What we've done

• 2,300 new homes have been built in Vernon since 2018. More than 600 of them are non-market social and supportive housing, a huge success.
• More than 1,500 more homes are approved in the core areas of the city, and the recently approved Via District should add at least 500.
• 6,500 lots are approved and available in existing hillside neighbourhoods such as Predator Ridge and Foothills.
• Infill is happening throughout the inner core, as our Official Community Plan intends: housing that is "diverse, affordable, sustainable, and guided by inclusive policies that address the needs of residents at every stage of life."

What comes next

• More non-market housing is under construction. The only limit is Provincial funding.
• The housing market is under pressure across B.C. As it improves, many projects that are already approved will be built.
• Keep our focus on the core of the city, on livability and accessibility, and on filling our established hillside neighbourhoods. Our Official Community Plan has plenty of room for all the housing we need, without new sprawl.

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• More Homes, More on the Way
• Smart Growth, Not Sprawl
• The Via District
• Gentle Infill
• Homes Close to Transit

What we've done

• For decades, Greater Vernon has had enough water at relatively low cost from three sources: Kalamalka Lake, reservoirs on the Aberdeen Plateau, and deep wells in the Coldstream Valley.
• In the extreme drought of 2026, we created a fourth source: highly treated effluent for agriculture. It significantly reduced the pressure on the other three.
• The Vernon members of the Greater Vernon water utility made significant contributions to minimizing the impacts of the drought.

What comes next

• Starting next year, a fifth source, Okanagan Lake, will supply farms along the Bella Vista and Swan Lake corridor.
• If 2027 is another dry year, as predicted, we could again face significant shortages. We learned from this drought, and work has already begun to improve long-term water security for residents, farmers and industry.
• Managing several sources for all water users is complex. It takes competent, experienced decision-makers.

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• Managing Through Low Water
• Using Our Water Wisely
• Securing Our Water
• Defending Our Water Supply

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense, driven by the legacy of historic forest management and, more recently, by the changing climate. In 2026, Vernon came together to help those affected by the Bradley Creek fire, in which over 230 homes were lost.

What we've done

• Working with Okanagan Indian Band, the Regional District of North Okanagan and the District of Lake Country, we obtained significant provincial funding to reduce wildfire risk on the Aberdeen Plateau, one of our main water sources.
• We are working with the Province to reduce fire risk on Vernon Hill, next to the city's eastern boundary.
• We set up SenseNet, an early fire warning system, in the western sections of the city.
• We keep investing in FireSmart: over 1,000 home assessments in 2026 alone.

What comes next

• Keep enhancing Fire & Rescue services, with focused expansion to match our growth.
• Make sure wildfire risk on the provincial lands around us is dealt with quickly.

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• Leading Through Emergencies
• Defending Our Water Supply

Like everyone, I'm concerned about community safety: the ongoing mental health and addiction crises, vandalism in our downtown, and gaps in the justice system.

What we've done

• Overall, on average, Vernon's crime rate has held flat over the last decade, even as the community has grown.
• We keep adding dedicated people to keep pace with growth: RCMP, Bylaw Officers, Community Safety personnel and firefighters.

What comes next

• Address these challenges directly, at street level, and do what we can to minimize the disruption caused by anti-social behaviour.
• Keep pressing the Provincial Government to meet its responsibilities for criminal justice, mental health, housing and social development.
• Keep working with other Okanagan mayors on regional answers, including complex care.

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• Keeping Crime in Check

Economic conditions have been tough over the past few years. Vernon has fared better than many communities because we are diversified and have a strong base of business professionals. The City can't fund specific businesses, so we focus on the things that make Vernon attractive for business.

What we've done

• Upgraded our roads, sidewalks, drinking water, wastewater and storm water systems.
• Tourism has reached exciting new levels, and light industry has grown at places like the Silver Star Gateway and Wesmont industrial parks. Our downtown remains vibrant, with new public and private investment.
• Public investment in the Active Living Centre, the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre, new parks, the Lakeview Pool and more trails provides the affordable quality of life that attracts and keeps creative, energetic, entrepreneurial people.
• A very successful Rural Community Immigration Program has brought significant numbers of skilled workers directly to local businesses.
• Substantial new private investment is building on that public investment: Predator Ridge, Frind Vineyards, the Okanagan Gondola and the Via District.

What comes next

• Focus on keeping and growing the businesses we have, while continuing to attract new ones.
• With partners, set up a public bus system linking the city with Silver Star and the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, and with provincial parks, mountain bike areas, trailheads and lake accesses.

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• Backing Our Local Retailers
• A Beautiful, Small Market City

What we've done

• The new Active Living Centre is opening this fall, and will be a cherished amenity for residents young and old.
• Trails and multi-use paths have been added in many neighbourhoods over the last eight years.
• Parks have been expanded and upgraded for all ages and abilities, in all parts of the city: Lakeview Pool, Deer Park, Pottery Ravine Park, Marshall Fields, DND and more.
• Downtown, the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre is poised to open in spring 2028, adding to our growing cultural scene.

What comes next

• New and enhanced parks and public spaces are being planned: Polson, Kin Race Track, Kin Beach, Girouard and Sawicki.
• Balancing what we want with what we can afford, these will be completed as money becomes available.

Watch

• Naming Our Active Living Centre
• The Trails Capital of BC
• Restoring Our Creek in Polson Park
• Better Parks and Fields
• A New Cultural Centre Downtown