Allenforharrisonmayor

I have lived in Harrison since 1976 and have always been very active in the community. My service includes four terms as Mayor and additional terms as councillor ( or alderman, as we used to call them). During my mayoral terms, I initiated many of the community groups we enjoy today. These include the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Arts Festival, Yacht Club, Tennis Club, Windsports Society, Historical Society and others. In addition, I have helped start the Sandsculpture Society and served on the Advisory Planning Commission and other council committees. Outside Harrison, I served as a director of the local credit union for about 20 years including several terms as Chairman of the Board, growing it from about $200m to $2B in assets. I also led several provincial tourism organisations and have represented BC in Ottawa on occasion, where my French language skills actually helped. I carry the professional tourism designation of CMT. My wife, Martine, and I own and operate the Harrison Country Club RV Resort so I have control of my time and am able to attend to civic duties as required. Being across from the Village Office, I am able to respond to any need immediately. Though I just turned 65, I am quite fit, playing tennis almost daily with weekly indoor badminton and table tennis in winter. I also ski and ride motorcycles on the road and off road when the opportunity arises. A month ago, I hiked to the top of Cheam. I am a Canadian by choice, prior to which I was British having been born in Northern Ireland which makes me Irish by geography.( When I arrived in Canada, I was welcomed by John Diefenbaker himself at Ottawa.) My formal education was all at Portadown College to GCE A level, (equivalent to 1st year university, I'm told). Since, I've had numerous courses in business,finance, governance, municipal administration etc. I speak passable French and can function as a badly-spoken Frenchman, when necessary. I have enough Latin to help me better understand law and legislation. When I look around the village, I can see many changes which I have brought about or at least got started. the Village Office was a heritage building which I rescued from demolition. The Ranger Station was an old Forest Ranger station which I got for an art Gallery and Yacht Club HQ. At the end of Hot Springs Rd was a smelly concrete toilet on a dyke which I demolished to make way for the semi- circle plaza we have today, though my design was smaller with no structures to block the views of the lake. The Meama Greenway Trail and village pathways radiating from the school were something I had to fight hard for as mayor in 1983. I also got significant parkland, including Woods Park and Firehall Park. John Green and I ( as councillors) drained the swimming lagoon and re-profiled it to make it cleaner and safer for swimming. Many of the trees on the beach and in our parks were planted by me and are now maturing. I continue to campaign for the restoration of the Miama River, the preservation of all of the East Sector as parkland and the preservation of our parks, trees and greenspace. I hope enough people agree with my vision of a green, healthy, democratic Harrison to support me on Nov 15th and will help me achieve that goal in 2015 and beyond. I attend all the council meetings I can, track down info and ask questions. The opinions expressed here are based on my diligent efforts to understand what is happening from the limited information provided by the Village so some conjecture is required to try to explain events. If this page is considered to be advertising, I am required to declare that it is authorised by me as my own financial agent and that I can be reached at 796-9117. Yours, John Allen