Garhen Avalokiteshvara enters Armstrong mayoral race

Garhen ‘G’ Avalokiteshvara, a former owner of Grass Roots Health Hut, has officially entered the race for mayor of Armstrong in the upcoming municipal election on October 17.

His campaign platform focuses on six primary pillars: fiscal responsibility to keep municipal taxes reasonable, streamlining permits and approvals, expanding rental housing, encouraging economic development, ensuring community safety, and improving infrastructure resilience. Avalokiteshvara aims to address environmental challenges such as extreme heat, water shortages, and wildfire risks by pursuing provincial and federal funding through programs like ClimateReadyBC and the Green Municipal Fund to minimize the burden on local taxpayers.

Additionally, Avalokiteshvara has pledged to increase transparency at City Hall and expand public input regarding community decisions, specifically mentioning concerns over the CARI project, the Rail Trail, and traffic safety. He joins incumbent Joe Cramer, former mayor Chris Pieper, and former councillor John Trainor in the mayoral contest.