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Meet the Candidates: Rory Steep

Village of Montrose: Steep, Rory – Councillor Candidate

I am a 32-year-old father of two and have been happily married for seven years. I have been employed with Teck for about eight years, primarily as a Research Technician, currently working as an Environmental Technician. I have taken joy in being on the Montrose Family Fun Day committee for the past two years. I am also a minor hockey coach. My grandparents (Albert and Alice Wilson) were one of the first families to settle in Montrose (before it was even called Montrose) and my parents have lived here for over 30 years. Being from Montrose has always been and always will be a large part of my identity.

Montrose is a small community that has felt pressures from adjacent municipalities. As a community we need to find a way to keep our identity while we find ways to work with the surrounding communities. We need to take an objective approach to find solutions that work for everyone involved. We do have a large number of elderly citizens and I believe we do a good job with the age-friendly programs. However for Montrose to survive as a community we need to be attracting young families and having these families want to stay long term. In this effort we need to ensure we do not neglect our relations with the older residents.

The current recreation issue is on the minds of most people. As of the most recent recreation newsletter, the Beaver Valley has only paid out about a tenth of what we were paying previously. This speaks volumes. The new model is working and is benefitting the residents. However the new model does not help with Trail relations. As a council we need to work with the other communities to find a model that is agreeable for everyone (Montrose taxpayers included) and helps to make the entire region stronger. Collaborative efforts do not necessarily have to lead to identity loss as a community.