about dave robertson

Dave Robertson has retired as a Firefighter in North Westside Fire/Rescue after serving there for fifteen years or more. When not fighting fires as a warden for the Ministry of Forests (MOF), he worked as a consulting geologist and geophysicist for oil companies worldwide. He has a Ph.D in geophysics from Leeds and Oxford in the U.K. and an M.Sc and B.Sc from the University of Alberta. He has taught physics and geology at the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and Okanagan College.
Click here to view his U of A scholarship

Dave has been active in the community for several years making good things happen for his neighbours, friends, and the Community in general. He has plenty of experience, constructively working with people in RDCO , Forestry, B.C. Ambulance, and various North Westside groups. He is also known and respected by enough people in these organizations to be able to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. He has organized many projects to improve the Community. Now he would like to be your director so he will be able to improve things on a larger scale, and correct systemic problems in our governance.

He has worked with MOF to burn excess fuel to make Fintry Park firesafe.
He organized the MOF, Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB). and the North Westside Fire Rescue (NWFR) for the controlled burn to remove deadfall and other fuel at the Forestry Campsite (Evely Park) to make it firesafe.
He has successfully urged Forestry that a firebreak around Westshores Estates was necessary and worked with them and the members of the community to build that firebreak, which was started five years ago.
Forestry is now in the process of using a large sum from the Filmon Grant money (established by the Provincial government after the wildfires of 2003) to expand the fireguard around Westshore Estates (100 meters wide) to help protect it from wildfires.
He has urged RDCO Parks to change the management of Evely Park to make it more accessible and desirable for the locals. Working with Forestry, he has expanded the day-use areas and has had sand hauled in by Wayne Watson. He has designed a concrete boat launch which has been installed.
He has also co-ordinated the efforts of RDCO Parks and MOF (as part of the firebreak) to clear the trees from the proposed new Westshores Park, and is organizing several local groups (with the support of the North Westside Communities Association) to design and build a BMX cycle park there for the community youth (and their parents) to have some active fun.
Dave has organized men and machines to accomplish tasks quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. He has the respect of the people he works with and/or commands - perhaps because he does not take himself too seriously - but takes the job he is doing very seriously.

Dave doesn’t hang out in the Church too much, but does feel comfortable there – his belief is strongly grounded in the principles of Christian ethics and morality. He figures that he’s got to concentrate on saving his own soul before he worries about saving somebody else’s.

He figures a good start is trying to make life better for the people out here on the Westside.


	Dave has worked and traveled all over the planet, has acquired “people skills” and is able to communicate empathetically with most people. His idea of “leadership” is to communicate with all levels of the community, get a feeling for what they want done and then make it happen by organizing the money, people and resources needed. By talking to more people and listening to their concerns, he is able to discern what the community REALLY needs, not what a special interest group SAYS it needs. He has little patience with people who don’t have a grip on reality or refuse to listen.