If you are elected to City Council, how will you:

1. Ensure that our community is child-friendly? Influence the city to make decisions using an early childhood development lens. In other words ask in all of city plans and decisions “Will this be good for our children?”
2. How do you plan to provide attractive conditions for increasing the number of available quality childcare spaces to encourage full employment of parental workers and decrease stress for families?
3. Encourage residential and commercial developers to investigate the inclusion of childcare and/or other ECD services in their plans?
4. Support non-profit agencies providing ECD services to keep their services affordable.
5. Develop protocols for subsidized use of recreational facilities by ECD services?
6. Support low-income families to allow them to attend ECD programs?  Transportation is often the number one barrier stopping families from accessing services.
7. Be actively involved in working with other partners on collaborative community planning for ECD: health, education, social sector and business in coordinating efforts.
   
   

My philosophy is that children come first, everything else follows. Children should be our first priority. I will continue to do whatever I can to support that.

In response to (a)  will I ask the question “will this be good for our children.”  The answer is absolutely. 

For (b) we as a council and members of the UBCM must put pressure on both provincial and federal governments to lobby for quality childcare in this country.  

Regarding (c) I’m not sure whether we are at a point right now in this community where we are building residential areas or large commercial projects, but if we do get to that point as a city, absolutely new developments must be fit into a community agreed upon social plan. 

To answer (d) we must budget monies to assist non-profit agencies who are looking after the marginalizes peoples of our community.  

In response to (e) the school board recently approached the city council to provide free recreational passes for all Grade 5 students in the district.  This is a step in the right direction, and city council now needs to look at how we may be able to extend this to other users. 

This ties in a response to (f) which has me wanting to suggest a partnership between the city and the school district to provide bus passes for low income families for students who are now having to walk a substantial distance to attend school.  Can we build on this idea and extend to families, absolutely. 

And finally (g) I have already been to one community planning session hosted by SPARC BC which looks at collaborative social planning; I will continue to be actively involved in this initiative.

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a)           Our community is child friendly.  I raised three children in Terrace.  One thing I would like to have seen was more neighbourhood parks.  Bit by bit I have seen more green space.  Since my family was small I’ve seen the creation of the Grand Truck walkway, new soccer fields at Mountainview Elementary, playground at Ferry Island, expanded development of the Howe Creek trails, to name a few.   There is certainly room growth, for example better biking lanes.  There will be an opportunity to review an early childhood development perspective when Council reviews the Official Community Plan in 2009.

b)            Childcare is a provincial and federal matter.  When the City reviews its Official Community Plan (OCP) this would be a good opportunity for community members who work in the childcare field to give suggestions to Council.  If elected, I will definitely consider the suggestions to see what way the City of Terrace can support conditions for increasing the number of available quality childcare.
c)            When the Provincial and Federal government cuts back on social funding, they are essentially downloading onto communities.  City Councils around the province must be careful that those burdens are not put on to backs of local tax payers.  Depending on the circumstances, Councils may be able to come up with some creative assistance but they have to be careful not to accept the responsibilities of federal and provincial government.
d)            It depends on the support.  Bring the request to Council.  Council gives countless letters of support for groups requesting funding.
e)            I believe this is already in place.
f)             If transportation has been a barrier for families attending ECD programs, has Terrace Make Children First Initiative raised this issue with Terrace Transit?
g)            Council has a number of liaisons with many groups in town.  In addition, there is a Joint Use Agreement with the School District.  There will be an opportunity for collaborative community planning with these groups and the community in general when the OCP is reviewed.

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I am not just a single parent, but I am the primary caregiver as well. This means that as a parent, I am responsible for the early childhood development of a 5 year old boy and an 11 year old girl. They are developing well. That being said, I have had a lot of excellent help through the years and have done what I could to support those professionals and institutions that I have leaned on.

For the past 5 years, I have been on the Board of Directors as Vice President for the College Campus Childcare Society; a Society that has been focused on providing an excellent early childcare and learning facility. I have also been involved in supporting my children's primary education, and served for one year as the President of the Terrace Chapter of the Canadian Parents for French.

