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Tek Manhas running for re-election in North Cowichan

Election to be held Oct. 15
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Tek Manhas is running for re-election as a North Cowichan councillor.

He said he’s running to bring pragmatism and balance back to the municipality.

“As a lifelong resident of the Cowichan Valley, I bring business experience, fiscal management and community focus to the table,” Manhas said.

“I have volunteered on many boards and organizations, such as Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures Cowichan and Cowichan Fringe Festival Society to name a few.”

Manhas said he has also served as North Cowichan’s liaison on the BC Forest Discovery Centre Board and was appointed to the Punjabi Legacy Project board, which worked in conjunction with the University of the Fraser Valley and the Royal BC Museum.

He said North Cowichan needs to incentivize local builders and developers to build affordable, rental housing.

“North Cowichan has been working with the land trust for over seven years for the Sherman Road project in Duncan and Willow Street in Chemainus,” Manhas said.

“We have given them the land, expedited the rezoning process, given hundreds of thousands of dollars in amenities and still not one shovel in the ground. If the private sector was involved, I bet these would have been built already.”

Manhas said municipal taxes are increasing every year and North Cowichan needs to stay within its own lane and do what local governments are supposed to deal with; such as roads, clean drinking water, garbage, sewer, sidewalks and so on.

He said if the municipality stays within its own lane and doesn’t delve into senior levels of governments’ responsibilities, he believes local taxes can stabilize or even go down.

“Crime has been increasing and causing angst and issues for residents and businesses, especially around the overdose prevention site and low-barrier housing units,” Manhas said.

“I would lobby the federal and provincial governments for funding for the creation of housing options and wrap-around services that so many of the hard-to-house need. There should also be funding to help the community to deal with the impact that flows with the homeless and opioid crisis.”



Robert Barron

About the Author: Robert Barron

Since 2016, I've had had the pleasure of working with our dedicated staff and community in the Cowichan Valley.
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