of there not being a robust inter-organizational database, it can be challenging for people in need to transition between services on their road to recovery.

Kamloops and area has felt the impacts in recent years of a changing climate. What do you think the city should do to foster climate resilience and reduce emissions?

Proctor: In the interests of climate resilience, Kamloops should be taking a more aggressive approach to meeting the guidelines set forth by the B.C. FireSmart program. This program proved to be a huge success when Logan Lake was under threat from the Tremont Creek wildfire in 2021.

To reduce emissions, focussing on building efficient commercial and residential buildings, improving upon urban density, and designing more pedestrian oriented neighbourhoods are all solutions within the scope of the municipal government.

How can the City of Kamloops strengthen its partnership with Tk’emlups te Secwepemc and continue working toward reconciliation with First Nations?

Proctor: The simple answer is to listen. It is not for me to suggest what the First Nations peoples need in the interests of reconciliation. By taking their perspectives, in addition to using the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action as guidelines, we can identify actionable items that we can commit to in the interests of creating a relationship built on trust and understanding.

Visit Castanet's Kamloops Votes page to find profiles for City of Kamloops mayoral and councillor candidates along with links to candidates' websites and social media accounts if available.



More Kamloops News

233021