My name is Rod Smith. I am married with two school-age children who live at home with us in Saltair (area G) where we have lived for 13 years. I have 38 years of senior management experience in some our country’s most respected organizations: BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Nature Conservancy and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards to name a few. Recently I was the executive director for the Ladysmith Maritime Society.
Area G needs strong, experienced leadership — leadership that can unite the community, deal effectively and rationally with the issues and establish a vision for Area G for the future. Uniting the community is my top priority.
We enjoy wonderful drinking water in Saltair from Stocking Lake. Recent changes in the regulations on drinking water mean we need to move to a filtering system or ground water or partner with Ladysmith. There is a price tag associated with all options. Over the past 38 years of leadership I raised millions of dollars for infrastructure and programming. Attracting grant money to help us make this change is a key priority.
One of the joys of living here is the proximity to the ocean. But the waters of the Salish Sea and the 125 at-risk species are under tremendous threat. The southern resident killer whales are on the brink of extinction. Pollution, habitat loss, climate change, vessel traffic and other threats are taking a toll on our way of life. The recent expansion of freighter anchorages off Saltair and other communities has completely changed life for many residents. A solutions-oriented approach that considers the entire Salish Sea, and that involves all communities dealing with this issue including First Nations is what is needed.
Contact him at rodsmithforareagdirector@gmail.com