- Do you support making Ginters an official park?
Yes! I use this park often and we have heard loud and clear the community wants this be a park. It is a cherished green space in our community.
- Explain how you think “infilling” should play into city development. How do you see “green infilling” and “brown infilling” being used? (“brown infilling” is infilling in already degraded / industrialized areas)
“Infilling” is a key strategy for future urban development in our city. We need to densify our development especially in our downtown core. We have seen some of this in the past few years but we need to continue to make this a priority.
Brown infilling is another development strategy the city can utilize and I believe we have done that we the new 1st avenue wrap around support housing.
- The term balance often gets used to justify the degradation of natural spaces in favour of development. Explain how you would use the idea of balance to advocate for more urban habitat and natural spaces.
I would advocate for environmentally responsible development and put a lot of the onus on developers to meet these standards. These standards would be created with consultation and collaboration with the rights holders and all stakeholders.
- The forest at Ginter’s and on the escarpment above is heavily treed with deciduous trees. Aspen in particular acts as a fire break as it doesn’t burn easily. Forests also soak up massive amounts of ground water helping to prevent erosion and landslides. Where are the risk points of fire or flood to the city and what is the city doing about those risks?
There are definite risks to widespread deforestation and this should be a focus for the city planning department and the official community plan review for early next year.
- A recent talk by climate experts on CBC stressed the importance of greenspace for cooling cities. Having abundant greenspace gave a 10C cooling effect. Can you share your perspective on what livability means to you? In the context of expected climate change impacts such as extreme weather events, heat, and drought, what strategies should the city implement to increase the city’s resilience to climate change? Where do you rank protecting the city’s urban forest and natural areas in terms of importance in adapting to climate change?
Livability means many things to me including excellent infrastructure, great green spaces and parks and fantastic amenities and facilities. As well, more bike lanes, sidewalks and walking only spaces downtown.
These are all important questions that need to be discussed in depth with a robust consultation process and in conjunction with the OCP Review.
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(6) Prince George residents have over the years indicated that our urban forests should be a top priority and represent a very important asset to the city. With population increasing, and more high density housing being built, urban forests for accessible recreation are more important than ever. How will you ensure urban forests are protected and even increased to meet demand for recreation now and in the future
Ginter’s is a good example of protecting an urban forest! Designate more parks and make this a priority when we plan developments 5, 10, 15 and 20 years down the road. This should be a key priority when the OCP review takes place early next year.