Dayleen VanRyswyk Castanet YouTube video

[Dayleen]

Here's the Castanet YouTube video for Dayleen VanRyswyk who is running for Kelowna city council.

My link was removed for an editing error...it is fixed and back up. Sorry for the delay and thank you for your patience!!

http://youtu.be/qUhXHx3jy68

[grammafreddy]

Very nice, Dayleen. Well done.

[The Green Barbarian]

Good job! You may want to fix that spelling error at 2:45.

[Dayleen]

Good job! You may want to fix that spelling error at 2:45.

Oh...that's just super!! I can't believe no one saw that before now. I'll have to pull it and get my guy to fix it. He leaves the country in the morning too..awesome!

Thanks for the heads up...very much appreciated!

Dayleen

[The Green Barbarian]

Good job! You may want to fix that spelling error at 2:45.

Oh...that's just super!! I can't believe no one saw that before now. I'll have to pull it and get my guy to fix it. He leaves the country in the morning too..awesome!

Thanks for the heads up...very much appreciated!

Dayleen

no problem. You seem like someone who cares very deeply about Kelowna and I wish your campaign good luck.

[Dayleen]

Good job! You may want to fix that spelling error at 2:45.

Oh...that's just super!! I can't believe no one saw that before now. I'll have to pull it and get my guy to fix it. He leaves the country in the morning too..awesome!

Thanks for the heads up...very much appreciated!

Dayleen

no problem. You seem like someone who cares very deeply about Kelowna and I wish your campaign good luck.

Wow...I'm truly humbled by your response...thank you!!

[UnknownResident]

You also seem to say what everyone wants to hear, but there's no actual details on how you plan to do these things. I'm not entirely sold on you, I didn't get any information, other than you're trying to appeal to every crowd. Anyone can come out and say all this feel good stuff to try and get votes, I want details. Let start with how you plan to attract manufacturing and other high paying jobs.


P.S. A "level-headed entrepreneur" running on the platform of "accountability and common sense", you sure you didn't steal that from Cal?

[Dayleen]

You also seem to say what everyone wants to hear, but there's no actual details on how you plan to do these things. I'm not entirely sold on you, I didn't get any information, other than you're trying to appeal to every crowd. Anyone can come out and say all this feel good stuff to try and get votes, I want details. Let start with how you plan to attract manufacturing and other high paying jobs.


P.S. A "level-headed entrepreneur" running on the platform of "accountability and common sense", you sure you didn't steal that from Cal?

I appreciate your candor, i hope you feel the same about mine.

It isn't that i said what everyone wants to hear, i said what everyone is thinking. We all know what the problems are. Its like i said in the video, they didn't just happen, they've been around for a while and they didn't just happen because of an economic downturn. It's easy for council to all stick together and imply if not outright say none of the issues are their fault, we had an economic downturn. If Kelowna had been open for business years ago, if council had done everything possible to attract and keep business, we would have weathered this better. I know we were just ranked #1 for entrepreneurs...ya ok...but we dropped in every other way in the same report. If we believe the headlines of the report, then everyone, every business screaming Kelowna is anti business..they must all be wrong...or maybe the report is misleading. Everything isn't all rosy!

I don't have all the answers to fix everyone's problem, i truly wish i did. What i do have is the commitment and common sense to get it done. I quite literally started my own business from a concept to the largest of it's kind in Canada. I did it without any help from anyone. There were no groups or subsidies or EI incentives when i started. It was my own money (which i had very little of) it was hard work and an immense amount of drive and not being a quit-er. When things get hard, i dig in deeper, i refuse to give in or give up, that's how you build a successful business...that's how you build a successful city...on the backs of the strong.

I quite literally have millions of dollars invested in Kelowna, i have everything i own and the future of my family invested in this city. I have a huge vested interest in it being successful and prosper and i want nothing more than that!

