Terry Fulljames is campaigning to become the next mayor of Terrace, putting a focus on change, new ideas and what he describes as a more business-minded approach to municipal government.
Fulljames is challenging incumbent Mayor Sean Bujtas in the Oct. 17 municipal election.
The carpenter, builder and building inspector has lived in Terrace for four years, after spending more than three decades in Smithers.
Fulljames said his background includes entrepreneurship, writing and construction. He was a founder and chairman of an entrepreneurs association in Kelowna, has published two books and more than 70 industry-related articles, and holds patents and industrial designs related to mould restoration equipment.
He said that experience has shaped how he wants to approach the city’s future.
“I’m the best candidate for change, I feel, because realistically, I think that we’re all feeling it. We’re all feeling the economic pressures, but we’re also seeing that taxes keep going up, and there isn’t a lot of new ideas that have come to council,” Fulljames said.
Fulljames said he wants to bring more innovative ideas to council and look at ways the city could reduce costs or generate revenue.
One example he gave was expanding recycling programs that could potentially be profitable while also reducing costs at the landfill.
“Maybe doing more recycling programs that could be profitable to reduce costs, maybe at the landfill. That’s just one project, one of like 10 ideas that I’ve got that I want to table and see if I can get some momentum on some of this so we can have some real change,” he said.
Homelessness is another issue Fulljames identified as a priority during the campaign.
He said he has heard concerns from local business owners and believes the city needs to address the impacts of homelessness in the downtown core and neighbourhoods.
“I think that some of what we’re seeing with the homeless, and I think that business owners have kind of reached out to me, and we’re all kind of feeling that kind of change in our community, and it hasn’t been a real positive one,” Fulljames said.
“I’ve seen some negativity on that myself, and we don’t want to see our vibrant community kind of turning into something like we see down on Hastings Street in Vancouver.”
He said he wants to see programs that make measurable progress on homelessness while maintaining Terrace as a community that residents and tourists want to visit.
Fulljames is also putting an emphasis on tourism and community development as part of his vision for Terrace.
One idea he has proposed is expanding the Terrace Farmers’ Market and potentially developing a multicultural building nearby that could provide additional space for arts, food vendors and galleries.
He said the goal would be to create a space that could operate beyond the traditional farmers’ market season.
“I believe that’s the heart of the community. That’s what we cherish a lot, that’s where we gravitate to. We can do so much more with that,” Fulljames said.
Fulljames said he could envision the area hosting events into the late fall and early spring, or potentially operating year-round.
He compared the vision to Vancouver’s Granville Island, saying he wants to create a stronger sense of community and draw more people into the area.
Fulljames said he hopes to leave a long-term mark on Terrace if elected.
He described his approach as that of a “legacy leader,” meaning someone who can create changes that continue beyond a single term in office.
“I talk about being a legacy leader, and what that is to me is a leader that can spur long-lasting, generational change. For me, if we can bring back the vibrancy of the community, I would love to see that come to fruition for the community by the time I’m done my four-year cycle,” he said.
Fulljames also said strengthening families and the broader community would be central to his approach.
Drawing on his construction background, he compared building a strong community to building a strong structure.
“A strong family, a strong community is what makes, what is the most important part of the community structure, just like when I’m building a building. I built many buildings with my own hands, and from a construction standpoint, the foundation is the most important thing in the community aspect, that’s family,” Fulljames said.
Fulljames is encouraging residents who want a different direction for Terrace to participate in the municipal election.
He is one of the candidates seeking the mayor’s seat in Terrace’s Oct. 17 municipal election, with voters also choosing councillors and school trustees.
