FALL RIVER: The “community boy” is throwing his name into the political ring.
Steve Kamperman has been thinking about running for politics for a little bit now, although he didn’t think it would be for a few years. However, with his business location closing he thought the time was right to put his name in the ring for councillor for District 1 Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley.
Kamperman, who owns The Lawn Guy in Fall River, is all about community and he promises to be present in the community and listen to residents. He was supported well by the community while in business but is in the process of moving on from that.
“I want to be the voice for residents in these communities,” said Kamperman in explaining why he has chosen to run. “You will see me out and about in the community. I’m not a stranger. I’m approachable. I want to hopefully solve your problems. I as your councillor will work with the community.
“I kind of feel that the community needs someone from the community to have a voice and help the local boards, the sports teams, the community parks. I want to see our community thrive the way it should it be.”
He said the riding does offer a vast difference between rural in Musquodoboit Valley, and urban and suburban in Fall River/Waverley/Oakfield areas.
“I think Musquodoboit definitely needs a voice, there’s definitely some big potential for things to happen out there,” he said. “They definitely have some great volunteers out there. I played ball out there all my life.
“We need to get a group together and see what their vision is instead of letting it go on deaf ears. They will grow where they want to be.”
Kamperman was born and raised in Oakfield and his family is from the Fall River community. His dad was at one time fire chief and attended many community events while also helping to organize them.
“I’m seeing the community struggling a bit and want to get us back on track and all of us involved in the community again,” he said.
He spoke about developments that are underway in the process of public hearings, and ones that are approved.
“The residents definitely said loud and clear they didn’t want density going through their communities of what was proposed,” he said. “But on the other side of it, if we want some place for seniors to go you have to balance both sides. We don’t want big towers in our communities.
“Other communities, like Lantz, have done seniors housing well without the big buildings. You must talk to the community, the developer, it’s not just a blanket and walk away. It has to be the vision of the community.”
Kamperman said he heard loud and clear the main concern from residents for the senior’s development in Fall River was traffic. He said there should have been more discussion.
“It’s always been traffic issues out here,” he said. “Fall River Road is busy and putting that many more cars would add to it. There was definitely a topic on density that needed to be discussed more.”
He spoke the water project, which a final cost for residents remains unknown almost a year-plus after it was completed.
“No one has received any water bills yet,” he said. “I’m a business owner and I don’t even know what it’s going to cost. It’s a big concern.”
Kamperman said the ditch tax is one that is tough for him to have. In Oakfield and Grand Lake residents are getting charged the tax where there are no ditches and there hasn’t been any work done in 30 years, where Fall River has sewage and drainage coming off people’s properties.
“A blanket coverage is very difficult, in very rural areas like Musquodoboit Valley,” he said. “If you’re a rural resident I don’t think they should be paying for it.”
He wants residents who must walk up the busy hill to get to Perrin Drive to be able to do it safely.
“A sidewalk to get up to the park and ride bus stop. I see so many people walking up that road in knee deep snow,” he said. “We need that.”
He would love to have transit come into center of Fall River by the Sobeys area for pickup in the community.
“I would like a corridor shuttle along Hwy 2 through Waverley, and it be a quick run for a loop. Even to include Enfield. They need transit in Enfield, along the route down here,” he said. “Fall River and Enfield need to be looked at for transit.”
Kamperman, who dubbed himself as “a community boy”, said he is continuing to work on his platform which he hopes to launch shortly.
He acknowledged that speeding is a concern he hears as well.
“We need the speed after Holland Road all along that section right up to the Big Stop in Enfield to get lowered to 60 kilometres per hour,” said Kamperman. “For people to enjoy their cycling, walking and jogging along that section of road safely we need to get it lowered.
“I saw some pretty bad accidents as a firefighter in Grand Lake because of people flying down those roads speeding. We definitely need a discussion on speeding in our communities.”
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 9)Kamperman was asked if he thought the area was big enough for its own RCMP substation for Fall River. He also spoke about the blurred boundary between Enfield RCMP and Halifax District/Lower Sackville.
“There has to be a discussion on the Enfield/Sackville boundary division,” he said. “Let’s use some common sense. Let’s redraw some boundaries.”
Besides Kamperman, Art Wamback of Fletchers Lake is the only other District 1 candidates to have announced their intentions for the Oct. 17 municipal election so far.
For more information on Kamperman, please stay tuned for the launch of his website and socials. You can email him at: Stephenkamperman@gmail.com.