I have considered many aspects of ECD with the instructors at the College, and believe that the system is underfunded, under-appreciated and in crisis. I support and have supported universal ECE, and will use my influence on City Council to lobby other governments on this issue. But I won`t stop there, I am interested in finding unique and creative ways to address the needs of EC Educators and parents at the municipal level. I would encourage child friendly workplaces, and would work with the College to address the pressing need for EC facilitators. I realize that the labour market is under threat from poor pay at the institutional level, and from government policy that encourages homecare often provided by unlicensed caregivers in unregulated environments, so I am not seeing any quick fix.

I am definitely committed to Early Childhood Education and Development, and would be an advocate for this issue if elected.

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a) Our City has 3 distinctive geographic areas; the bench, the horseshoe, and south of the railway.  I believe each of these residential areas needs to be “child-friendly” through the tools the City can use, ie zoning, green space, roads and sidewalks, nearness of schools, bicycle paths and so on.  Lots more work to do here.

b) The provincial government has rules and policies with respect to children spaces but the City can certainly augment their goals and objectives by providing land for nearby child parks, etc., and by encouraging employers to provide for childcare at the worksite.  Residential zones can provide opportunities for day care establishments where required in every neighborhood.  Building and fire inspection are constants in our City and perhaps more vigorous inspection and standards set would be useful for rental units.

c) The City has an Official Community Plan which generally hints at inclusion of childcare and other ECD services but, with the new Council will automatically be reviewed.

d) Support for non-profit agencies is always done when asked for, primarily by lobbying senior governments, who also have considerable responsibilities in this area.  Non-profits are generally tax exempt on their owned building in the City.

e) see f, below

f) Subsidized use of recreational facilities has been tried and has been controversial because it can stigmatize low-income families.  In my view, it is better to provide supplements in child care assistance to pay for transportation and recreational fees.

g) The City has that in place now.  All our Councilors have liaison positions to health committees, education, social and business organizations, so the City in effect serves as a linking inter-agency.

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I would support business that provides childcare spaces.  I think the city could try to offer some tax incentives or we could ask TEDA to target those companies when we look for outside investment.

I think it would be great if we had a children’s festival like they have in Vancouver, maybe not as extravagant in the first year, planned around spring break.  Similar to the “Early Years Fair” but expanded to include ages up to 18.  With local businesses and government sponsorship we could make it free for children and families and work out some sort of transportation for families without.  It could be like Riverboat Days with events in different locations, at local parks, or located at George Little Park.

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A ) Safety and caring for all children is my definition of child friendly.  Any assistance we can give to organizations working on a project which is within our means would qualify for study of the project. 

B) We do not become involved in private enterprise at the city. I would encourage any new developer that is going to employee a lot of individuals to prepare a day care program but it would not be in my power to demand it. There may be places within the new downtown revitalization where tax free statis for development is possible.  I also chair 16/37 Community Futures which has aided many child care facilities in town.

C) I would prefer to be guided by your committee in deciding the necessary services.

D) We do support non-profit agencies now.  But keep in mind we do not finance projects already receiving funds from another level of government.

E) There are protocols currently in place and anything further could be brought to staff for discussion with council.

F) I think transportation relief would be a great help.  We, unfortunately, do not set the fee structure or have flexibility in this.

G) I, currently, am liaison to Skeena Diversity, and other councillors assist with other social committees in the community.  This brings issues to council in a timely manner.

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Tax incentives could be offered to developers willing to incorporate child care spaces into their designs.  This would be an easy incentive to offer and would have a large benefit to the community.  The municipality should look at assisting in early morning food services for children to make sure everyone has a proper start to their day.  Also, working with the School District to introduce healthy food alternatives in our schools would go a long way in helping our children both in learning and providing a sound nutritional diet.  If we take the lead on child care and healthy eating initiatives, we will attract new business and new families to our community while we are helping our children locally to succeed.

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The relationship between early child development and child academic performance, youth behaviour and ultimately adult vocational and familial success cannot be understated. 

Child care is one of the cornerstones of a positive and proactive civic early child development policy.  In addition, positive child development is also significantly impacted by a range of issues including: adequate food, appropriate housing, poverty, safe communities and social opportunities. 

