City of Duncan Staples, Michelle councillor candidate (incumbent)

My name is Michelle Staples; I live in the City of Duncan with my family on the traditional
territory of the Coast Salish people which has been my home for the past 21 years. I
was elected by the citizens of Duncan in 2011 to serve on council as a representative for
our community. It has truly been an honour and pleasure to be elected to serve the
people of this City and to work with so many of our neighboring communities.

I went into my first term fueled by the passion that anything is possible, that we can learn
to work together and begin to move mountains. I mean how hard could it be to effect
change in local government?

The answer I have discovered, is that while it can be challenging at times, even
heartbreaking, and it takes time, an incredible amount of persistence, and offers the
continual lesson of discovering the depths of patience, change is completely possible
and the journey to get there is worth every minute.

My first term on City Council helped me build a strong foundation in local governance
and taught me many things I never anticipated. I learned that there are many good
people in local government, that the people who work for the City are dedicated to it,
love the work they do and the community they do it for.

Council worked together to design and commit to a Respectful Workplace Policy that
holds each of us accountable to; ourselves, each other, staff, the people in our City and
those who extend beyond our boundaries. The majority of council committed to this
Agreement as a tool that assists us when discussions get heated and emotions run high.
I learned that ideas like this, to change the status quo, take time to build, deman trust to
be effective and take courage to live by.

And we didnt just focus on the social aspects of change, we worked on the economic
ones as well. Work that helps keep your tax increases low and sets the City up with a
responsible five-year financial plan that will continue that trend while taking into account
the needs of the future so we are not passing high debts down to our children. City staff
has been so effective that the finance department has won an award for their financial
reporting, not one, but now two years in a row.

I learned that I dont always get my way and that I could promise the world to you, bring
it to the council table and still be outvoted. I learned that better, stronger ideas come
through the process of healthy debate, discussion and the multiple voices that contribute
to their development. And there is always another opportunity to reintroduce new
concepts because they take time to evolve, and we need to continue to move forward,
be open, learn from our mistakes, try again and never give up.

I learned that our Official Community Plan is not enough; we need to constantly adapt to
meet the changing needs of our City and work to create a vision for community and
economic development that looks at how everything fits together. A vision that
understands you cannot separate social issues from economic ones, the world is just not
that simplistic, it is complex and interconnected, and the health of one of these systems
impacts the health of all. I believe in development and planning that recognizes this
complexity, is forward thinking, sensible, invites community leadership and provides
balance for the people it effects.

What Have I Been Up To These Past Three Years?
Here is a Few Highlights

I have been active on multiple committees and projects including; Chair for the
Wayfinding Strategy (a fancy term for signage) and we now have effective parking signs
and signs directing people to parking throughout the downtown core. Integrated
Sustainability Plan (a fancy name for long-term planning) that is developed in
consultation with community members, to help the community identify sustainability
objectives for its environmental, cultural, social and economic needs. I chaired the
creative and professional Totem committee that developed the new totem signs, maps
and followed protocols to research and document the history of the Citys poles, artists,
and stories.

I continue to be the liaison for Cowichan Tribes and have been an active member of the
Community Mobilization Team identifying and addressing safety issues for the past two
years. I took part in many of the events around the Trans Canada Corridor Study
including hitting the streets with youth on safety walks as they are the most directly
effected by pedestrian planning, where we walked all over the city at different times of
the day and night identifying areas for street crossing changes, lighting, bike lanes,
access points among many other safety issues faced by pedestrians and cyclists.

I am an active participant in the regional watershed and governance planning workshops
held over the past year, recognize and am committed to addressing the needs for local
control over our watershed. I am equally dedicated to effective watershed management,
conservation, protection and valuing water. I am committed to begin the process of
moving forward by recognizing, standing up and requiring that we re-define our
relationships, recognize knowledge, and bring equality and balance between the
relationships of First Nations and Non First Nations governance and leadership as we
move into the future.

I am not afraid of hard work and getting into the thick of things even when its messy. I
believe we must all lead by example, that as local leaders we have a responsibility that
extends outside of the decision we make at City Hall. I believe we must have action
behind our words so when we say things like. Youth are our Future, and we have to
reach out to them and invite then in to the process. I am part of a team actively working
with youth to re-create Junior Youth Council and have been mentoring youth and
working with community organizations on partnerships to ensure youth have an effective
voice in regional politics. This past year saw Duncan Junior Youth Council involved in
numerous projects and present their ideas to local government decision-making tables.

Moving Forward

I was and will continue to be a voice at the table that works on processes and ensures
that community members effected by proposed bylaws and changes have a voice in
their development.

I will focus on the things that are important to you. Make sure that you are receiving the
services you need for the taxes you pay, support responsible financial planning that
prepares for the infrastructure repairs and upgrades that are needed so you are safe and
confident as you plan for your future. I will work to bring film plastic curbside pick up
back to our neighborhoods, continue to support the growth of an active youth council so
young voices have a place at our council tables and from there re-build the voices of our
seniors and bring them together on the issues they share to help support and learn from
each other.

I have a background in Business Administration and have been primarily self-employed
for over ten years so I understand the ups and downs of small business and the value
they bring to our Citys economy and culture. It is past time for us to develop initiatives
that respond to the unique needs of small business, develop a vision for a Duncan
based economic development strategy that encourages and support the growth of local
business, not just downtown but throughout the City.

We need to bring citizens, businesses, and professionals back together to up-date and
re-develop the places of our City in a current revitalization plan that addresses our
outstanding needs. Needs such as: the entrance to downtown; design standards for key
areas in the City that will open the door for business and development and provide a
clear picture of what the people of this City expect for future growth.

I have no overarching political agenda and bring a non-partisan perspective to the
council table. What I have is passion for local government, right here in my own back
yard where I live, where you can ask me questions, find support, show me a stump that
is a hazard or share a dream you have to make this City a better place for today, and for
tomorrow.

We have the ability to build this City into a showcase that boasts what is possible when
we work together and I am committed to doing that work, the hard work of working
through our differences to reach our goals.

On November 15
th
I am asking that you support me to work with you as we build our
dreams. I guarantee that I will continue to stand up and be accountable to you and now
that I have the education of my first term, we can roll up our sleeves and move some
mountains.

For contact and more information about me, my platform, progress reports from my 2011
platform, video updates through November, and a variety of other information visit
www.staplesforcity.ca