The three mayoral candidates for the Oct. 21 municipal election faced 10 questions at Wednesday evening’s forum hosted by the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.

The audience was small, with just 14 people on hand to hear the answers from incumbent city councillors Laura Cabott and Samson Hartland and Patti Balsillie, a newcomer to municipal politics. The event, however, was live-streamed.

The questions focused on key issues facing the city, ranging from housing, crime, parking, the shortage of commercial lots, climate change and addressing ongoing issues at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter.

Moderator Oshea Jephson asked the candidates about how they would promote a better way to meet the needs of the business community, about how they would support the economic recovery.

The candidates were asked to describe the three top priorities in their campaigns.

They were asked how they would would work with a largely new council, with Mayor Dan Curtis not returning after three consecutive three-year terms. There will be at least three councillors not returning, depending on the outcome of the mayoral race.

For two hours, the audience heard of the candidates’ perspectives on various matters.

All of the candidates spoke of the need to support the business community, tackle the housing crisis and climate change.

They all acknowledged they were on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the Ta’an Kwach’an Counil.

A strong relationship with the First Nations is of great importance, they all agreed.

The moderator asked 10 questions, with each candidate taking turns providing their answers.

Below is a summary of each candidate’s position, appearing in alphabetical order.

PATTIE BALSILLIE

Inclusiveness, listening to what people have to say and contribute is of paramount importance, she told the audience.

As someone who has worked in a variety of executive positions and who has been involved in all aspects of the tourism industry for the past couple of decades, Balsillie said the industry needs support to return to a place of stability. The pandemic knocked the teeth out of the economy, especially the tourism sector, she said.

“Tourism is deeply entrenched in the quality of our lives.”

The candidate believes there is an opportunity of finding ways to advance the industry.

She said working with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce and the 500 members it represents would be essential.

“It is the private sector that gives us our personality,” Balsillie told the audience.

She said the new mayor and council will have the opportunity to complete the work that has gone into reworking the Official Community Plan and developing the 2040 OCP. They will have the opportunity to examine the housing crisis through that work.

She says what the city is doing to address the issue of property crime is simply not working.

Property crime is not just an issue for downtown, but for all the neighbourhoods, she said.

Climate change, said Balsillie, will never be reversed, but it can be slowed down.

The cost of battling climate change can be expensive, but the cost of doing nothing could be more costly.

The candidate asked the audience to imagine what could be accomplished if the city could inspire its 32,000 residents to jump on the train to battle climate change.

The city, she said, can be more accommodating when it comes to dealing with the business community, both in examining permitting fees and looking at the type of restrictions the city has in place.

“The only thing I want to increase is the value of your dollar,” said Balsillie.

She said dealing with the emergency shelter is a complex issue. The RCMP, she said, will tell you they are there dealing with issues there non-stop.

She said part of the problem is people who are coming out of jail on the road to a better life are put in the shelter, where they are surrounded by the negative atmosphere.

“I would bring innovation and problem-solving,” she told the audience. “I represent change.”

LAURA CABOTT

Cabott says she has the skills and leadership qualities to help guide the new council.

The next council will be a majority of new faces and it will require strong leadership, the incumbent councillor told the audience.

“I believe that is me,” she said. “I am running for mayor because I really enjoyed my term as councillor. I feel I made a lot of positive contributions.”

She said she has a vision and has learned a lot of ideas knocking on doors and talking to the business community.

It takes collaboration and commitment to lead, to get all seven members of council pulling in the direction. It’s important that the new council feel welcome.

“I would be very welcoming and would reach out to people, ask them how they are doing, but be welcoming.”

Cabott said she believes there is an opportunity to bring on a full-time position dedicated to focusing on the tourism industry.

Anything the city does to support tourism is a benefit to the hotel industry, is a means of attracting events and highlighting culture, she said.

She said completing the work on updating the 2040 OCP will help to address the housing crisis. It is a high level document but is shows you what is coming down the pipe in the next 20 years, Cabott said.

She said the city needs to engage the two local First Nations to see what they want to do about residential development.

“With COVID-19, more and more people are going to move here. That is not a bad thing. It’s how you address it.”

The city just can’t keep washing its hands or the growing crime rate, she said, noting bylaw officers are limited in their authority but do communicate with the RCMP.

“The citizens are asking for something,” she said. “They say we have a role to play and I absolutely agree with them.”

Cabott said the city can’t afford to do nothing about climate change.

Establishing an advisory committee on climate change would be a step in the right direction.

“We have incredible experts here,” she said. “We need to reduce our climate footprint.”

There’s the opportunity to provide a special tax rate for renewable energy projects, she said.

Cabott said the city has to balance out its needs to make sure taxes are reasonable, but the issue of taxes is a tricky one.

SAMSON HARTLAND

The mayor has only one vote of seven votes on council, Hartland reminded the audience.

He said it takes collaboration and unity among council to advance the city’s interests.

“The key to this is to be a consensus-builder,” he said. “You have to be a good listener, you have to be able to build trust and respect among your colleagues.”

Hartland said you have to be careful not to promise the moon because there are six others on council. But as a veteran of the last two terms, he understands the city’s strategic plan and the city’s priorities.

Hartland told the audience one of the keys to encourage business and tourism is to reduce the red tape. Red tape, he said, means hoops to jump through.

“In these time of stress and economic uncertainty, the last thing you want to worry about is the hoops you have to jump through to keep your business afloat,” Hartland said. “How can we make the job of business easier?”

To get a handle on the housing crisis, he said, the new council will have to understand the OCP that provides a vision into the city’s future.

Housing boils down to a supply-and-demand issue and demand is currently outstripping supply, he told the audience.

Hartland said addressing the housing crisis will take collaboration among all the players – the city, the First Nations and the Yukon government.

“We do want to complete that OCP so that we can have that certainty.”

Hartland said the increase in crime is bigger than all of us.

Combatting it will require a collective effort, ongoing communication with the RCMP and the Yukon government, he said, adding he met with the police last month to discuss the issue.

Hartland said the new council will need to empower itself to help address the rising crime rate.

“We can make this community safe again,” he told the audience.

Examining options available to improve city infrastructure, making it more green, is a means the city can use to reduce its carbon footprint, he said.

Hartland said examining the use of biomass or wood for heating can be looked at, as can looking at converting the city’s fleet of vehicles to electric vehicles.

“Are we doing as much as we can? Maybe not, but we are making strides,” he said.

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