As a University professor, a substantial portion of my research has always been committed to child well being including: children’s nutrition habits, prevention of child maltreatment, youth crime and detention and food security and families. I have written a series of books or journal articles which I am eager to distribute to anyone who is interested in the topics.

Did you know that one-third of children routinely go to school without breakfast and/or have nutritionally inadequate diets…and, that proper diet is a significant predictor of cognitive development and school performance? Did you know that providing only one serving of fruit/vegetables in school can reduce child nutritional inadequacy by nearly thirty percent? I would advocate for charitable-supported breakfast/lunch programs in every elementary school in Terrace…every school so that no individual has to feel stigmatized.  Every individual has a right to food of sufficient quantity and variety and attained in a fashion that supports human dignity….this is food security.  Food security is an essential building-block of adequate early child development.  Food banks have become a recognized, albeit regrettably so, method of ensuring food security in communities. 

I would call for more municipal support for the local food bank.  I would also support the local food bank exploring the broadest possible methods of ensuring food security including: co-operative food purchasing, co-op kitchens and community gardens.  I would openly oppose provincial restrictions which make local food production and distribution so expensive, bureaucratic and block sensible food solutions to local problems. 

Finally, returning to the issue of child care, I would petition City Council for a progressive tax and zoning policy to promote businesses who provide child care on-site and to operators who provide additional spaces or relocate to Terrace.  Why is it that “Universal Child Care” is only talked about at election time….it’s not a passing issue for parents who have to deal with it day-in and day-out.  We need a progressive and ongoing municipal child care policy to address the needs of children and families!

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In response to these questions, firstly I cannot claim full understanding of how children learn and grow.  Many others have that expertise in Terrace, and I would seek their advice.  I have participated in the Dr Hertzman EDI presentations and I am interested in any directions that could be inferred by the results.  I can understand that the significant factor in families committing to Early Child Development would be families’ ability to access services and the priority they place upon the development of their children.

I believe that as a City Council, we do have the ability and a responsibility to consider our actions through a discussion of the impact upon children and in fact all citizens of Terrace.  In terms of Terrace as a child-friendly City, our Official Community Plan provides some direction and can be enhanced in this respect as the OCP is revised in the upcoming year.  What is needed at this stage is to build upon the developing knowledge of how communities affect how a child develops.  Your initiatives take us in that direction and create the platform to create significant changes in the Official Community Plan.

The City does have the ability to lobby the Province directly and through resolutions that we can take to the Union of BC Municipalities for debate.  Your input would be required to ensure that such a resolution would hit the mark.

I cannot give you specific examples of what can be done to increase childcare spaces in Terrace.  I do see the provision of childcare at the Sportsplex as one initiative that is an innovative use of a City facility.  

In the EDI discussion, provision of safe accessible green space where children can play, get exercise and socialize is important to their development.  Provision of transit to enable parent to take children to services and childcare is noted as important.

As noted above, the ability of families to access child care can be limited by family income.  Council did support raising the minimum wage in B.C.  But of greater impact would be improving the economy of Terrace, and generating more higher paying job opportunities.  I believe that goal is fundamental to improving child development, and a range of other social initiatives.

Your last question is probably the key.  Council can encourage organizations that work with child development by Council initiating a liaison role.  More effective communication with the City Council and with staff will ensure that opportunities to address child development are considered.

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1. Commitment To Early Child Development
2. Support In Transitions From Childhood To Youth And Adulthood
3. Increased Economic Equality
4. Safe And Caring Communities

Candidate Q&A Home

• Murray Hamer
• Dave Pernarowski
• Jack Talstra

• Dr. Bruce Bidgood
• Lynne Christiansen
• James Cordeiro
• Marylin Davies
• Lance Dettwiler
• Brian Downie
• Lorrie Gowen
• Carol Leclerc
• Bruce Martindale
• Brad Pollard

We would like to thank all candidates for answering or attempting to answer.

We look forward to working with you after Nov 15th. Let's Terrace decide.

HELP’s EDI: www.earlylearning.ubc.ca
SPARC BC: Municipality Votes!: www.sparc.bc.ca