Prior to the provincial election scheduled for Oct. 19, Coast Reporter spoke with MLA nominees from the NDP and Green Party for the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast, as well as John Rustad, leader of the Conservative Party of BC. The questions asked of the candidates were largely based on topics discussed each week by residents in the “Letters to the editor,” section of the paper.
Perched on a picnic table outside of the Sunshine Coast Food Bank in Sechelt, Green Party nominee Chris Hergesheimer speaks passionately about the devastating effects of living in poverty and food insecurity.
“Food insecurity exists on a spectrum. It could be everything from, ‘I have zero food, like zero,’ up to a family who's like, ‘I'm going to cut my kids’ sandwich in half and send each of them with half a sandwich, because I only have one loaf of bread,’" says Hergesheimer. “So, we think it means, ‘I have no food,’ but it can mean anything, from mom and dad aren't eating so the kids can eat, or smaller portions for everyone.”
Hergesheimer is the lead food programmer at the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society, which operates the food bank and has worked with the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre as lead of its Poverty Reduction Project. He holds a PhD in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems from UBC and is also a musician and a long-time resident who has raised his family on the Coast.
Guaranteed income
Hergesheimer believes if people are making enough money to live on, it helps solve a myriad of problems, including lowering crime rates. He notes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which made a guaranteed income available to those who lost their job or were not able to work, the need for food banks decreased dramatically.
“It wasn't even an income security thing. It was an economic stimulus and it had the latent impact of having the biggest impact on poverty that we've seen in this country, because when you have money, you don't come here,” says Hergesheimer of the food bank.
Affordable housing
Hergesheimer says guaranteed income is only one part of the livability equation, with access to affordable housing another vital component.
“But it has to be the right kind of housing. I get a little bit weary of more luxury condos with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances that the barista or the young person working at IGA can't afford to live in,” says Hergesheimer. “I remember growing up in Vancouver and there were all these three-storey walk ups around Metrotown and East Van and they were $700 and, adjusted for inflation, but the idea was, it just had a normal stove and it just had a bed and you were out and about and you were doing stuff. And as a kid who worked full time, I was able to pay rent and buy groceries and go out and see music. And do this as a 20-year-old, but that's just not the reality.”
He adds if a person can’t afford rent, that affects the economy because they also can’t afford food or clothes a visit to a pub or coffee shop.
He’s confident the current housing crisis can be solved by creating mixed neighbourhoods with a variety of buildings.
“This sort of one-size fits all thing is not working,” says Hergesheimer. “And it's having consequences here, on our economy, on people's stability, on their mental health, on all kinds of things.”
Transportation/new highway
Hergesheimer says the question Coasters should be asking is, “How do we build a transportation system, highway included, that really respects and understands how much transportation touches so many aspects of a healthy and connected society.”
“Is a new highway built to continue the individualistic car culture that we're caught in?” asks Hergesheimer. “Or does the new highway come alongside an active transportation corridor that on one side of it, can have bikes and joggers and moms and dads with strollers and people feeling safe to use the road in that way. Does it come with fixed-link transit that makes travel up and down this Coast easier?”
Hergesheimer adds, while there's a case to be made for a new highway from a safety standpoint, it could also be so much more than a road linking Point A to Point B. This past May, Hergesheimer walked from Egmont to the north end of Redrooffs Road (roughly 50 kilometres), where the bus stop is, to demonstrate the distance someone would have to travel without a car in order to access transit.
“It's how a community is woven together, how you find belonging, how seniors are able to access appointments and social life, how teenagers are able to get up to the lakes without their parents having to drive them back and forth,” he says. “It touches so many aspects of people's lives. So, I would say there are huge advantages from a safety standpoint and from an emergency preparedness standpoint, but I wouldn't leave it at that without asking questions about what goes on that highway and what does the future of transportation look like 10 to 20, years for this region, because right now, it's very, very challenging without a personal vehicle, and I can attest to that.”
Ferry foibles
Hergesheimer says the issues surrounding the inadequate ferry system residents of the Sunshine Coast face are obvious, but also complex and admits he has no quick fix to improve problems years in the making.
“I don't have answers at this point and I don't have a party platform to run on that, but I just know that as a long-time resident,” he says, “Even when I first came here, you didn't miss ferries like you do now. And then, things change and this is a beautiful place that attracts people from all over the world and then you get the double-edged sword of tourism and development. So, part of the challenges that come with the ferries are also the same things that have brought this economic sector in, this vibrant arts and culture scene and young people.”
If elected, Hergesheimer plans to continue community discussions on ferry issues and continue putting pressure on BC Ferries to better understand the needs of this ferry dependent region.
