Larry Schwartzenberger – Incumbent
If you were given a million dollars, what would you use it for in Oliver?
Great “pie in the sky” question. I would use half of the money to put into a fund to top up emergency room doctors to the pay level in Penticton. Hopefully this would alleviate the issue of closing the emergency department at the Oliver hospital due to lack of doctors willing to cover all the shifts.
Both Oliver and Osoyoos feel the stress when these closures occur. The other half of the money would go towards affordable rental accommodation. If there was anything left, my wife Claire would go out and buy some new shoes, get a massage and a pedicure, pick up some paint and wall decor, and bring home a pizza for dinner to support as many local businesses as possible.
Do you favour a national park reserve? Why or why not?
The national park reserve is not a subject that our municipality has been asked to comment on. When the announcement of the new discussions was made last year in Osoyoos, the federal government, the provincial government and the Okanagan Nation are the three parties that will be negotiating for the creation of a national park Reserve.
Neither Oliver or Osoyoos councils are to be included in these discussions. Personally, I don’t have enough information yet to make an informed decision as the boundaries have not been identified and the current stakeholders (ranchers, helicopter operators, guides, etc.) have not been informed what restrictions and/or guarantees might be placed on their businesses should they reside within the reserve boundaries.
What is your solution to crime prevention in Oliver?
If there was an easy solution to the rise in crime that all Okanagan communities are facing, we would have done it already. I believe that our overworked and understaffed RCMP detachment, the ongoing opioid crisis, and minimal punishment for repeat offenders are contributing factors to the rise in crime throughout the Okanagan.
As I have said previously, I would like to see council continue lobbying the provincial government for two additional RCMP officers for Oliver and to substantially increase our bylaw enforcement budget in order to enable bylaw officers and/or a security contractor to work with the RCMP on overnight patrols and surveillance.
Do you support the legalization of marijuana? Why or why not?
Whether I support the legalization of cannabis or not, the federal government has decided that cannabis will be legal to purchase and possess on Oct. 17 of this year.
I feel that council has done a good job in identifying the areas where a retail marijuana shop can be located while providing buffers for schools and parks. Council will also have the power to block any application for a retail marijuana outlet that does not conform to council’s guidelines.
What is the best asset you can offer the town as councillor?
I have lived in Oliver for 27 years after moving my family here from Calgary and I am passionate about this community.
Oliver is a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire. My five years on council have given me the opportunity to get to know people who are as passionate about Oliver as I am and work toward making Oliver an even better place to live. From new sidewalks and parks to encouraging new business and employment, I look forward to continuing to work on improvements to our town if I am fortunate enough to be re-elected.
