Vision For Mission
“If elected to council, I hope that together we can create a a better quality of life for all those who live in Mission. Life is not all about money – it’s family, friends, and creating memories. Let’s make Mission a place to work, play and STAY!”
For many, Mission is currently a place you lay your head down at night. People leave to go to work, they leave to buy clothes and they leave to eat elsewhere. This must stop. We need a reason to STAY in Mission. That is my vision of Mission in the future; a place where we actually LIVE in Mission instead of LEAVE Mission.
How do we keep people from leaving Mission? We provide jobs with good living wages. We have land that is cheaper than Vancouver, Richmond or Surrey. We can attract employers looking to save money and we can keep people from commuting so far. It’s a horrible quality of life to commute daily. Let’s save time and money and see our families more by staying home. My vision is seeing people working in Mission from home and with new employers who pay well.
How do we keep people from leaving Mission? We provide jobs with good living wages. We have land that is cheaper than Vancouver, Richmond or Surrey. We can attract employers looking to save money and we can keep people from commuting so far. It’s a horrible quality of life to commute daily. Let’s save time and money and see our families more by staying home. My vision is seeing people working in Mission from home and with new employers who pay well.
Family purpose-built housing is a priority. People need help to qualify for and pay for housing. How do we do that? We need to attract builders who will build a home with multiple rental suites below and a coach or laneway house in the back. With 2-3 rental incomes, that will make it easier to qualify for and pay down your mortgages. Car parking can become an issue, so the developer must also provide a parking solution for these neighborhoods. Hope is not all lost; these are possible to build in the future, and my vision is that you too can have your very own home one day.
My vision also means attracting – and supporting – more retail and restaurants that give us a reason to stay. My oldest sisters used to go with my parents to New Westminster to the Army and Navy, and Woodwards downtown Vancouver to shop for clothes. At that time in the late 60’s and early 70’s there were no shopping options in Mission. Seven Oaks mall came in 1975, but that was in Abbotsford. People want shops like the Apple Store, Lululemon, Under Armour, Sephora and Aritzia. They also want to eat at Cactus Club, Earls and The Keg. We have to leave Mission to go to these businesses. It’s our turn to have healthy businesses that make our city vibrant and fun!
Our town will double in size over the next few years, and we need to accommodate sport. Obesity is rising and with obesity comes health problems and depression; so sport and an active community are a priority. I’ve been involved in sports since school, from swimming lessons, to tennis, to dragon boating to boxing. Mission has wonderful hiking areas and outdoor activities, but in a rainforest, it can be seasonal. We’re Canadians and we love hockey. My vision has another ice arena added and indoor soccer fields as a start.
My vision is to work with fire and flood prevention officials in prevention strategies to protect our town now, not later. As our city grows, I worry about the affects it will have on our forested areas and now flooding as well. There were never massive wildfires as I grew up, but now summers are heating up and there are forest fires every year throughout the province, including Mission. The time is now to prepare to prevent our terrain and homes being consumed by fires or floods in the future. There have been wildfires this summer and in the past. Flooding has also occurred in low lying regions. Prevention and being proactive is key.
Finally, we need a better bus system within Mission and also one that links us easily to other communities. I used to take transit everyday. It wasn’t easy. Getting groceries was incredibly difficult. I would get wet and be miserable and be trying to haul a heavy gallon of milk in the rain. Sometimes the bus drove on without me because it was full. Taking transit in Mission is not easy and especially hard on seniors. Why are seniors walking so far to get to a bus stop? Walking up hills to a bus stop makes it even worse. Our terrain is very difficult for anyone, let alone a senior. It’s a long way off, but in my long-term vision I see Mission and the entire Lower Mainland being linked via train. There would be no need to use a car and we can easily travel to downtown Vancouver any day we want and any time we want.
My vision also means attracting – and supporting – more retail and restaurants that give us a reason to stay. My oldest sisters used to go with my parents to New Westminster to the Army and Navy, and Woodwards downtown Vancouver to shop for clothes. At that time in the late 60’s and early 70’s there were no shopping options in Mission. Seven Oaks mall came in 1975, but that was in Abbotsford. People want shops like the Apple Store, Lululemon, Under Armour, Sephora and Aritzia. They also want to eat at Cactus Club, Earls and The Keg. We have to leave Mission to go to these businesses. It’s our turn to have healthy businesses that make our city vibrant and fun!
Our town will double in size over the next few years, and we need to accommodate sport. Obesity is rising and with obesity comes health problems and depression; so sport and an active community are a priority. I’ve been involved in sports since school, from swimming lessons, to tennis, to dragon boating to boxing. Mission has wonderful hiking areas and outdoor activities, but in a rainforest, it can be seasonal. We’re Canadians and we love hockey. My vision has another ice arena added and indoor soccer fields as a start.
My vision is to work with fire and flood prevention officials in prevention strategies to protect our town now, not later. As our city grows, I worry about the affects it will have on our forested areas and now flooding as well. There were never massive wildfires as I grew up, but now summers are heating up and there are forest fires every year throughout the province, including Mission. The time is now to prepare to prevent our terrain and homes being consumed by fires or floods in the future. There have been wildfires this summer and in the past. Flooding has also occurred in low lying regions. Prevention and being proactive is key.
Finally, we need a better bus system within Mission and also one that links us easily to other communities. I used to take transit everyday. It wasn’t easy. Getting groceries was incredibly difficult. I would get wet and be miserable and be trying to haul a heavy gallon of milk in the rain. Sometimes the bus drove on without me because it was full. Taking transit in Mission is not easy and especially hard on seniors. Why are seniors walking so far to get to a bus stop? Walking up hills to a bus stop makes it even worse. Our terrain is very difficult for anyone, let alone a senior. It’s a long way off, but in my long-term vision I see Mission and the entire Lower Mainland being linked via train. There would be no need to use a car and we can easily travel to downtown Vancouver any day we want and any time we want.