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Ken Melamed

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Ken Melamed (born April 17, 1954) is a former mayor of Whistler, British Columbia. He is a businessman, conservationist and former Green Party of Canada candidate in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country.

Early history

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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

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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

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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 Olympic bid was eventually successful and, as mayor, Melamed represented Whistler in negotiations with other stakeholders, including the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, four host First Nations, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), and the International Organizing Committee (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 driving up accommodation costs in Whistler, Melamed encouraged media and sponsors to stay in Whistler Village rather than commuting from Vancouver and pushed 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

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Melamed won the Green Party nomination to run for Member of Parliament in West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in 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

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Federal

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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

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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

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  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
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