Practical solutions, worked out together
I’m committed to practical solutions to affordability and other challenges, developed in collaboration with community members — championing non-profits, renters, workers, small businesses, and the environment, while recognizing the need to ease tax pressure on homeowners.
I’ll be honest: council can’t control everything that drives up the cost of living. The price of food, or the cost of materials and labour for building Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) housing, are largely outside municipal control.
But I see real ways council can act.
A community grocery co-op
One idea I want to champion is studying the feasibility of a non-profit or member-owned grocery store co-op for Whistler. Limited competition and high overhead here mean groceries cost more than they should, and a co-op model — owned by the community it serves rather than run for outside profit — is one of the more promising ways other small and resort communities have found to bring costs back down. If Whistler can fund feasibility studies for major infrastructure projects, I believe we can fund one for something that touches every household’s grocery bill.
I also want to explore food and childcare co-ops more broadly as part of the same push.
I also want to explore whether WHA rents could be frozen or reduced. I’ve heard directly from residents that rents in some newer buildings are a real burden.
On development, I recognize Whistler will likely need greater density given its limited land base — but I believe every proposal should still be assessed on its own merits, case by case.
I’ve also identified support for seniors as a priority, including addressing the absence of a dedicated seniors centre in Whistler.