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Vernon byelection candidate Kevin Demers (submitted photo)
Byelection Candidate

Demers aims to be proactive in addressing local issues if elected in December

Nov 16, 2021 | 6:00 AM

Editor’s note:
This is part of a series of profiles on the Vernon council candidates for the Dec. 4th byelection to elect one councillor.
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Kevin Demers has thrown his hat into the ring for the Vernon city council byelection with a goal of being proactive in improving the community.

In a written statement to Vernon Matters, Demers said, if elected, he would advocate for being resourceful in hiring qualified personnel to ensure the city is run in an effective and efficient way that best serves the community. He notes that hiring a more experienced workforce and paying them a little bit more will be better for the bottom line than hiring people without experience and having to train them over the course of what could be years.

Demers said he also sees the value in being proactive when dealing with both climate change and COVID-19.

He states that it is vital to the safety of homes, businesses and infrastructure in Vernon that “we develop and even revisit proactive means of dealing with climate change threats before they become a crisis in our community.”

Similarly, Demers said bylaw, council and the Chamber of Commerce need to work in collaboration to “figure out how best to safely bring businesses suffering the greatest impact [due to COVID-19] back to fruition, before they’re lost.

Demers also advocated for the building of high rises in downtown Vernon to create more affordable housing options, help create more housing and rental stock, and bring down the overall affordability across the market in the process.

Demers, a former oil patch consultant, moved to Vernon in 2015, but told Vernon Matters that he and his family would often visit the region for vacations in the past and knew a lot of the area before moving to Vernon. Over the past six years he has established himself as a local business owner in the cannabis sector.

This will be Demers’ first voyage into the political sphere. He told Vernon Matters that despite his inexperience he is committed to serving the community.

“I’m not in it for a photo op, nor to enhance my net worth or status in the community,” stated Demers.

“My desired direction is heavily motivated [through] efficient business and projects that serve our community.”

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