Whitehorse, YT – In one week Whitehorse residents will get the chance to cast their votes for the future mayor and council.
There are currently 18 councillor candidates and five mayoral candidates.
CKRW caught up with each mayoral candidate to discuss their reason for running and their vision for Whitehorse.
Jack Bogaard
Jack Bogaard says he gets the strength to work for a better Whitehorse after being a longtime advocate for those who struggle with homelessness and addiction.
Bogaard has previously struggled with addiction and has since been involved with the Vulnerable People at Risk Initiative, Blood Ties and released the Voices Influencing Change booklet through the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition. He continues to work with the most vulnerable Whitehorse residents and aims to ensure their voices are heard on council.
“I was homeless for many years, and so that’s how come I have a connection with them, and that’s how come I make choices to help them the best that I can. But my voice isn’t alone. People with lived experience have a voice, and they have a right to vote.”
For Bogaard, housing, inflation, inadequate hospital capacity and infrastructure challenges continue to be pressing issues for a city that is only getting larger.
To find solutions to the problems in the community, Bogaard says if he serves as mayor he’ll serve with compassion and respect.
“We are human beings and however we try to work with one another we’re always trying to find the difference between each other. We forgot about equality,” said Bogaard. “We forgot that we are humans first and that we need to work with kindness.”
Dan Bushnell
The mayoral candidate for the “Together Whitehorse” slate and owner of Molotov and Bricks Tattoo for the past 12 years credits being a longtime business owner with helping provide him with a real understanding of people’s day-to-day experiences.
“I’m not a politician. I don’t listen to people lobbying me. I don’t have people come with a personal interest or, you know, whisper in my ear about what they want to do,” said Bushnell. “I spend hours each day, sitting one-on-one with people from this community and listening to them.”
One of Bushnell’s primary concerns is the growing crime rate which he links to broader societal issues like homelessness, addiction and mental health.
Bushnell calls for more authority for bylaw officers to take some burden off of the Whitehorse RCMP.
He acknowledges infrastructure and housing challenges facing the community and says the decisions made today need to be built upon by future administrations.
“I have a bit of a camping attitude. You know, when you go into the bush, you make sure that when you leave the bush, you leave it a little better than you found it,” said Bushnell. “If there’s garbage when you get there, you take it out, you clean the place up, and you leave the world better than when you got there.”
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron’s mayoral bid is built on two things, sustainable development and fiscal responsibility.
Cameron, who has served on Whitehorse City Council since 2011, says that the next mayor will need to address the most pressing issues while working with others to ensure it’s done effectively.
“To my way of thinking, this is where I step in because I have 20 years of experience in government with most of it in the North and another 22 plus years in the private sector working in both the environmental fields and supporting First Nations Governments. So I come with a fair amount of experience that connects with that need.”
The issues on Cameron’s radar include infrastructure, building permit delays, inflation, emergency preparedness, housing and managing a growing city in a changing climate.
Cameron says he would take immediate action on these issues and strives to ensure that Whitehorse residents won’t foot the bill.
“We have reserves that we set aside to deal with certain aspects of municipal need and those reserves, over the past years that I’ve been on council, have been drawn down. I think we have to work hard to replenish those,” said Cameron. “I, for one, don’t want to see that on the backs of taxpayers.”
Stephen Kwok
Stephen Kwok says after living in Whitehorse for over 50 years it’s time to “pay it forward.”
Kwok is a longtime business owner who currently operates the Riverdale Pub. He credits his experiences with running a business with giving him the skills to tackle the community’s most pressing challenges while being fiscally responsible.
He says not only will his business experience serve him in council but he also strives to be a good listener.
“If I hear any concerns I’ll raise the issue to the city department because I have to work together with them and see what they think,” said Kwok. “It’s not what I think, it’s what we think.”
Kwok identified property crime as the number one issue facing Whitehorse right now and although he says it’s impossible to eliminate crime he emphasized the importance of businesses protecting themselves while working with the city to find long-term solutions.
He believes an ideal mayor should lead with compassion.
“I would take the job with my heart,” said Kwok. “You have to treat it like a business you care about and a family you love.”
Dino Rudniski
For Dino Rudniski, what’s important in a mayor is the ability to bridge the gap between the public and the elected officials who serve them.
Rudniski considers himself a political outsider who is focusing his campaign on public engagement. Often Rudniski will connect with members of the community over Facebook to gather their thoughts on the issues impacting them.
“A lot of the main things that I’ve been working on is empowering the community to take initiative,” said Rudniski. “Some of the key points would be to listen to what people are saying and understand how decisions can be made based on what people are saying rather than just going through with policy.”
Rudniski says he was inspired to run after he received significant engagement on a ‘Make Chilkoot Way Great Again’ meme he posted on Facebook. He also manages the ‘Whitehorse Events’ Facebook group that serves as a newsletter of current events in town.
As mayor, Rudniski says no conversation is off limits and he won’t shy away from the toughest issues facing the community.
