By Chad Klassen

Running for Mayor: Stu Holland

Sep 13, 2017 | 12:04 PM

KAMLOOPS — Mayoral candidate Stu Holland thinks he has the solution to improve the long-standing parking crunch downtown. He wants to push the curb back a metre or so to make room for angle parking. 

“I really think if we reconstructed Victoria Street’s sidewalks, removed the interlocking brick and leave about a six-foot wide sidewalk, you can get yourself where you got two vehicles, you could probably get six on angle parking,” said Holland. 

Holland says there would be more than a hundred stalls added, which businesses and residents alike have expressed a need for.

“Almost every person I’ve talked to that are passerbys or business owner totally agree with my concept,” said Holland. “It would go to the city planning and engineering department for them to design. I think this is going to drive more business to the downtown.”

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Holland has background in construction. He runs his own specialized concrete business out of his home, a business that’s taken him around the world. 

As a blue-collar worker, he is all for Ajax, believe it will be approved. 

“Ajax is going to be a go,” noted Holland. “City council’s got no say in it. I would like to see them say ‘ok, why did we spend $1 million or $300,000 on an environmental report when this thing’s going to happen.’ What we need to do is focus on, when it happens, are we ready.”

Holland’s family ran a gold mine in Bridge River near Lillooet in the 1930s and 1940s called the Holland Gold Mine. 

“My grandparents had a gold mine, they worked very hard at it, and they lived long, healthy lives,” he said. 

Holland is a proponent of fiscal responsibility and feels council hasn’t done a good job of it, especially with the former Daily News building. 

He says he won’t spend a dime on his campaign — no signs or anything — just relying on interactions with residents and word of mouth.