James Thompson: CK Sports & Election Interview

Below is James Thompson, Ward 6 Council Candidate’s answers to our CK Election and Sports Survey. Remember to vote on October 22.

Name: James Thompson

Hometown and Ward: Chatham, Ward 6

What’s your sports/recreation background?

I practiced Shotokan karate for four years, and I was a camp counselor for Adullam Camps for three years. I also did some cross country running when I was much younger.

What are your thoughts, or what value do you place in sports and recreation for the citizens of Chatham-Kent overall, and/or when showcasing Chatham-Kent to newcomers?

There is tremendous value in promoting sports and recreation within Chatham-Kent, both as a way to improve the quality of life for current citizens and to attract new people to the municipality. It’s especially important for improving the lives of families with children and for retaining youth. Recreational activites also don’t need to be formal. Chatham-Kent should continue to maintain and grow parks, green areas, and other recreational centres so that citizens have easy access to places to have fun and relax without necessarily spending anything.

One of the hot topics leading up to the election, and over the past decade has been a new twin pad arena for Chatham-Kent. Where do you stand on this? What thoughts do you have?

The twin pad arena makes financial sense over the long term, with estimated savings on operating costs being 20% to 30% over having two seperate arenas. Futhermore, other cities have had up to two-thirds of their twin pad arena project costs funded by provincial and federal grants. If these grants are offered to Chatham-Kent, then building the twin pad arena seems like a good idea. However, if these grants are not offered, my concern is that the burden of the construction cost would rest on many taxpayers who won’t (and will never) benefit from the arena. In that situation, I would recommend an investigation into the cost of refitting and renovating the Memorial Arena and the William K. Erickson Arena.

Do you have any other ideas or plans that would impact health, wellness, sports, or recreation in Chatham-Kent, and specifically in your Ward?

I greatly enjoy the Rotary Eco-Trail (O’Neill’s Nature Preserve) and I would seek, wherever practical, to increase public woodlots and to protect and improve the ones that already exist. In general, I’d like to see more tree coverage in Chatham-Kent. Also, Ward 6 would benefit from a dedicated bike path or bike lanes.

Anything else you’d like to tell our readers and voters?

At the end of the day, I’m a 21-year-old man running for council… so I’m not approaching the job with some sort of “5 Point Plan” or any radical new ideas. Instead, I intend to be humble and open-minded, and ask a lot of questions. Sometimes, a couple of good questions can be better than a speech for creating change and making an impact. I can offer a fresh perspective and I have an interest in retaining youth. If we want youth to stay in Chatham-Kent and to care about what happens here, then we need to give youth a voice on council. If any young person thinks that they could do a better job than me, then I’d encourage them to run as well!