Bruce Wayne launches candidacy for Prince George City Council

The project centers around a single question posed to residents:

“If you had one minute to sit down with your next City Council, what would you say?”

Wayne said the empty chair will be brought to neighbourhoods, parks, businesses, community events and gathering places throughout Prince George. Participation is open to all residents, regardless of their political views or whether they support his campaign.

According to Wayne, the goal is to engage people who may not typically participate in municipal politics through public hearings, council meetings or formal submissions.

“There are a lot of people in Prince George who care about this city but are never going to stand at a microphone at City Hall, attend a public hearing or write a letter to Council,” he said. “I want to give those people a place to be heard.”

With participants’ permission, some conversations will be shared through social media, while others will remain private. Wayne said feedback collected through the project will help shape his campaign priorities.

Wayne enters the race after spending the past year attending city council meetings, budget deliberations, public hearings and community engagement sessions. He said he has also met with residents, business owners, first responders, healthcare professionals, community organizations, elected officials and city staff.

“Some of the best ideas for Prince George aren’t going to come from City Hall,” Wayne said. “They’re sitting around kitchen tables, in coffee shops, on job sites, in hockey arenas and in neighbourhoods across this city.”

Wayne brings more than 25 years of experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors. His professional background includes leadership roles with Pearson Education, Coca-Cola, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Vankam Freightways. He also previously owned and sold JDL Customs.

His community involvement has included serving on the Prince George Chamber of Commerce board of directors, volunteering during the 2015 Canada Winter Games, working as a Block Watch lead through Community Policing, coaching youth basketball and participating in Operation Christmas Child.

Wayne said his decision to run was motivated in part by his family. He and his wife, who have been married for nearly 20 years, are raising four daughters in Prince George.

“My daughters were born here. This is their hometown,” he said. “I want them, and every young person growing up here, to see Prince George as a place where they can build a life, raise a family and find opportunity.”

He has identified four preliminary priorities for his campaign:

Supporting families
Protecting taxpayers’ dollars
Keeping the community safe
Building trust through transparency at City Hall

However, Wayne said he does not want those priorities to limit discussions about other issues residents consider important.

He also hopes the Empty Chair Project will encourage greater participation in municipal elections. Voter turnout in Prince George’s last municipal election was approximately 25 per cent of eligible voters.

“I don’t believe the other three out of four don’t care about Prince George,” Wayne said. “Maybe we need to do a better job of giving people a reason to participate and a place where they feel their voice matters.”

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Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com

by Adam Berls

Bruce Wayne launches candidacy for Prince George City Council

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