Former District of Barriere councillor, Alan Fortin, has decided to run for the position of councillor once again during the March 1 byelection.
Four candidates will be running for the seat vacated by recent councillor and deputy mayor, Rob Kerslake, who was required to step down as a district councillor while running for mayor in the by-election.
The names of the candidates appeared on the ballot and became official once the declaration of the by-election was authorized by the close of business on Monday, February 3 by Chief Electoral Officer, Tasha Buchanan. The other candidates for councillor are Brody Mosdell who is the youngest candidate, Bob George, former DOB councillor Alan Fortin and Stephen Boylan.
Fortin and his wife Stacey moved to Barriere 20 years ago. They raised their three children in the area who all graduated from Barriere Secondary School with three of their eight grandchildren being raised in Barriere as well.
The former DOB councillor is a mechanic by trade, having worked as a mason prior to moving to the North Thompson Valley and has volunteered his time with the Barriere Legion #242 branch and also with the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo.
In an interview he told the Barriere Star / Journal he spent eight years previously on council for the District of Barriere.
"I ask a lot of questions and look for as much information as I can before any vote. I have always strived to be a voice for the taxpayer," he said. "It’s important as a councillor to stay the course. When you only have so many tax dollars to use in the budget it’s so important to set priorities and be fiscally responsible. We have to look carefully at every project, such as the sewer system and other similar projects. We need to do our research on other ‘proven’ projects because we can’t afford to waste grant funding or taxpayer funds either."
Fortin hopes future projects will bring much-needed revenue to the district and attract more investors. “We are in a perfect location for manufacturers to establish themselves along the Highway 5 corridor that moves products in either direction for those businesses to easily transport what they produce.”
The former councillor would also like to see another apartment building in Barriere and says that is “long overdue” adding, “an average house now in Barriere is a half a million dollars and a young couple just can’t afford that starting out nor are they likely to qualify for a mortgage right away. We should be able to attract an investor willing to build another apartment complex in Barriere in the future. There’s a waiting list for the one building that is here.”
Fortin and his wife “love it here in Barriere” he said, calling it a “bedroom community close to Kamloops” and that there is “everything you need right here” in the district other than a clothing store currently. “We’ve lived here for 20 years, and we love the valley. It's a great place to live.”
