A couple of hours after the polls closed on Saturday, October 15th, the Coast Reporter announced that Justine Gabias had won the race for the position of Area B Director.
The Board of Directors is excited to have Justine join the voices advocating for Halfmoon Bay and looks forward to collaborating with her on the many issues and challenges we are facing. As well, I’m sure Justine will continue to be a smiling (and dancing) addition to the many summer events that we will be planning for 2023!
We would also like to thank Patrick Dickie for participating in this year’s election. We are hopeful that he will continue to advocate for the community and will work with the HBCA on the some of the projects we have planned for 2023.
This is Justine’s message to the community following her successful bid (posted on the Halfmoon Bay BC Everything Page):
Dear neighbours,
Thank you for electing me as your new Area Director! A big thank you to Patrick Dickie for running, and for being a thoughtful and kind candidate. Running for office is not for the faint of heart, and I have a deep respect for anyone who comes forward and puts in the work to help their community thrive. On that note, a big thank you to our current Area Director Lori Pratt for all the work she put in these past four years.
Now, let the hard work begin! My campaign website will soon be converted to a permanent site where I will post updates and any newsworthy items coming from the SCRD. There you will also be able to register for a newsletter so you can access important information when you need it. I will develop other means to communicate with you, and will look for ways to hold in-person meetings where we can share ideas and work collaboratively to address concerns.
There are many exciting events coming up, and I will be sure to be present so we can meet and chat.
- The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is one of the most exciting events on the Coast! On October 21, 22, and 23 make sure you visit some or all of the incredibly talented Halfmoon Bay artists.
- Come by the Halfmoon Bay Nursery on October 22nd for the first annual Fall Fair. This will be an amazing opportunity for us to come together, celebrate the harvests and eat good food. I’ll be there as Fawn’s Road Stand and should have lots of goodies for you!
- The Halfmoon Bay Community Association is once again hosting the treats at the Welcome Woods Halloween Pumpkin Trail sponsored by the Community School on October 31st! Bring your kids to the Lohn Rd connector trail for hot apple cider and treats.
Let’s create more opportunities like these to come together, so we can become a more connected and resilient community! That’s the fun part, but there will also be very serious issues to address from day one.
- We will have to hunker down and find meaningful, long-term solutions to our water supply issue. Rain should be here soon, but in the meantime, please keep conserving water as much as you can.
- With winter around the corner, I will lobby hard for road improvement work so that we can all feel safe when driving, walking or cycling.
- We also need to get back in the driver’s seat of our growth, and ensure that Halfmoon Bay retains its unique rural character, while still providing affordable housing options for workers, young families, and seniors who want to downsize without having to leave their community.
- We need to come together as a community to figure out how we want to proceed in regards to Coopers Green Hall, so that I can represent your wishes and advocate for the option the majority of you supports. There will be an important vote on the subject in November, so let’s start talking now.
Feel free to get in touch with me by email at halfmoonbayjustine@gmail if you would like to chat. I’d love to hear from you.