Ben Lanyon CR City Council

05/30/2025

10/15/2022

Here we are on the final voting day!

I spent some time this morning reflecting on the past couple of months. There are a few things that stand out to me and I want to post them before we know the results:

Everyone did a great job of communicating their message clearly. This openness has provided voters with the ability to make informed decisions. I want to thank ALL candidates for putting themselves out there and engaging the community in a way we haven’t seen for a very long time. I respect all of you deeply. Politics are not for the faint of heart, and you have all proven to be strong and worthy competitors.

We had balanced reporting from the media and so much in-depth discussion on social media. We need that balanced reporting and accountability in order to find our way to the correct decisions. Thank you to discussion participants on all sides. We share a love for this community and I think that is beautiful.

If we can point in the same approximate direction going forward, we can accomplish a LOT in the next four years.

(Polls at Southgate and the Community Centre close at 8pm. Election results will be available at www.campbellriver.ca at about 8:30pm tonight)

10/11/2022

On the topic of child care shortages:

80% of survey respondents in CR have been waitlisted for child care. To put this in perspective, there are about 5,400 kids in CR and under 1,400 spaces available for them.

Raising kids is a tough job. Parents must earn a living in a very expensive place, sustain their various relationships, and try to have a bit of fun occasionally. Grandparents and other relatives are doing their best to fill the void right now, but it is still not enough.

Working-age people are often parents, so it is no mystery why a daycare shortage contributes to a labour shortage. Labour shortages lead to higher costs of services and this negatively affects everyone including seniors.

The good:
• The City of CR has been very accommodating to child care operators in terms of permits and zoning.
• The Province of BC has also been very accommodating.

The shortage has nothing to do with overly stringent regulations or government non-cooperation. So why then do we have a child care shortage? Understanding why will tell us what solutions we need.

The bad:
• We have a shortage of workers in CR at all income levels
• We have expensive housing in CR
• Daycare work is extremely difficult and demanding
• Daycare workers are not highly paid despite the difficulty level

A child care worker today has many easier and higher paying job options available to them. They need an affordable place to live and they need to earn enough money to have a sustainable situation.

Possible solutions:

1. Lower the cost of living in CR by providing more housing and minimizing property taxes. This benefits both the struggling families and the child care workers.
2. Encourage a culture that honours care-givers (licensed daycares and relatives).
3. Do what we can to reduce the operating costs of providing child care so more funds are left for paying wages to staff. This could take the form of reduced property tax rates for non-profit child care facilities. I don’t know how viable it would be to encourage developers to include space for child care in their plans, but we should talk to them about it. Ideally, parents and child care workers will live near each other to reduce transportation costs.
4. Support the province’s efforts to subsidize operations. One child care worker can free up seven parents to enter the workforce. This type of subsidy is a wealth multiplier which raises the quality of life of the entire community.

Your thoughts?

10/08/2022

With our First Nations directly involved like this, we can solve any problem. I am beyond excited and hopeful we get the results we need on Oct 15!!!! Please please please vote and bring your best friends too. 💗

10/07/2022

On the topic of property taxes:

Our city’s costs are rising from inflation. The city has four main tools to achieve a balanced budget:

(1) Cut costs
(2) Raise property taxes on existing properties
(3) Improve efficiency of staff
(4) Spread property taxes over a larger number of properties

Each of these is detailed below:

Cutting costs seems like a good idea until you find out that it is not a viable option because of union agreements and existing service contracts. We may achieve some small gains here, but at what cost in terms of staff morale and loss of services?

Raising property taxes on existing properties is the default option for the City. But this option is hardest on the public (you!). I would prefer we minimize this by looking at the last two tools instead.

A much easier and less politically volatile option than cost-cutting is to improve efficiency. I invite you to view the 2022 City staff employee survey which was released under a freedom of information act request (www.newcampbellriver.com). We clearly have a critical morale problem as evidenced by that report and by 11% staff turnover during 2021. I would start by addressing the specific issues in the employee survey and at the same time removing bottlenecks and friction within City Hall. This works because happier employees with efficient work-flows are always more productive. This allows staff to handle more work with the time they have. They feel better, and as a result they have more positive interactions with the public. But efficiency alone solves nothing in the short term. It must be paired with growth as described next.

