MEET A LOCAL CANDIDATE: Diana Fox | KIMBERLEY BY-ELECTION 2024
[POSTMARK: SEPT 2024]-----
Since 95EH ran ‘Meet a Local Candidate’ Q&As back in the 2018 General Local Election, and again in 2022, I figured I would dust off those ol’ Meet A Local Candidate questions, give them some new paint, and then send them off to any City Councillor candidates who’d be interested in participating this time around before the Kimberley By-Election of 2024 (ps - you can find all the details for this election over on the City of Kimberley’s website, including candidate profiles + important voter information… like how the last day to vote will be September 21st, 2024, FYI).
But, for right now, let’s just focus on one of the seven candidates. Diana Fox, to be exact, as that’s precisely who has stopped by for a metaphorical cup of coffee via the seven Qs and A’s below… so let’s go say “hey!” now, eh?
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Ok, first things first… who are you and what do you do when you’re not running for City Council?
My name is Diana Fox, and I am the owner of Mountain Grass Gallery + Bistro here in Kimberley. I am also a Tutor and freelance Educational + Creative Consultant. I have a pretty diverse background. My degree is in fine arts, and I’ve worked in media, advertising, health care, disability service, and post-secondary education.
I believe that you can tell a lot about a person from what they personally recommend & why — SO — please recommend a book or film or podcast or video or article or album or some other piece of media/art that you have connected to recently on that level where you’d want to tell someone else to go check it out too (& tell us why).
I’m going to encourage everyone to check out this comic: theoatmeal.com/comics/believe
It explains the Backfire Effect and does a great job of making a concept understandable and accessible. I have worked as a Tutor for a long time, and much of that role is explaining concepts and theories in different ways so students can understand them. I am a big fan of media that can frame potentially challenging concepts in an unbiased and understandable way.
If someone was coming to visit the Kimberley area for only a few days… what would be on the top of your list of recommendations for things they should do and/or places they should visit?
My first recommendation is to bring stretchy pants so you can eat out at our excellent restaurants. My second recommendation is to take breaks between eating to go shopping. Kimberley is full of unique stores, boutiques, galleries, and retail spaces that add to our character, and every single one is worth checking out, from downtown to Marysville.
My final recommendation is to spend a little bit of time outdoors. There are tons of trails and paths for hikers and bikers. Marysville Falls is very accessible if you’re worried about mobility, and it’s a lovely spot. If accessibility is not an issue, take the Mark Creek Trail back up and check out what’s happening at the new bike park; it’s pretty cool.
Editor’s Note: this is an AI rendition of Diana’s above Kimberley recommendations (as a modern-looking postcard)
Look, obviously we all like living around here, that's why we all keep doing it, BUT… what's something you've found frustrating or concerning about living around Kimberley these last few years — and how could a city councillor like you help the community better deal with that frustration/concern?
I’d like to see all our reporting get updated more regularly, particularly those reports relating to climate. We have a lot of great reports for a myriad of things from Housing, to Small Business, to Active Transportation, to Climate Resilience, and those give both overviews as well as recommendations for forward movement. Some of these were done really recently which is excellent, but I think we want to make sure that whatever data we are working from is as contemporary as it can be.
Particularly in regards to climate, when things can and seemingly do change so rapidly, we want to ensure that we are aware of any vulnerabilities we may have as a community so we can be prepared. Kimberley already has some great climate initiatives, we just want to make sure we continue to prioritise those.
Of course, there's lots to be positive about around here too… so what are some developments/happenings in the Kimberley area that you've found promising or optimistic these last few years — and how could a city councillor like you help the community continue to experience more of that goodness?
The best thing about Kimberley is that people get together and identify a way they could make things better, and then they go and do it. All the cool changes at the bike park, the adventure park on Swan Ave, the rainbow crosswalk downtown, events like HorrorFest - all are things that happened because a couple of people had an idea that could make the community better and then did it. That’s such a powerful thing for a community to have, and such a strength to draw upon. As we can all see, people who care about their community make their community better.
It’s impossible to know for sure how a future city councillor might vote on future issues (or even what those future issues might be), BUT, it’s not impossible to role-play to see how someone would have voted on a previous issue — SO — let’s imagine that you were on city council back when they were voting on whether to re-zone industrial land in Marysville to commercial to allow for a McDonalds-Gas-Station-Car-Wash… how would you have voted on that "controversial" issue and please explain your reasoning why? (for extra reader context: council voted against that proposal by a count of 4-3 after a public hearing and much public debate)
I was not supportive of that development. One of the things that makes Kimberley special is that it does not have developments of that nature. I’ve had so many conversations with tourists over the years about how places like Kimberley, with our concentrated volume of unique small businesses, are becoming less common, and how special we are. We don’t want to develop our city at the potential expense of what it is that makes us unique. I am a fan of thoughtful development, where we take a holistic approach to how we move forward. That particular development did not feel as if it was doing that.
I weighed in on this issue publicly early on, and both of my submissions are available on my blog.
Finally… by the end of September 21st, 2024, Kimberley folks will have hit the polls and cast their By-Election votes for the one (1) City Councilor that will be serving a two (2) year term from November 2024 to October 2026, and you are one of the candidates running — SO — please make your final pitch as to why residents should be making sure they make time to vote for this recently opened City Council spot AND why they should consider you for their vote?
I don’t need to make any pitch to Kimberley people to get out and vote. In the years I have lived here, I have seen again and again how passionate people are about this community. I know that passion will take people to the polls to vote for the person they feel best reflects their values, and that’s amazing.
So that being said, if people want someone on council who is committed to seeing Kimberley develop in a thoughtful way where we take a holistic approach, creating a thriving small business community where entrepreneurs can be successful, and ensuring we’ve got a safe and vibrant community for generations to come, then you can feel good about voting for me.
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Alright, that’s all the Q’s and A’s for this Q&A — but you can engage Diana in further conversation over on Facebook or Instagram or over on dianamakesart.ca! And if you’d like more info on who else is on the ballot + where and when to vote, please CLICK HERE to visit the 2024 By-Election page on the City of Kimberley’s website AND/OR check out the handy picture below for all your important voting info :
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And don’t forget to check out the All-Candidates Forum that the Kimberley Chamber ran on the 9th of September…
…and stay tuned for more ‘Meet a Local Candidate’ Q&As (hopefully), perhaps even some provincial candidate Q&As (skeptically), over on the 95EH socials (Facebook + Instagram) and right here on the MOUN.TOWN blahg.
And then don’t forget to vote, eh?!
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JEREMY / @HI54LOFI
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