My oldest son who's 17 is about to go to OK College or UBCO next year. My fear for him is the same as other parents in this city and around the world. We want the best for our children. The truth is, I know it's going to be an up hill battle for him and other young people in school and those graduating. Even if council somehow managed to get companies opening up, it wouldn't be soon enough for these kids. The ball has been dropped and now we are scrambling to play catch up. These kids are on their own, for the most part. They are either going to have to move away to get a half decent paying job and live in a city they can afford to pay rent in...or they can stay here, duke it out for the couple jobs that are here and get 4 friends or strangers together as roommates to be able to afford to rent a basement suite. That's the reality of life in Kelowna!

How do we change this and help our kids? We start by helping them and others open businesses here. Either through subsidies, tax incentives, breaks on start up costs etc. Like i said, i don't have all the answers but we need to be creative in making it attractive for business. City council has been slow to react and we are now paying for it. We can get out of this but it will take time. It's the same with affordable housing, we need a strong council that will be creative in coming up with incentives to get housing the average person can afford.

One of my platform issues is branding Kelowna. If everyone reading this could stop for just one minute and think about "what does Kelowna have that is like nowhere else" that people from around the country or the world, will recognize as being Kelowna?

When you see pictures of Gastown, Granville Island, Pike Place Market, Santa Monica Pier, Times Square...you know what city those places are in. Landmarks identify and brand a city to the world...Kelowna needs this to make people want to come here. I travel all over the world scuba diving. I see places that cater to tourists and they are taking out all the stops to get tourists in and to spend their money...Kelowna is missing the mark! We need to capitalize on more than just our beauty and beaches...we need to take it to the next level!

Make no mistake, i am in this for the long haul. I want my city to be the best it can be and i want my kids to be able to live here and raise their families here. I want my aging mother be able to afford to live here. I want the same things you do and i have the business sense and drive to get it moving forward. Accountability makes me crazy...it makes me crazy because there is so little of it. I'm from the old school way of thought where your word actually means something, when you do what you say you're going to do..where a handshake is your contract. Everyone that knows me, knows that's how i am. Common sense, just isn't that common anymore! This has been my way of life, not just my platform.

We need to get serious and not sugar coat the issues...we need to get moving..dig in, roll up the sleeves...get it moving!!

[UnknownResident]

Not going to lie here Dayleen... I like most of the things you're saying, as a young professional in Kelowna I realize the struggle most people have trying to make it here. Since your main focus seems to be on higher paying jobs (manufacturing and tech), and affordable housing I'm almost sold. One thing that keeps playing in the back of my mind though is how you handled yourself during your, uhm, 'situation' with a certain company on a certain highway. You're problem was with access off that highway to your business, however the changes you want(ed) would have cost taxpayers in the realm of $75,000-$100,000 more, at least that's the figure I heard thrown around, and admittedly I am not sure on the accuracy of that figure. Is this number far off? Do you think it's fair that the taxpayers should be accountable for access to your business?

[Dayleen]

Not going to lie here Dayleen... I like most of the things you're saying, as a young professional in Kelowna I realize the struggle most people have trying to make it here. Since your main focus seems to be on higher paying jobs (manufacturing and tech), and affordable housing I'm almost sold. One thing that keeps playing in the back of my mind though is how you handled yourself during your, uhm, 'situation' with a certain company on a certain highway. You're problem was with access off that highway to your business, however the changes you want(ed) would have cost taxpayers in the realm of $75,000-$100,000 more, at least that's the figure I heard thrown around, and admittedly I am not sure on the accuracy of that figure. Is this number far off? Do you think it's fair that the taxpayers should be accountable for access to your business?