When we increase private investment in commercial and industrial zones, this allows more of the tax burden to be shifted away from residential taxpayers. Individual properties do not pay more because the tax burden is spread over a larger number of properties. This also helps with our critical shortage of available industrial land. Sadly, commercial property investment will lag until we have restored safety to downtown (we’ll get there). Expansion of residential properties follows the same logic described above and will help with the housing shortage.

Pair a growth approach with efficiency gains and we will soon be able to afford nice recreational amenities without raising taxes on your home. In summary: efficiency + growth = lower taxes. It is doable and it won't take long to see the results.

10/05/2022

You can vote today from 8am to 8pm at the Community Centre!!

This is your best opportunity to express your wishes for Campbell River. Turnout was 25% in 2018, so you're potentially voting for four people...crazy.

Ben Lanyon - For Campbell River City Council 2022

10/05/2022

Love this...it's a new day and a new way of doing things. Can't wait to see what's possible inside of 4 years! Seriously.

10/02/2022

On the topic of housing affordability:

Supply vs. demand has been out of balance as evidenced by real estate bidding wars in 2021 and 2022 and the resulting rise of home prices. Rental rates tend to follow the overall housing market, so an imbalance in supply and demand hurts renters as well.

Rising interest rates and a downturn in economic optimism has reversed some of this pressure. However, we still have housing affordability problems and these will continue until we build enough homes at prices that all income levels can afford.

My recommendations:

1. Reduce barriers for secondary suites, carriage houses, and look at making it possible to construct smaller homes on smaller lots. These types of housing are very important for people who cannot live in apartments (pets, children, etc). Each of these options require careful examination. The goal is to expand these options without causing issues with parking and existing utility capacity or changing the character of existing neighborhoods.

2. Increase the pace of development for all types of building lots (including multifamily and industrial). This is not a reckless expansion. Ultimately, developers will have to make their own decisions about supply and demand, but it is the city’s obligation stop being the primary bottleneck.

3. Look at promoting increased use of housing co-ops. These are excellent systems to improve and maintain affordability because a housing co-op can regulate resale values and rental rates without the need for government oversight.

4. Update and simplify our official community plan (OCP). This document has been the source of confusion for city planners and developers. Its complexity (hundreds of pages worth) has introduced delays to past developments. Delays increase costs and risks to developers. Higher costs and risks translate into fewer homes and higher prices.

High housing costs are relevant to everyone because they result in higher service costs in Campbell River. Why is this? Employers must pay more to employees so that they can afford to live here. These businesses must in-turn pass additional wage costs onto consumers. It is a vicious cycle which hurts our local economy’s competitiveness and pushes some into homelessness. I have noticed that it also contributes to a lack of hope and motivation for the younger generations. How can they start a family here on an average income? How can seniors on fixed incomes deal with the rising cost of services?

09/28/2022

Amazing support from the community keeps pouring in...kind of speechless 🥰

Steve Marshall, pictured here with Mike Ball, Shane Lukinuk and Benjamin James Eric Coyle all giving their personal donations to the Kermit Dahl for Mayor 2022 Campaign.

Steve says "Let's all get out and vote on October 15, 2022, and show our support for Kermit Dahl and his team running for CR City Council Doug Chapman for CR Council 2022, Ron Kerr, Campbell River City Councillor, Ben Lanyon for CR City Council 2022, Susan Sinnott for CR City Council 2022 and Campbell River Councillor Sean Smyth.

Advance Polling:
Wednesday, Oct. 5th, 8 am - 8 pm at the Community Centre
Wednesday, Oct. 12th, 8 am - 8 pm at the Community Centre

General Voting Day:
Sunday, Oct. 15th, 8 am - 8 pm at the Community Centre & Southgate Middle School

09/25/2022

Save downtown from lawlessness, support our workers, and regain housing affordability for all income levels. This election is about big changes. We are at a tipping point! I need your support.

I’ve spent the last 17 years raising a family in Campbell River, building a career, and volunteering on some non-profit boards. I love so much about this city.