After more than 30 years of living and working in Sun Peaks, Jason White is preparing to take on a new role in the community as mayor.

White, who was the only person to submit his name for mayor ahead of the Oct. 17 election, will take the role by acclamation.

From working as a liftie at the former Tod Mountain ski resort to being involved in the transition to Sun Peaks Resort and later building a career in construction and development, White has spent more than three decades living and working in the community. 

White said his experience in the community, along with his background in construction and development, were major factors in his decision to run. 

“I’ve lived here for over 30 years,” he said. “It’s a pretty big deal to live here that long and understand how the place operates.”

Over the years, White said he has seen Sun Peaks change from a small, developing ski community to a four-season resort. When he first arrived, there were relatively few full-time residents, with much of the community made up of people working to build and develop the resort. 

Today, Sun Peaks has expanded its summer events and offerings, including lift-accessed mountain biking, golf, weddings and other events.

Although the growth has brought many positives, some “growing pains” have come with it, according to White.

“I think the positives outweigh the negatives by far,” he said. “I don’t think there’s really anything strikingly negative. I think it just comes with growth.”

As mayor, White said he hopes to bring his experience in the construction and development industry to some of the infrastructure and development challenges facing the community. His professional experience has included road maintenance, work on the mountain and snowmaking infrastructure, as well as civic construction and development. 

“I know a lot about development and I know a lot about the ins and outs of what you can and can’t do with development,” White said. 

White also said he recognizes municipal government is different from running a business. 

“I know this is politics now, so you can’t take all of the business and think it’s just like running  a business because it’s not,” he said. 

White expects that there will be a learning curve as he takes on the new role, including understanding the rules and responsibilities that come with serving as mayor. 

“I’m a very political person, but in municipal politics, I still have a lot to learn. There’s some things that I obviously am not going to know, and I’m going to have to learn.”

Key priorities on White’s agenda

Looking ahead, White said the school is one of the community’s biggest priorities. He would like to see Sun Peaks move toward having a permanent, brick-and-mortar school.

White also brought up healthcare as another important issue for the community, saying he needs to better understand the challenges surrounding the health clinic and work with the council to determine what options are available. 

For White, the future of Sun Peaks is not only about infrastructure and development. Youth and sport are also essential parts of the community he wants to support. 

He pointed to the Bluebird Day Fund, an initiative that has helped provide opportunities for local youth to stay active and participate in sport. While the fund has changed over the years, White said its purpose remains important. 

“It’s all about the kids and the youth,” he said. 

White said he would also like to see more opportunities for young people to get into the workforce. With restaurants, hotels, the resort and other businesses operating throughout the community, he said there are many opportunities for youth to gain early work experience and develop skills. 

“I really want to push forward as an initiative to make sure that we’re putting a work ethic on our youth and our community and making sure they know that there’s jobs there for them,” he said. 

While White wants to see continued development in Sun Peaks, he said there is one thing he hopes doesn’t change: 

“I want to keep that small-town feel, the comfort and the people,” White said. 

For White, this means being able to walk through the village, know the people around him and say hello to familiar faces. 

“It’s like the Cheers analogy. You want to go where everybody knows your name,” he said.

White has heard people compare Sun Peaks to larger resort communities, but he believes Sun Peaks has its own personal identity.

“We’re not a Whistler at all,” he said. “We want our own analogy of who we are.”

As he looks forward to the next four years, White said he hopes to see progress on development and infrastructure while maintaining a strong relationship with the municipality, Sun Peaks Resort LLP, Tourism Sun Peaks and other community organizations. 

He said water, sewer and hydro infrastructure will be important pieces of work. Ultimately, White said success would mean getting the community back on track with development and making progress toward a permanent school. 

“By the end of my four years, I’m really hoping we either have shovels in the groups on the school, or we’re getting really close,” he said.

Beyond individual projects, White said the connections between the different organizations and people that make up Sun Peaks will be just as important. 

“If I can get that cohesion together with those groups and continue positive development with them in all aspects of special events and all sorts of things, then that would be a feather in my cap,” he said.