Squamish city council candidate and professional stunt man Peter Kent wants to increase voter turnout in the upcoming municipal election. So much so, that he has promised to set himself on fire in the middle of a Squamish street if voter turnout surpasses the 39.2% of the 2011 election.
Peter Kent is used to being set on fire: He has been Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunt double in many of the Terminator's most well-known movies.
When Mr. Schwarzenegger speeds out of a tunnel on a motorcycle followed by a fireball in one of Terminator 2's most iconic scenes, that's actually Mr. Kent.
The scene in which he fires a rocket launcher at the doors of Cyberdyne? Also Mr. Kent.
Now, he is making his second bid for city council in Squamish, where voter turnout was only 40 per cent in 2011. If the numbers improve in 2014, he will reward voters for coming out to the polls by lighting himself on fire.
"I thought, well, here's something I can do. I know how to set myself on fire – hopefully there's someone there to put me out – and it attracts attention," he said.
Mr. Kent stressed this promise was made not to attract support for his own council bid but to get voters to pay attention and encourage other candidates to come up with get-out-the-vote strategies.
"A woman who's a reporter for the local newspaper got on board and said [she will] donate a brand-new snowboard to the ski school. Another local business guy said [he will] give a thousand dollars to Helping Hands, which is a local food bank," Mr. Kent said.
"Now, the other candidates are starting to get on board, so it's been creating a bit of a movement."
The mayors of Tofino and Smithers, both of whom have already been acclaimed, have made voter turnout in the race for city council into a competition.
The town with the lower turnout will have to write a song about the other and perform it as a community.
"It's not voter influence so much as it's just trying to give them a heads up and say: 'Look, be aware,'" Mr. Kent said.
Mr. Kent, who ran in 2011 and estimates he missed a spot on council by about 800 votes, said he feels energized by the interest he has seen in the municipal election.
He will have to wait to hear the final numbers from Elections BC, which will give him time to order his burn clothes.
"What I might do is get the figures printed out and hold that piece of paper in my hand while I'm on fire."