2024 BC Provincial General Election Series: The Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce has invited all candidates running in the five Tri-Cities ridings to answer our questions, and provide a 60-second introductory video. Come and meet the candidates in person at the Chamber's Business Showcase on Tuesday, October 8th. Learn more >
Ken Holowanky, MLA Candidate for Coquitlam-Maillardville, Independent, Fall 2024
"It is the co-operation of school and industry that will result in a stable, knowledgeable workforce that adds to the bottom line," says Ken Holowanky.
1. If elected, how would you encourage more business investment, job creation, and higher wages in British Columbia?
Make BC a desirable place to live, such that business has a pool of workers to draw from. We have a huge advantage over most places in the world by having such a varied climate and geography, there is something to offer for everyone. Unfortunately, this is seriously handicapped by high cost of living. A major driver is price of real estate. I propose reducing influence of the real estate industry. This applies not only to residential pressure by land assemblers, foreign owners, and speculators (domestic included), but pressure on land used for industrial and agricultural. Flipping and speculation do not add value to goods. Industry does. Lowering the cost of housing would result in the same outcome as raising wages. Over the years BC has had some of the most innovative businesses and manufacturers of anywhere in the world (from Pacific Truck in an era gone by to Creo to the old Coast Steel in PoCo). The spirit and local expertise that built these operations is alive in many businesses that are still here. The jobs will create themselves as long as we make it palatable for these operations to stay in our area and grow to their potential. Taxing these businesses and the air above them based on residential real estate potential is not palatable. Having workers pay for the tools they need to do the job with after tax dollars is not palatable either. Neither is having those workers commute from Hope.
2. How would you address the rising cost of living, to make life more affordable in the Tri-Cities and throughout the province?
Remove the influence of the real estate sector. Shift influence to value adding industries that deserve a decent rate of return. The tax burden is high for both workers and businesses. A way to reduce taxes that has not been used yet, is to elect technically minded politicians. We do have some now, but they are under obligation to follow party lines. I endorse having an apolitical civil body of engineers and industry peers that is accountable solely to the taxpayer. They would scrutinize infrastructure and power generation design proposals, select the right vendors, and stay on top of milestones in the production schedule, such that any budget overruns are dealt with before an extra billion dollars has changed hands.
3. What is your priority with respect to addressing the labour challenges we face today?
My priority starts at the Grade 9 level (if not sooner). Our young people need to be taught they can be well rewarded in a career that uses their hands to add value to goods. Our teachers are adept at noticing when individuals have an aptitude for a particular field. Only if we return to having plentiful fully equipped labs and shops can these aptitudes be explored, whether it be cooking, machine shop, biology lab, robotics lab, woodwork shop, auto shop, chemistry lab etc. Those that possess both the hands-on and the theoretical will go on to higher levels of education and be a different level of help to our local industry (if we make it enjoyable for them to stay here). All of this needs a reciprocal buy-in from industry to take on apprentices and somewhat absorb the costs to finish their training. It is the co-operation of school and industry that will result in a stable, knowledgeable workforce that adds to the bottom line.
4. What is you vision and priorities for the transportation infrastructure and public transit service in the Tri-Cities?
We are saddled with the world’s most expensive rapid transit and it’s associated extreme maintenance costs. Though we do not need to use it for extensions, we need to make the best of what is already built. There cannot be any more poor decisions made that base form of transit and routing on creating real estate revenue rather than take people where they need to go (usually work) at a good price. I speak of boring through a mountain in Port Moody rather than going along existing (and largely ground level) right of ways along Lougheed. Ample, secure parking at Skytrain stations would encourage use and take cars off the road. Augment stations with timely (small) bus service to industrial areas where people actually work. Make better use of short sea shipping to move goods to and from intermodal yards to deep sea docks. This would greatly reduce in-town truck traffic. We are on the river (except for the part of it that is being turned into condos at Fraser Mills). I have attended open houses about fixes for the Brunette/Lougheed interchange. There are some good ideas, but none have been acted on. I will do this. I would work to halt the major residential towers planned for Brunette/Braid and Fraser Mills until roadwork has been completed. Truck traffic to industry in that area is being held ransom by commuter traffic. Skytrain has devoured our transit budget.
View a map of the Coquitlam-Maillardville electoral district here.
5. If elected, how will you work with industry to help establish frameworks that enable both economic and environmentally sustainable growth?
I believe industry is already working within reasonable frameworks for environmentally sustainable growth. It is in their best interest to market products as such to their end users. It is an unfair disadvantage to be in competition with other jurisdictions that can produce cheaper goods, not necessarily because of lower labour costs, but because companies there do not have to adhere to common sense environmental rules, including those that protect the health of their workers. I believe with education the end user will appreciate this and pay the extra to support domestic production. It would be a role of government to help with education.
6. What would you do to help the homeless throughout the Tri-Cities, and in particular those camped at or near businesses, impacting the business owners' ability to stay in operation?
A portion of homeless do not have the mental attributes to function outside of a very controlled living arrangement. We need to re-instate places like Riverview and staff them accordingly. Some may have hidden skillsets that could be of use to willing employers, only that they have fallen on hard times (often due to the low-cost housing they used to live in being torn down to make way for towers with unaffordable rent). This of course means more purpose-built low-income rental such that even a low-income job can mean a home is possible. The remaining are looking for an easy way out. Crimes committed need to be dealt with by a judicial system that is not lenient. The few loners of sound mind that do not want to live with anyone, and do not have substance use issues, need to live where there is no impact or perceived danger to the rest of society. Their place of residence must be kept sanitary, safe, neat and tidy. Sanitary issues will be a challenge for them to prove, but it is possible. None of these conditions are possible in a tent city on a commercial street. Substance abuse is prevalent among all income levels, but when one doesn’t have a roof over their head the issue is exacerbated. We need staffed drug treatment centres attached to social housing. No tent cities. With tax incentives, developers can indeed profit building low-income rentals. In those buildings, Mom says clean up your room.
7. What changes would you implement to improve healthcare?
I believe the present government has done reasonably well getting facilities built. There is however a big issue staffing these facilities. This is the same issue industry faces; our cost of living is a deterrent. I am in favour of streamlined acceptance of foreign professional accreditation, but not too streamlined. I will encourage more walk-in clinics. I will encourage better education of the public about what constitutes an emergency room visit. Federal immigration levels have overloaded an already overloaded system. This cannot continue. Family doctor incomes would be much more attractive if they did not have to run all the business aspects. Staffing to look after the business aspect, as well as office leases, could come under a government umbrella. I do not support increasing staff levels by allowing employees without up-to-date vaccinations and regular health checks in areas where the elderly and the very ill are.
8. Please provide a link to your website and/or contact information where readers can follow up with you should they want more information.
Ken Holowanky
Email votekencoquitlam@gmail.com
Cell 604-735-1340
https://kenholowanky.title.is/election2024-bio
View more Candidate videos and Q&A stories here.
The Tri-Cities Chamber is neutral in all elections, as it is stated in its bylaws to not support any particular candidate for public office. We do encourage everyone to learn about local candidates, their positions on issues, and party platforms. Please vote on October 19th.
Authorized by Chamber of Commerce Serving Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 604-464-2716.