Craig Cameron For WV Council

Full disclosure: I have known Craig for over twenty years and he is one of my closest friends. I personally think he’s a bit crazy for entering the political arena – but otherwise he’s a fine upstanding citizen. He’s motivated by making a difference in his community thankfully, which is more than I can say for most politicos. Given the precarious nature of mountain biking in West Van I thought it would be useful to see where he stands on the issues of trails and mountain biking on Cypress.

There was a time when we rode together and Craig tackled more technical trails, including those on Cypress, but in truth he was a danger to himself and others. Hopefully this history will make him a friend to mountain bikers if he is elected in West Vancouver on Saturday Nov. 19th. He’d get my vote if I lived in West Van – if only so I could go to council meetings and make him laugh at innappropriate times.

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 Craig and I with a couple of friends on Blackcomb last year. He’s the one with the huge cranium.

nsmb.com – You are a first time candidate and relatively new to politics. Can you tell me what lead you to throw your hat in?

Craig Cameron – West Vancouver is my home.  I have three young children and care about the future of my community.  I want it to stay healthy, vibrant and livable for them and their children.  

What about you makes you cut out for the political life? What do you bring to the table that you think is missing?

I am practicing lawyer with skills in mediation and negotiation.  I have hands-on experience in business, construction, government and non-profits.  I am active in the community and understand the issues.

It seems that the public views politicians in Canada, and in B.C. particularly, with increasing cynicism. Self interest seems to come first while the interests of parties follows – leaving constituents a distant third. Are there leaders or other political figures, at any level of government, who you can personally commend for their work in office?

Thankfully, we don’t have party politics in West Vancouver. I think outgoing Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones has served this community very well in many ways.  She has, for one, made local government much more open and participatory, through the use of many citizen-led working groups.  

Actually, having now had a taste of the challenges in running a campaign (let alone being in office), I have a great deal more respect for all those who serve their community. I can see that West Vancouver, in particular, is a difficult place to govern given the strongly-held and often conflicting views in the community.

  Craig (left) and Mike Wrinch competing at the Momar 50k adventure race – which included a mountain bike leg – last year. 

Can you talk briefly about the work of Gordon Campbell and Stephen Harper? What about Pam Goldsmith-Jones?

Not touching the first question.   See the previous answer for my thoughts on Pam. 

The outside world has the impression that West Van is an enclave of the aging and wealthy.  How do you see the community? What sort of changes would you like to see?

I see West Vancouver as much like every other community. There are many aging and wealthy people here, but there are also many young families and people of more limited means. Many older people are house-poor, having bought in when prices were lower and now having to live on a fixed income. My neighbours are some of the most decent people I know and they certainly aren’t wealthy. 

I would like to see West Vancouver take some steps to ensure that we don’t become simply an enclave of the aging and wealthy.  For example, I think we need to build a wider range of housing to better meet the needs of seniors who are downsizing, young families who want to live here and divorced couples who want to stay in the community.

Are there constituents in West Van who you feel are under-represented and under served by the municipality? If so how will you bring their concerns forward.

I think the Iranian community feels underrepresented and under served by the municipality. I want to welcome this community into the broader West Vancouver community. More specifically, I think we need to make local government more comprehensible and accessible for the Iranian community. Some first steps could include a Farsi page on the District’s website, an email service in Farsi to keep people informed of community events, or perhaps an invitation by Council to hear from the Iranian community and its needs.

What is your relationship to outdoor actiivty – in particular here on the North Shore but elsewhere as well.

I am an avid hiker, trail running, cyclist, paddleboarder, snowboarder, etc.I try to spend as much of my leisure time outside and being active. Having three small children makes this more challenges but I manage. I used to mountain bike quite a bit but have moved more to other, less painful sports as I age. I still do a bit of cross-country.

West Vancouver has a spotty record when it comes to mountain biking. The so-called ‘Chainsaw Massacre’ in 1998 is the worst example but there are others as well. For years a West Van resident was sabotaging mountain bike trails and even causing injuries to riders with his actions. Things have improved substantially in recent years but largely because the baseline was set so low. Why do you think West Van has been so slow to embrace mountain biking?

As you noted earlier, West Vancouver is an older community and somewhat conservative by nature.  If I had to guess, I would suggest that some West Vancouver residents may have perceived mountain biking as destructive and threatening. There is a strong sense of ownership in West Vancouver about the natural environment – recall the Eagleridge Bluffs protests – and some may have thought they were protecting their pristine spaces.

What is your feeling about the legitimacy of mountain bike trails in West Vancouver?

I think mountain bike trails are now far more accepted as a legitimate use of public forests. I think people see that mountain bikers can co-exist with other uses.

The Trans Canada Trail is mandated federally to be a multi-use trail but in West Vancouver sections of the trail display no cycling signs. The Trans Canada Trail web site indicates cycling as an acceptable activity on these trails. What do you make of this?

I didn’t know this is the case. I don’t know if this is a local decision or if it has any legal force. In my view, we should try to ensure the Trans Canada trail remains multi-use everywhere and try to resolve any conflicts without banning a particular use.  We need more people to get outside, not fewer. 

Development continues on Hollyburn Ridge and it’s creeping up towards Cypress Bowl. How do you think the Rodgers Creek Area Plan has been handled thus far? What would you like to see moving forward as BPP continues to develop?

I think the Rogers Creek Area Plan is an improvement on how development has been done previously in the Upper Lands.  I would like to see development concentrated even more in future plans so that more natural spaces can be preserved (and so we have more sustainable communities). 

Right now it’s my understanding that there is an informal moratorium on development above 1200 feet. What is your understanding of that limit and what do you expect to see in the future? Is there any chance that will become a permanent limit to development?

It is also my understanding that this limit is informal.  It is my hope that we could continue with this limit, and perhaps make it permanent. I understand that BPP owns a fair amount of property above the 1200 ft level, so any decisions on this will have to involve them. 

Communities like Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton have recognized the value of mountain biking to their communities and each pays crews and contractors to build and maintain trails. Recently the District of North Vancouver has begun to do the same.  While Cypress is a great place for skilled riders, there are few options for beginner or intermediate riders. Would you support community funds going towards building trails that could be used by a broader segment of the community?

I would, in principle, support some community funds going toward building more accessible trails.  However, at this point, there are significant budget pressures in West Vancouver and I can’t see a large amount of public funding from the District for this purpose in the near future.    If the District can support volunteer efforts in ways other than funding, we should look into these measures.

Anything you would like to add?

Please make sure you vote November 19th.  Local government matters in many ways in your everyday life.   The composition of Council will determine what decisions are made.   We need people that are constructive, capable and forward-looking and that reflect the diversity in the community.

For more about Craig check out his campaign on Facebook.

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