Mackenzie, B.C. – There’s a three way race for mayor in Mackenzie and semi-retired businessman Danny O’Connor makes no bones about why he’s joined the fray.

“I just don’t like the direction things are going. We built a sub-division and they didn’t sell the lots first. There’s one person on it that’s building.”

He says he thinks the current council rushed along the development figuring “the town was bursting at the seams.”

Mackenzie mayoral candidate Danny O’Connor

In the meantime O’Connor says the town still has to service the road.

“All the guy there has to do now is shovel his own driveway. Everything else will be cleared for him.”

He also says it’s time the district build a town hall.

“Everyone’s got a town hall but us. We’ve got to use the Catholic Church basement and not everyone likes to walk into a church.”

And despite the fact industry is back in town he says Mackenzie doesn’t have its heart.

“We’ve got to get that back. We have too many people that don’t live here that are working here. They’re all seven days on, seven days off. The mine bought a bunch of trailers here, three houses and five apartments and I think maybe two or three are rented out, that’s it.”

This is the 64 year old’s second run at the mayor’s chair. In 2008 he was one of three candidates for mayor and placed third.

The other candidates for mayor this November 15th are Daniel Hansen and Pat Crook.