When people ask what a mayor actually does, I think about the list. Some of it makes the news. Most of it doesn't. All of it is built on trusting relationships: across our region, with Okanagan Indian Band, with provincial ministers and the Premier, and with the Council, administration and City staff who do the work.
Here is some of what I have championed and we have delivered together since 2018.
Water and wildfire
- $15 million in funding, with provincial ministries at the table, to reduce wildfire risk on the northern Aberdeen Plateau, where much of our water comes from.
- Vernon's reclaimed water made usable for agriculture this summer in Bella Vista and along Old Kamloops Road.
- A new agricultural water intake in Okanagan Lake at Canoe Cove, on the way for 2027.
- New water monitoring gauges on BX and Vernon creeks, and new hydrometric stations through the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
Homes and a city that pays its way
- 600 non-market homes since 2018, with our not-for-profit housing providers.
- A full life-cycle cost analysis of the proposed 580 Commonage development, so we knew what sprawl would cost taxpayers before deciding.
- Height limits on buildings in our village centres.
Jobs and visitors
- Okanagan College's aircraft mechanics program, secured for Vernon.
- More than 500 skilled workers fast-tracked to permanent residency through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, with more than 80% staying in our region.
- A new meetings and events focus for our Tourism Commission, with early successes.
- A bus stop at the Kelowna airport.
Parks, trails and places to gather
- The Active Living Centre, asked for in the 2022 referendum and delivered on budget and on time.
- The Greater Vernon Cultural Centre, taken from an idea to a business plan, a design, and now construction downtown.
- The Grey Canal Trail, extended from Turtle Mountain to Davison Road and on to Sierra Road, and from the Coldstream Ranch lands to Warren Road, with a new parking lot and access trail at Haney Road.
- The Canoe Cove trail, now linked to the Kin Beach trail.
- Pottery Ravine Park and its natural areas, expanded.
- The creek through Polson Park, re-naturalized.
- A fenced dog park at Marshall Fields, separate from the soccer fields.
Respect and good housekeeping
- A First Nations land acknowledgement at Council and every Council committee.
- LED street lighting, with lights dimmed at roundabouts.
- More electric vehicles in the City fleet.
- A dog control bylaw rewritten to fit Vernon's needs.
That is 22 things, and it is not the whole list. Some took a phone call. Some took eight years. None of them happened because of one person.
I am proud of this record, and I would like four more years to add to it.
Watch
- Defending Our Water Supply
- Securing Our Water
- Leading Through Emergencies
- Naming Our Active Living Centre
- A New Cultural Centre Downtown
- The Trails Capital of BC
- Building the Team
Keep reading
- Grow Up Here
- Build a Life Here
- Grow Older Here
- We Don't Have to Choose
- Grow What We've Got
- Right Outside Your Door
- We Made a Plan
- Everyone Deserves a Door
Voting day is Saturday, October 17. When and where to vote