This post is going to be a personal one for me. We’ve made it this far. As we head to the polls, I want to share with you my thoughts about what this campaign means, and what it has meant to me, in my own words.
This will take about 8 minutes to read.
Twelve years ago I chose this town to raise my family. Five years ago I ran for council to give something back to it. Over these past months, I’ve had the privilege of asking you for something bigger: the chance to lead it.
Running for Mayor has been a fantastic experience. One of the greatest projects of my life. In the Candidates Forum I quoted Octavia Butler: All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. Going door to door and meeting people where they are at, this is what I think of. You meet all different people in different parts of their own story. I’ve talked to parents with kids wanting their kids to grow up in a safe community with a good school and good recreation. I’ve talked to the pioneers who remember the glory days of the 70s and 80s and who are now thinking about how to spend their golden years in a home that fits them. I’ve met people with disabilities that reminds me of the need to ensure that we grow the town in a way that supports accessibility because everybody deserves to be able to participate in community. We’ve talked about small businesses, campgrounds, tourism, golf courses, taxes, water pipes, grocery prices, road repairs, the environment, and the deer. Something magical happens when we have these conversations, when we connect, it changes us both. The only lasting truth is change.
I want to share with you a story that really moved me, and just happened yesterday. Going door to door I met an elderly lady. She had been in Pinawa for decades. We were talking about what makes Pinawa special and, of course, we settled on the Ironwood Trail. She told me she had been going there a lot more lately. You see, her husband suddenly had passed away recently. “Ma’am” I said, “I want to ask you a personal question. How do you feel when you walk on that trail? What does it mean to you, when you’re there?”
She looked off, envisioning, “When I go there I just feel better. I go there and walk, and I sit on the bench, and I watch the water flow by. It makes me think of time, and it gives me peace.” Her eyes changed with emotion. “It’s therapeutic. It helps me.” In that moment, I was just there with her. This is it, right here. This trail, this place, the land and the water, it is healing our people. We need to protect it. I thanked her, and she thanked me. All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.
I spoke to a man who I have tremendous respect for, another long time resident, who does a ton for the community. He thanked me for running, and told me I was doing a great job, the forum was impressive, appreciates my writing, and what I’m trying to do. It’s an amazing compliment because this comes from a person who is a stellar community member themselves. But then they brought up a concern to me, and I listened. They were worried that a message of change would divide people, even if it was necessary. I thought about this before speaking. “Look around” I said, gesturing at the falling autumn leaves. “Everything changes, the seasons change, we change. We can either be reactive about it, or we can be proactive.”
He asked me if the community was divided along the lines of young wanting change and old wanting things to stay the same, and I said not at all. There are plenty of pioneers who support me and believe in my message, and there’s some young people that support maintaining the status quo. People are free to make their own choices. I am not running to be Mayor for a specific group, that’s why I have run a clean campaign, stayed out of the online drama, and why I shake the other candidates’ hand. It’s respect for the process, for others, for myself, and for Pinawa. I said, “I am not running to be the Mayor just for the people who voted for me, but also for those that don’t. I’m running for Pinawa. And after the election, we’re going to move forward in a good way as a united community” I thanked him, and he thanked me, as we shook hands.
All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.
However Wednesday ends, I want to close this campaign the way I ran it. Talking about what’s real.
What I’m proud of.
In five years on council, I’m proud of the stop sign on McDiarmid and crosswalk on Vanier so kids get to and from the elementary school more safely. I’m proud that we built a recreation department from the ground up, because it didn’t exist before. I’m proud to have advanced an asset management plan that will help us plan smartly for our future infrastructure. I’m proud to have advocated for the budget for the Medical First Responders program that has helped people when they were in emergency and injured. That we saved hundreds of thousands refurbishing the pool building instead of replacing it. That we replaced an economic development structure that was burning out volunteers and wasting money, with one that will actually deliver. A multi-unit building incentive that’s helping apartments actually get built. I’m proud of navigating numerous challenges to help get the Storywalk into the Ironwood Park.
I didn’t do any of that alone. Council is a team sport, and every one of those things took pushing, persuading, and partnership. But I’m proud that every single one of them started as an idea someone said couldn’t be done, because that’s not how it’s been done before — and is now just something Pinawa has. Am I ambitious? Yes. But why shouldn’t we be? Pinawa has so much potential. With the right leadership, we can unlock some of what has been hidden. The community will thrive the more people are energized and empowered to contribute in whatever way they can. This is our shared project, and I am truly excited about what we can achieve, together.
What I believe
I believe Pinawa was designed to be bigger than it is. We can welcome new neighbours, new storefronts, and new energy without losing what makes this place special. I believe the small-town vibe isn’t what growth costs us. It’s what growth protects.
And I believe the next four years will change this town no matter what, because the world around us is changing, our largest employer is changing, and time doesn’t stand still. The only real choice is whether we change on purpose, or by accident. I’m asking you to choose on purpose.
What I ask
Not much. Just this: take your vote seriously, and make it yours.
Your ballot is secret. Nobody sees how you vote; not a neighbour, not a friend, not anyone. You are free to make up your own mind. That’s not a small thing; in a town where everyone knows everyone, it’s the one place where your voice is yours alone. Use it the way you think is best.
If you haven’t voted yet: advance voting is today, Saturday, from 8 AM to 8 PM at the Vanier Centre. Election day is Wednesday, October 28, from 8 AM to 8 PM at the Community Centre.
Thank you
To everyone who answered a door, read a brochure, came to the forum, asked a hard question, or simply waved — thank you. This campaign has been one of the great honours of my life, and whatever happens Wednesday, I’m not going anywhere. This is my home. I’ll keep doing the work either way. I don’t claim to be perfect, or that any of this work will be easy, or that there won’t be challenges and setbacks along the way. But if you’ll give me the chance, I would be honoured to lead this next council as we chart this new course, and to represent all of you, our beautiful and one of a kind community, that we all call home.
Thank you for reading, thank you for following my campaign, and thank you for your trust. You have changed me for the better. Now, go out and vote, make your voice heard.
You hold the key.
— Michael King
