Reg Knox calls it ‘an interesting time’ in Hudson’s Hope.
As the community deals with the ongoing issue of securing a safe water supply, Knox felt it was time to come forward and run for office.
Earlier this week he filed his nomination papers in a bid for the mayor’s chair.
“I just think some things need to be done here in a big way and they’re just not happening,” said the well-known community advocate.
“The water issue right now, nobody is happy with it and they’re not going to be happy with it until it’s a good water source.”
“We need to come up with a long-term solution. What they have now is not a long-term solution, it’s a band-aid…that’s all it is and that’s all it’ll ever be until we get a good water source,” he added.
He points to B.C. Hydro as being responsible for the current situation of a do not consume order in place in the community.
“They took our water away. They should be responsible for coming up with something.”
“That was my beef from the beginning. We never should have accepted any money from them.”
But, for Knox, it’s not only about water.
“The problem I see is the community, itself, is behind the times. Over the next four years, I can envision a lot more people coming to this town, checking it out, and seeing what it has to offer because there is a lot stuff here to offer.”
For the mayoral candidate, it falls short in tourism.
“Tourists coming into town, they’re looking around. Some will decide to stay and some will keep on moving on, but you want them to stop and have a look. You also want them to consider living in this community.”
Knox believes it’s not happening right now, particularly in the townsite’s downtown core, saying it’s suffering.
With a planning and designing background, he moved to Hudson’s Hope from Alberta nine years ago.
“It’s a nice community but we need more tax base here. Not so much industry, but business, commerce. I think we have a fair amount of industry here. It’s keeps the money flowing, for sure, but we’re lacking the people coming in to consider this is a place to live.”
While Knox was the first candidate to declare, he’ll be joined on the ballot by current mayor Dave Heiberg, barring any last minute additions, when voters head to the polls next month.
The nomination period for candidates ends at 4 p.m. today.
General election day is October 15.