You are misinformed as to the situation concerning my business access. First, the changes aren't anything "we wanted". The highway was expanded to 4 lanes as you know. The MOT changed the intersection on Garner Road and in doing so, "they" needed to relocate our access. We agreed to "their" first offer of farther down Garner, out of the intersection. They changed their mind (MOT) and proposed one closer to the intersection, we agreed to this one as well. When they came to mark it out so we could get a better idea of what it would look like, we were immediately concerned. It was right in the middle of the intersection, right in the middle of an acceleration lane. The MOT was insistent that it was fine. We didn't believe them so we hired our own civil engineering firm to *bleep* the plans. They deemed the plans "unsuitable for public use" They said that the access wasn't only unsafe to the public but it was in fact inaccessible! The Ministry is now 20 months in breach/non completion of contract. We can't even get a fire truck up our driveway right now. We have protested at Parliament and we have filed a complaint with the Ombudsperson's office. Though their office is under huge financial strain, they took our case on immediately without the usual wait and pre-investigations. They currently are investigating the Ministry on 2 issues concerning our property. I could show you some FOI files that would blow your mind and show you how bad we've been treated/bullied.

As for costs, they should all be born by the Ministry. This was their project and they moved many driveways because of it and they are required by law to pay to move them. It's part of their budget for construction and land acquisitions. We shouldn't be ruined financially because of it, we didn't ask for a new driveway, they ruined the one we had. My experience with this issue is part of why I'm such an advocate for small business. I am appalled by the lack of accountability! It is the one thing that i can't stand from anyone but especially from Government!

I'd be happy to sit down and have a coffee with you anytime and show you some things (that would probably not make you very supportive of the groups involved) It's pretty appalling for sure but i don't want to cloud this situation with my campaign as they are 2 entirely different things. I do appreciate you asking about this and not just assuming...thank you for that!

[Benzi]

Why on earth would you idiots attack Daylene on her driveway issues. She has the right to the same access to her property as she had before the hwy's depatment blew through her property, chopped down twenty of her trees when she wasn't home and blocked her driveway for 2 years.
If your so concerned about the taxpayers money ask the cop that lives across the street form her why the Hwy's ministery paid him a MILION DOLLARS? She has not beniftited from anything. Some people are idiots.

[UnknownResident]

Why on earth would you idiots attack Daylene on her driveway issues. She has the right to the same access to her property as she had before the hwy's depatment blew through her property, chopped down twenty of her trees when she wasn't home and blocked her driveway for 2 years.
If your so concerned about the taxpayers money ask the cop that lives across the street form her why the Hwy's ministery paid him a MILION DOLLARS? She has not beniftited from anything. Some people are idiots.

Which attack was that? I asked a question? Dayleen handled it pretty well too... I don't see the attack in this. You said "idiots" which implies there was more than one us? Quit trollin' there, Benzi.

[Rwede]

We have protested at Parliament and we have filed a complaint with the Ombudsperson's office.

Protesting at Parliament wouldn't help, as Highway 33 is a provincial concern, not federal. I think you'd have had better luck at the Legislature in Victoria.

[Benzi]

Look who's trolling, why bring up personal issues that have nothing to do with Daylene runnung for council. You were impliing that she some how got money or benifited from the Hwy improvement that runs along her property, or mishandled herself in her dealings with the Province and the City. When in fact she is out 100's of thousands of dollars in business over the last couple years due to the Hwy project blocking access to her Business and or interferring with access. A business she has over a a million dollars invested in. Daylene is one of the most upstanding people in this fine city.
She would have my vote.

[UnknownResident]

Look who's trolling, why bring up personal issues that have nothing to do with Daylene runnung for council. You were impliing that she some how got money or benifited from the Hwy improvement that runs along her property, or mishandled herself in her dealings with the Province and the City. When in fact she is out 100's of thousands of dollars in business over the last couple years due to the Hwy project blocking access to her Business and or interferring with access. A business she has over a a million dollars invested in. Daylene is one of the most upstanding people in this fine city.
She would have my vote.

If what she is requesting would be an unfair tax burden for all of us than it directly influences whether or not I vote for her. I asked a question that could change my vote, get over it. You're going on the defensive over nothing, Dayleen gave a straight up answer, which I respect, you on the otherhand are just posting uninformed blather that is barely comprehensible.