After living in Qualicum Beach for a quarter of a century, Carol Nicol Dowe feels she knows the community.
Not only that, said the latest candidate for Qualicum Beach council, the community knows her.
“I’ve lived in the Qualicum Beach area for 25 years. I was in real estate with my late husband. We were a husband and wife team, Bob and Carol Nicol.”
She decided to throw her hat in the ring, she said, because she sees a need for more seniors’ facilities within easy walking distance of the uptown core.
“We need more facilities like The Gardens, more clinics, more doctors and the Oceanside health centre.”
She knows what she’s talking about, having spearheaded a petition campaign for the health centre and traveling to Victoria as a part of a delegation with MLA Ron Cantelon.
“That’s one area where I have a passion to see it come to completion,” she said. “When I was working on the petition and calling areas like Qualicum Woods, I found many people in their 80s — or even 90s — trying to stay in their homes as long as they could because there are waiting lists to get into many facilities here. That’s the reason we need to have more.”
There are other issues on her agenda, however.
“I feel we need to be approachable as a council. Our door has to be open and we need to hear the needs of the people.”
The redevelopment of the old George Inn site on Memorial Avenue is another area in which she wants to be involved, stressing the need for whatever takes its place to fit into the rest of the community’s architecture.
“Whatever happens, we need to maintain the integrity of the building style and architecture of our town,” she said. “We need to ensure that this doesn’t go up as a monster.”
The other end of the demographic doesn’t escape her notice however.
“I was talking with a young family this evening and they were saying we need more family weekend events,” she said. “In many families, both parents are working, so when it comes to a weekend with the little ones, they want to be able to do things together.”
Although she has no prior political experience, she’s eager to jump into the race.
“I would say if you want someone who is going to hear your needs and cares about you, vote for Carol Nicol Dowe and we will finish the race together.”