Qualicum Beach voters return to the polls on May 15 for a byelection to fill the vacant council slot left after Adam Walker was elected MLA for Parksville-Qualicum. The PQB News asked each of the five registered candidates to submit short bios. A question-and-answer feature will also appear closer to election day.
Peter Kent
Welcome, my name is Peter and I’d like to extend my most sincere gratitude to our community for all the encouragement and support to run, I’m truly blown away!
I grew up in North Vancouver and Nanaimo in my earlier years working in commercial fishing, paving, and at Harmac Mill. Soon after, I moved to California in hopes to pursue my love of arts in TV/film. To summarize, I was fortunate to work in many areas of film for 35 years; most notably, as personal stunt double to Arnold Schwarzenegger for 15 of them and becoming the first Canadian inducted into the Hollywood Stuntman’s Hall of Fame. Trading Hollywood for ‘Hollywood North,’ I returned back to B.C. and would frequent the Island to visit my mom, a resident of Qualicum Beach for 30 years. The day after my mom passed away, I walked into an Oceanside coffee shop and met a nurse named Marcia Reid. I went from being the last living member of my family to marrying into one of the most legendary Qualicum Beach families with roots and community engagement spanning the past century. Fast-forward 16 years later to today, we have 11-year-old twin sons and one spirited chocolate lab dog.
READ MORE: Five candidates enter byelection for councillor slot in Qualicum Beach
Prior to becoming homesick and returning to Qualicum Beach in 2018, we lived in Squamish for over a decade and served in many capacities as a family within the community. My wife being a nurse at the hospital, PAC chair, board of directors for hospice and minor hockey. I was elected as Squamish district councillor spanning 2014-2018 and worked closely with town staff, a cohesive city council team and with our First Nations to service, reconcile, co-manage lands and economic development.
During this time I served as district chair of: Corporate & Public, Finance & Audit, Digital Strategy, Library Board, Youth Engagement, Transit, Affordable Housing Task Force with CMHC and BC Housing, Senior Housing, Masterplans, Environmental, Arts Council & Film, “Under One Roof” Homeless/Supportive/Addictions/Mental Health project acquiring $12 million in grants from BC Housing, district land and community donations, “Safe Routes to School,” First Responder initiatives advocating for RCMP, FIRE, EHS on crime prevention, safety, Community Policing, bylaws and health.
We completed four budgets, four strategic plans and delivered an OCP in two years with in-depth public consultation winning National Municipal Awards.
Ultimately, with approximately 1.5 years left of this term, I believe it would be a great asset, if not imperative to this specific by-election we are facing, to be readily equipped in municipal process and procedure. My council bid comes from a desire to give back to my community with experience, to be responsible to those who have honoured me with their confidence and votes, to provide high-calibre leadership, and to be part of a team that is inclusive in helping Qualicum Beach be a safe, healthy and prosperous community equal to all.
On May 15, thank you for considering Peter Kent.
Email: Kent4QB@gmail.com. Call/Text: 250-327-3227. Facebook: Peter Kent for Qualicum Beach Council. Website: www.facebook.com/Kent4QB/
