Former Calgary deputy fire chief and Qualicum Beach resident Brian Wiese has announced his decision to seek the office of Mayor in Qualicum.
“As a firefighter and a longtime community volunteer, service has been central to who I am for most of my adult life,” Wiese said in a press release. “I now hope to bring my experience to city hall, if the voters of Qualicum Beach give me the opportunity to serve.”
Wiese’s long record of career and volunteer service includes membership in the Qualicum Beach Pipe Band, serving as a ski instructor for the Calgary Disabled Skiing Association and a career in firefighting with the Calgary Fire Department.
Wiese and his wife Janet moved to Qualicum Beach in 2013, following his parents, who relocated here in 1985.
“We fell in love with the quality of life here,” Wiese said.
“As mayor, I see my role as a consensus-builder, kind of a guardian and promoter of the quality of life in Qualicum Beach.”
An experienced and able manager, Wiese holds a Masters Certificate in Project Management and a Professional Management Certificate from York University in Toronto.
He worked as a deputy chief in the Calgary Fire Department, managing a multimillion-dollar annual budget. Responsibilities included recruitment, labour relations, collective agreement negotiations, training, scheduling and equipment procurement.
“When I moved here I was looking for a job that was part-time maybe even more of a hobby. I ended up as office manager for a real estate company for about a year,” Wiese said. “I learned a lot about housing affordability and availability. Recently I’ve followed the OCP (Official Community Plan) process and the interaction with the citizens panel closely.”
Wiese states that his approach would be to follow in the footsteps of the founders of this community, keeping with the tradition of cautious high-quality development, particularly with projects like the downtown bus garage and the waterfront.
“We could use a little more cohesiveness and more working together for the future quality of life in QB,” he said. “I have experience bringing management and labour together. I believe I can help get Qualicum staff, citizens and volunteers pulling more in the same direction. I think we all want the same thing: a great Qualicum Beach.”