Karen Skadsheim, founder of successful local start-up business Townsite Brewing, has announced that she intends to seek a seat on City of Powell River council in the November election.
“My strongest motivating force is citizen participation,” she said. “We all know that Powell River faces tough times and fiscal constraints so it is doubly important that we make smart choices. We can’t do that if the citizens of Powell River aren’t meaningfully involved in the discussion.”
Skadsheim has been deeply involved in the community since she moved here seven years ago. Besides guiding Townsite Brewing to its award-winning success, she co-founded Pebble in the Pond, an environmental society formed to reduce plastic waste in our community, and has been active in the Townsite Heritage Society and Townsite Ratepayers Association. She also serves on the board of Tourism Powell River. Before landing in Powell River, Skadsheim spent 10 years as operations manager for IFP Canada, an international forest products trading firm.
“I have friends and colleagues in a wide variety of groups—including the many new entrepreneurs who are changing the face of the city and as well as its cultural organizations,” she said. “I think I have a good sense of what people are feeling about their community—their concerns, their deep caring for Powell River, and their desire for building a strong and vibrant place.”
One of Skadsheim’s strongest commitments to voters is her determination to make city hall responsive to the views of citizens. “I want to see a vibrant democracy in Powell River, and I will do my best to make sure council actually encourages citizen participation, opens up decision-making and makes participation easy. A lot of people I speak to feel their views are not welcome, that city hall is sort of a closed shop. I would like to change that.”
With her entrepreneurial background, Skadsheim is keenly interested in economic diversification and recognizes that the days of large industry as the sole economic driver in small towns is over. “We will grow and thrive by attracting small and medium businesses to Powell River,” she said. “We live in an incredible place, and that is what we need to promote. This is a place that is perfect for young families—it is safe, housing is affordable, and we have great schools and recreation opportunities.”
As a new candidate for council, Skadsheim wants to make sure that both council and the city hall administration do everything they can to encourage new businesses. “It’s not just a matter of smoothing the way but of actively offering help to people willing to take a risk with a new enterprise. We need to see the relationship as a community partnership. I have a vision of the city as a dynamic, innovative place that welcomes change, and I think with that combination I can provide some leadership to make that happen.”
