Council byelection candidate David Kobliski, who oversees several businesses in Thompson owned by Nisichawyasihk Cree Nation (NCN), thinks unhappy residents are as bad for a city as unhappy customers are for a business.
“The City of Thompson or any other part of Thompson, I always look at it like it should be run like a business and I look at the people of Thompson as customers,” Kobliski says. “If your customers are not happy, they’re going to leave so we’ve got to be able to find that fine balance between the services that the City of Thompson provides to the people of Thompson.”
A resident of Thompson for the past 12 years, Kobliski is the executive director of the Nelson House Development Corporation, responsible for NCN-owned businesses in Thompson like Family Foods and the NCN gas bar. He’s held that position for 23 years and says he is running for council to try to contribute by being part of a team instead of just watching from the sidelines.
“I’d like to make a difference and work toward building a healthy environment for the City of Thompson so that people would actually look forward to coming to Thompson instead of worrying about coming to the City of Thompson because of the high crime rate that they talk about,” Kobliski says. “The most important thing is to build a healthy environment, healthy economy for the City of Thompson so community members stay and not want to leave. Make Thompson a place you want to go.”
Kobliski says his role as both a resident of the city and someone responsible for various businesses gives him a good perspective on what the issues concerning residents and businesses are.
“I understand where they’re coming from and because I deal with business and community members in Thompson that are employed in our businesses, I also hear what their concerns are and I also hear other businesses in the City of Thompsn that have some concerns.”
One of those concerns is the high cost of living or doing business.
“Don’t tax them so much and charge them fees that are unmanageable,” Kobliski advises. “When it becomes unmanageable, then they’ll just pack up and leave and you don’t want that to happen. You want the people to stay and reinvest, the people that are living in Thompson because they’re the ones that make Thompson happen. They’re the ones that are going to stay, they’re the ones that don’t want to leave.”
Kobliski said the city also needs to look at how to reduce addictions among residents rather than just dealing with the effects of those addictions once people have acquired them
“I see a lot of help that’s being provided for [homeless people with addictions], I see treatment centres that are there to help them but I don’t see very much in regards to prevention, in regards to educating and capturing the youth at an early age so that they don’t fall into that system and end up being homeless,” he says. “I’d rather see a facility that educates and be proactive in preventing people from falling into that system. Addictions is the biggest issue. How do we prevent addictions instead of waiting for it to happen and then, well, we’ll provide treatment?”
