He has been around politicians for most of his working life and now he is bidding to become one. We have learned this week that Delta’s former chief administrative officer George Harvie will be running for mayor this October.
He has been Delta’s top bureaucrat for the past 18 years and has previously held a number of administrative jobs over 30 years with the city of Burnaby. Harvie and the bureaucratic staff of Delta have not had an easy go of it over the years. Keeping the mayor and council informed of the many issues we face as Deltans has not been simple.
We have had our share of major challenges that have at times divided our communities. I know that we can’t all agree on every issue that comes before council but at the end of the day, our local politicians have been able to make sound and reasonable decisions based on the facts provided by Harvie and his staff and the many departments within city hall.
Stickhandling through the myriad of complexities to run a city with the many issues we face is quite the challenge and certainly Harvie knows the ins and outs of Delta better than anyone else.
I was happy to hear that former Delta fire chief Dan Copeland will be running on the Achieving for Delta slate as well.
In my last column I wrote about the long legacy of farmers in our community who have turned to politics to ensure that land use and food production issues are properly addressed. I am very happy to hear that Alicia Guichon will be running on the Achieving for Delta slate as well. The 29-year-old, fifth generation farmer would be a good choice to represent youth and the farming community this fall when MLA Ian Paton’s council term expires.
If you live in Delta, chances are you have bought corn from Alicia and her sister Danielle at the Arthur Drive stand they operated for many years. If not there, then maybe at the Ladner Village Market where they have sold their produce for 17 years. If you have not been to the Backroads Farm Market you should check it out. This will be the fifth year of operation for this impressive local business.
Alicia is a credible young candidate who was recently nominated as vice president of the Delta Farmers’ Institute. She knows the farming community well and would be a good representative for them.
Alicia is also a mentor to the Farm Roots program and a living example for the young student farmers that there are valuable careers out there for young people who are interested in farming and the food economy.
Alicia’s great uncle John Guichon was a farmer who served on Delta council for a total of 28 years.
There will be other candidates on the Achieving for Delta slate but from what I can see so far, it looks like a good balance.
Mike Schneider is founder of Project Pickle and likes to write about growing, cooking and eating food. He is a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution ambassador.
