Skip to content

CITY COUNCIL: Ben Lanyon puts his name forward for city council

I’ve spent the last 17 years raising a family in Campbell River, building a career, and volunteering on some non-profit boards. I love so much about this city.
30470072_web1_220921-CRM-COUNCIL-Ben-Lanyon-BENLANYON_1
Beb Lanyon is running for city council. Photo contributed

I’ve spent the last 17 years raising a family in Campbell River, building a career, and volunteering on some non-profit boards. I love so much about this city.

But like many others, I am becoming increasingly frustrated by lack of action on housing and lawlessness.

My main goal on council is to find a balance between economic issues and social issues. Success with this will bring us a powerful economy, amazing amenities, and a logical approach to social issues such as community safety, diversity, mental health, and the environment. I believe we can achieve these outcomes without raising property taxes.

My take on economics…

We need to support our local businesses and industries. Why? Because economic prosperity correlates directly with the happiness level of a region. Our finances determine what we can and can’t do as a household; and this is true for higher levels of government as well.

We also need housing attainability so that working people can afford to fill jobs here. This means we need more housing supply using a combination of careful densification and expansion. This is not reckless expansion, but it is considerably faster than the pace we have seen. We need to adopt a more positive, can-do attitude. Eliminate unsensible bottlenecks. Become recession proof.

My take on social Issues…

I believe mental health, addiction, and homelessness are the biggest social issues we face right now. The provincial government is responsible for solving this, but they move slowly and they have not yet stepped up. This means we need home-grown solutions and a strong voice to lobby for resources.

The deterioration of public order around town is making reasonable people very angry. We know we must restore lawfulness to an acceptable level. But we also know this is just necessary damage control.

The real solution will be reducing the causes of mental health issues and removing barriers to recovery such as six-month rehab waitlists and unsafe living environments. This will take partnerships and provincial resources, but it is doable with the right people.

Overall, I stand for compassion with strong boundaries because this will restore safety and help to heal the strained relationship between the vulnerable and the general public. Balance.

If you have any questions, my contact information is at www.newcampbellriver.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.