Former tech worker and project manager turned stay-at-home dad to run for Chilliwack City Council

He has since transitioned into being a stay-at-home dad for the time being, but still has a passion for civic involvement, which is why he’s seeking a seat on the Chilliwack City Council in this fall’s municipal election.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to run for Council and thankful to those who have engaged with me so far,” Bowker said. “Over the next weeks I look forward to connecting with many more and hearing everyone’s priority for the next Council.”

As the primary caregiver for his two kids, Bowker especially has a vested interest in seeing Chilliwack thrive and prosper on a number of fronts.

“I want to help create a City where children thrive and want to stay when they graduate from their schooling,” said Bowker, who enjoys tending to his vegetable garden, biking and hiking, and playing tennis with the Chilliwack Tennis Society. “Thriving children starts with opportunities for quality child care, which every parent knows is hard to obtain right now. I’d like to explore what role the City can play to open up more child care spaces.”

Bowker said the rapidly evolving economy affords unique opportunities to postsecondary graduates, but it’s keeping them in Chilliwack that interests him. For example, he says he’d like to see a greater emphasis on promoting UFV and retaining its graduates as much as possible.

“We have a great post-secondary institution in Chilliwack in the University of the Fraser Valley and I’d like to ensure we are promoting UFV, its current students and graduates in the community,” Bowker said. “We should be working hard to provide conduits to retain graduates in our community and all the benefits that come from that. It will bring innovation and the connection to the local community that is garnered while in school. When I graduated, in many cases you had to be in the larger cities to make the best incomes. That is no longer the case, with knowledge workers being able to work from anywhere with an internet connection. I’d like to explore how we can attract and build a community around knowledge workers in the work from home (WFH) era, as well as how we can help improve the local tech scene in Chilliwack.”

One of the strongest selling points about Chilliwack, besides its affordability compared to Vancouver, is its outdoor recreation. Bowker points to specific projects like the Chilliwack River Road multi-use pathway and the forthcoming Vedder Mountain Park trail as proof Chilliwack has plenty to offer.

“We have tremendous natural resources in and surrounding Chilliwack that we should all take advantage of and that can attract visitors,” he said. “I will push for continued investment in our active transportation and recreation systems throughout the City. I’d also like to focus on safety of users of these systems to ensure all users can feel comfortable doing so. Improvements such as Chilliwack River Road multi-use pathway and the Vedder Mountain Park trail are great examples of coming improvements and I’d like to ensure we don’t stop and that we continue to find ways to build out our trail system both on and off the road.”

As a final cornerstone of his platform, Bowker says taxes should stay low so that families and businesses aren’t adversely impacted.

“I would continue to push to limit tax increases for residents. Restraint can create challenges for creativity, and I believe council should do all in its power to find creative ways to maintain and expand services while working within existing budgets without further taxing businesses and residents,” he said. “I’d like to review existing service contracts well in advance of their expiration to allow adequate time to evaluate all options. This includes a detailed review of recreation centre management options prior to the YMCA contract when it comes due.”

Brent’s campaign website is www.votebowker.ca.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

Former tech worker and project manager turned stay-at-home dad to run for Chilliwack City Council

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