PROFILE: Michael Wirischagin, Grand Forks Council

My name is Michael Wirischagin and I am a third-generation Grand Forks resident who was born and raised within this wonderful little community. Other than for a short time when I left to attend the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver - where I studied Urban Geography (City Planning) and Political Science - I have resided within the city limits my entire life. I am married and have three children, including our newest addition, 10-month-old Solara.

 

The reason that I have decided to run for re-election and a second term on council is that I want to make sure that my community, the one that I grew up in, is not only as good, but also better than it is today. I want to make this city better so that when my children are grown up, they too will want to come back to their hometown to raise their children. I am running again because I have a vested interest and because I care.

 

I am running again because far too often we are short-sighted in our approach and we have to continue to look at generations beyond our own.

 

 

My background is urban geography, city planning, and politics. I grew up around politics - with many friends and family members holding office at the municipal level and union positions - and I have always had a passion for city planning. This has served me well during my first term on council and will again if re-elected on Nov. 19.

 

 

The top three challenges facing the City of Grand Forks over the next three years in my opinion are:

 

1) How do we best, and most cost effectively, handle our aging infrastructure.

We need to replace a great deal of road surfaces, water mains, and sewer pipes over the long term, and as a city we need to find a balance between what is necessary and needed and what is wishful thinking and wasteful. There is balance to be had and my background in city planning would serve this community well in helping to find it.

 

2) How are we going to handle our aging population- the “the greying of society” without sacrificing the other demographic's ability to function and prosper. In other words, how are we going to build an age-friendly community?

 

Over the past few years, the demographics - the age groups - that make up Grand Forks have been shifting without the total population of Grand Forks changing. This will continue to happen into the foreseeable future.

 

The challenge facing Grand Forks would then be to acknowledge and adapt to the “greying” of this community, and adjust services accordingly. An older population has different needs than other sectors and as a municipality it is important that we meet those needs. However, we still have to realize that other sectors of the population still do exist, and we can’t just take away from one to give to another. We need to make sure that ALL residents are taking care of equally and adequately. It is important that we build an age friendly community.

 

3) As a municipality we need to attract new jobs while retaining the ones we have.

One of the biggest challenges facing any municipality is how to attract and retain jobs. This is even more important in the face of the shifting demographics that make up the population of Grand Forks.

 

As services will undoubtedly begin to cater to the aging population, it is easy to lose sight of the working-class population and what they bring to the table. The working-class family tends to spend more locally, eat out more often, and overall spend more in the community in which they live.

 

They also participate more in local events and contribute greatly to arts and culture that help to make up an outstanding community. It is important that we leave no stone unturned in a quest to complement our aging community with a young and vibrant working class, by providing good and well paying jobs - for the young and young at heart.

 

 

Having lived in Grand Forks all of my life, as have my parents, and my grandparents, I am able to see the larger picture in how Grand Forks has changed, how it will continue to change and the challenges that will, and have, come with it.

 

My post-secondary education in Urban Geography (city planning) is geared towards tackling these types of challenges, whether they be planning for the future of our aging infrastructure or the socio-economic impacts of the changing/shifting demographics that make up our community.

 

Further, I am the thirty-year-old who this community wants to attract. I understand what today’s youth needs and wants but on that same note I also understand what my parents and grandparents want. I am not a transplant here - I am born and raised in Grand Forks, as is my family.

 

I also live within the city limits of Grand Forks which means as we take on each challenge, any decision that I make if re-elected will affects my own taxes, no different than they will affect yours.

 

Several of the candidates who are running for city council do not live within the city’s boundaries, and if they are elected, they would have the ability to raise your taxes, and the ability to tax for services as they promise you the world. These candidates would never feel the burden of their decisions, as they don't live within the city that they wish to represent.

 

I have a vested interest in Grand Forks. My family has called Grand Forks home, as do my children. I care about the future of my children and my family, and in doing so I care about the future of this community.

 

 

Youth, Vision, and Integrity.

 

Youth: I am young, passionate promoter of Grand Forks. I have a connection with the younger population and one with the older population. I have the ability to look both up and down the demographic ladder. I am tireless in my drive.

 

Vision: I don't just care about tomorrow, I also care about the day after that, and the year after that. I fully intend on calling Grand Forks home for the rest of my life and I care about what the future looks like. As I mentioned above, we need to continue to look at generations beyond our own.

 

Integrity: What I say is what I do. I don't make false promises - if I say I am going to do something, I do it. I have been able to come through on every promise I have made over the past term - my track record is 100 percent. I am very proud of that.

 

 

I am a small business owner in the Grand Forks area as well as a very active volunteer. I am the head coach of the Senior Boys basketball team at the Grand Forks Secondary School, as well as a very active volunteer with the Grand Forks International (GFI) Baseball Tournament. I also sit on the Regional District of the Kootenay Boundary's (RDKB) Recreation Commission as the City of Grand Forks' representative.

 

I don't feel that my job is done. My first three years have been great, but there is a lot more to do, and I have a lot more to offer. I give my time to my family as well as my community. And this is all because: I care.