Ken Melamed

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Ken Melamed (born April 17, 1954) is a former mayor of

West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
.

Early history

A "ski bum turned politician," Melamed settled in Whistler in 1976.[1] He joined the Whistler ski patrol and started a stonemasonry business, which he ran while raising his two sons, Dillon and Jesse, with his wife, Uschi.[2]

Before and after becoming active in municipal politics, Melamed was part of several sustainability initiatives.[2][3][4][5][6] From 1990 to 1996, he was president of the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE), where he worked to raise awareness about local wetlands.[7][8][9] In 1996, he was elected to municipal council and gained recognition for scrutinizing large-scale developments and articulating the long-term implications of re-zoning.[10] In 1999, Melamed became a founding director of Smart Growth BC, where he worked on solutions for affordable housing,[11][12] agricultural land preservation, and climate change.[13] He has also served on boards at Tourism Whistler, Whistler Housing Authority, Whistler Chamber of Commerce and American Friends of Whistler.[14]

Municipal politics

Ken Melamed was first elected to the Whistler council in 1996, serving as a councillor until 2005. He was elected as mayor in 2005 and served in that position until 2011, when he was defeated by Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.[15]

2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

Melamed is best known for his negotiations during the

2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which the Resort Municipality of Whistler co-hosted with the City of Vancouver. As a councillor, Melamed voted against an unconditional Olympic bid and was later elected mayor, perhaps because of his lone vote of caution, replacing Hugh O’Reilly who initiated the Olympic bid.[16][17][18]

The

IOC).[16] Melamed ensured Whistler had the financial tools it needed to host the Games, demanding a greater share of provincial hotel taxes,[19] initiating a long-term financial plan,[20] and ensuring an affordable housing legacy.[12] Part of this plan included a new annual income from Resort Municipality Funding (RMI), which still funds tourism in Whistler,[21] and now 13 other communities in BC.[22]

Despite

VANOC to use a previously promised location to host medal ceremonies.[23][24]

In addition to making sure the Games were a financial success for Whistler, Melamed put a community plan in place that made 2010 Olympics the most ecologically sustainable Games ever.[2][25][26]

Green Party of Canada

Melamed won the

the 2015 federal election.[27][12] He was named the Finance Critic for the Green Party of Canada and was one of several high-profile Green candidates that ran in British Columbia in 2015, including Claire Martin (North Vancouver), Lynne Quarmby (Burnaby North–Seymour), Jo-Ann Roberts (Victoria), and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich–Gulf Islands).[28]

Electoral record

Federal

2015 Canadian federal election: West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Pamela Goldsmith-Jones 36,300 54.62 +30.81 $180,025.50
Conservative John Weston 17,411 26.20 -19.59 $199,351.34
New Democratic Larry Koopman 6,554 9.86 -11.61 –
Green Ken Melamed 5,907 8.89 +1.26 $129,042.88
Marijuana Robin Kehler 180 0.27 – $176.40
Marxist–Leninist Carol-Lee Chapman 106 0.16 – –
Total valid votes/expense limit 66,458 99.74   $241,170.76
Total rejected ballots 173 0.26 –
Turnout 66,631 73.58 –
Eligible voters 90,554
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +25.20
Source: Elections Canada[29][30][31]


Municipal

Whistler Mayor 2011[32]

Candidate Vote %
Nancy Wilhelm-Morden (X) 2,636 67
Ken Melamed 610 15
Ralph Forsyth 498 14
Brent David McIvor 117 .03
Miro Kolvek 19 .004
Shane Bennett 18 .004

Whistler Mayor 2008

Candidate Vote %
Ken Melamed (X) 1527 53
Kristi Wells 1218 42
Brian Walker 63 2
Miro Kolvek 54 1.9
JB Bhandari 3 0.1

Whistler Mayor 2005

Candidate Vote %
Ken Melamed (X) 1,769 47
Ted Nebbeling 1,416 38
Kristi Wells 346 0.1
Nick Davies 106 3
Mike Brew 83 2
Stacy Kohut 26 0.7
Brian Walker 15 0.4

References

  1. ^ "Whistler Mayor Revels in Olympic Spotlight". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  2. ^ a b c McGrath, Charles (2010-02-20). "Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed Revels in Olympic Spotlight". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "The Natural Step" (PDF). Civicgovernance.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  4. ^ "Heads were starting to spin". Whistler Question.
  5. ^ "Melamed offers insights and learns lessons". Pique. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  6. ^ "Council Briefs". Pique. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  7. ^ "A quarter of a century of AWAREness". Pique. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  8. ^ "riverside". Pique. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  9. ^ "Whistler U not dead yet, says advocate". Pique. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  10. ^ "Melamed challenges council on Callaghan". Pique. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  11. ^ "Smart Growth on the Ground (SGOG)". Smartgrowth.bc.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  12. ^ a b c "2009 FCM Sustainable Communities Awards Winner — Residential Development — Resort Municipality of Whistler: Overview". 29 January 2013. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015.
  13. ^ "Sea-to-Sky Greenbelt". Smartgrowth.bc.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  14. ^ "Ken Melamed Green Party candidate in West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country - Vote Ken!". Kenmelamed.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  15. ^ "Previous Councils | Resort Municipality of Whistler". Whistler.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  16. ^ a b "Whistler mayor wants tax dollars". Canada.com. 2005-11-22. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  17. ^ "FEATURE-Olympics-Whistler has long dreamed of the Games". Reuters. 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  18. ^ "How hope for a soaring future taught Whistler's mayor to love the Games". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  19. ^ "Whistler mayor wants tax dollars". Canada.com. 2005-11-22. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  20. ^ "Long-Term Financial Plan" (PDF). Whistler.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  21. ^ Taylor, Alison. "RMI secure for three years but threat to funding remains | Whistler | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA". Pique Newsmagazine. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  22. ^ "Whistler helps keep B.C. tourism on the map". Pique.
  23. ^ Taylor, Alison (2009-04-10). "Businesses embrace return of Olympic medals | Whistler | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA". Pique Newsmagazine. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  24. ^ "High hotel room rates scare Olympic guests". Canada.com. 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  25. ^ Alyssa Noel. "Whistler's Olympic legacy". Whistler Question.
  26. ^ "Whistler2020". whistler.ca. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  27. ^ "Ken Melamed Green Party candidate in West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country | Vote Ken!". Kenmelamed.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  28. ^ "Adriane Carr predicts "bigger breakthrough" for Greens in 2015 federal election". Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly. 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  29. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, 30 September 2015
  30. ^ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits
  31. ^ Elections Canada – Forty-Second General Election 2015 - Poll-by-poll results
  32. ^ Source: CivicInfoBC, http://www.elections.civicinfo.bc.ca/2011/reports/electionresults.asp

External links

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