If elected, how do you plan to stay informed about the needs and concerns of the community?
I plan to stay informed by going to events, which I already do. I go to events put on by Local Food Matters, Golden Food Bank, Wildsight Golden, Golden Co-Op Radio, Kicking Horse Culture, Dawn Mountain Nordic Center, Golden Community Economic Development, Town of Golden, etc. By going to AGMs, meetings and social events, this allows me to see firsthand what is going on in our community and meet the people that are involved in doing the work to make our community great, either as volunteers or as staff. I also plan to meet, listen and talk with constituents, either in person, on the phone, or through email. I also read letters and articles in the Golden Star.
What is your vision for the future of Golden, and how would you work toward that vision if elected?
My vision for the future of Golden includes: A lively and vibrant downtown area that is fun, lively, walkable and attractive. By working with groups like Kicking Horse Culture and Tourism Golden we could work to further improve the appearance and experience of downtown, through things like gardens, artwork and events. Some past project examples include Spirit Square, Kicking Horse River River Walk and the Downtown Plaza outside the Post Office, and some future projects include the Canyon to Confluence Initiative.
A thriving local economy with diverse and numerous local businesses by supporting groups like Golden Chamber of Commerce and Golden Community Economic Development. Supporting our tourism sector as our main economic driver through groups like Tourism Golden, in a way that manages environmental impacts and other community concerns, while at the same time supporting those who work in more conventional industries like forestry and CPKC. Supporting arts and culture in the community and recognizing its economic importance, through groups like Kicking Horse Culture and Golden Co-Op Radio.
Services like water and sewer being up to date so we can allow for more development to happen in town. By updating the DCCs we can start to raise more money to allow growth to pay for growth. Then we can build more affordable housing units to accommodate our existing and growing population. There should be an emphasis on mixed-use high-density buildings, as this costs the Town less in infrastructure costs and generates more tax revenue per area. We should continue to look for ways to address the vacant buildings problem so we don’t have prime space in town being wasted.
Embracing sustainable forms of transportation: electric vehicles, public transit, car share programs and active transportation. By encouraging more people who are able both in town and out of town to take trips without a car we can address some of the parking issues downtown and keep that space open for local businesses, housing and greenspace. We could also advocate for an intercommunity rural regional transit system to connect our community to others in the Kootenays.
Increasing the amount of local food we produce and food recovery initiatives by supporting groups like Golden Food Bank and Local Food Matters. Reducing the amount of waste we produce by developing a compost program with the CSRD, and looking for ways to reduce plastic pollution in the community by reducing single use plastics. Working in partnership with local First Nations in governance. Protecting our wetland ecosystems and biodiversity.
Being prepared for the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, and having the funding sources to do that so we don’t have to raise property taxes on residents. Doing our part to fight climate change through a Community Climate Action Plan. By investing in things like heat pumps, solar panels and other climate solutions we can help people save money, create good jobs and reduce pollution in our community.
What previous experience do you have that will help you serve effectively on Council? I think my education is a strong asset; I have 2 university degrees: an MA in Sustainability Studies and a BA in Environmental Studies. Through this, I learned a lot about environmental/energy policies in Canada: how they are implemented, the challenges that come up, the benefits of doing so, the importance of them, and so on.
My work experience in the past has also brought me closer to the community and some of the challenges we face; as the Air Quality Coordinator for Wildsight Golden, I spoke to residents about the importance of good air quality in town and administered a rebate program for people to purchase heat pumps; as the Electric Vehicle Car Share Program Coordinator, I launched and managed Golden’s first EV car share program; and as the Invasive Plant Program Coordinator, I helped remove invasive plant species in town and helped educate homeowners and residents about invasive plants and how to remove them from their property. Through my volunteer work with Wildsight Golden, Kicking Horse Culture, Golden Co-Op Radio and Dawn Mountain Nordic Center, I’ve met many people from different demographics and backgrounds working to make the community a better place. I have also run for office before in 2024 during the provincial election; I talked to people in communities all over the riding about issues relating to affordability, healthcare, economy and environment.
What do you believe are the three most important issues facing Golden over the next four years, and why? 1) The fact that development has stalled here because the Town has underfunded infrastructure services over the past several years. The Town is in the process of updating its Development Cost Charge Bylaw, which hasn’t been updated since 2012; they are supposed to be updated every 5 years. DCCs are fees developers pay to the municipalities to put into funds for services such as water, sewer, transportation, etc. Presently, Golden is getting a minute amount of DCCs from developers compared to, say, Revelstoke; this is financially unsustainable. The updated DCC bylaw is currently with the province for review. Once this gets updated, we can start to raise more money from developers who want to build here; then we can use that money to upgrade our services to allow for more development to happen here. This will increase our population and tax base, raising more money for the Town, and so on. At the same time, if we raise the DCC too fast too quickly it can scare developers away, which we don’t want to do. So it’s a balancing act.
2) The impacts of climate change and extreme weather are a very serious threat to our community, and unfortunately it’s only going to get worse in the future. We need to be prepared through things like fire mitigation, flood dykes, air purifiers in public buildings and cooling centers in the summer; and we need to be proactive rather than reactive. However, all these things cost money; personally, I think the companies most responsible for causing climate change should pay their fair share when it comes to helping communities like Golden pay for these measures. Right now taxpayers pay 100% of the costs of climate change and the extreme weather that goes with that, while the biggest polluting and most profitable companies in the world pay nothing; I don’t think that’s fair to residents. The Town and province are already struggling financially as is; this is just going to add more costs onto our plate.
3) Finally figuring out a way to address the vacant/dilapidated buildings issue. They are an eyesore and waste of space, and everybody knows that. There are new multi-unit residential buildings being built out of town when there is perfectly good space in town to build new housing constructs. The Town should continue to explore means and ways to address this. One possibility would be to advocate to the province to expand the scope of the Provincial Speculation and Vacancy Tax to include commercial buildings and all municipalities under 9000 people. The VST is designed to discourage housing speculation and turn vacant buildings into long-term homes, and right now it only applies to residential buildings and, for the most part, municipalities over 9000 people. It would have to be designed carefully not to punish vacant commercial buildings that are not derelict. There is not a silver bullet to solve this problem, but I think the Town should be exploring every avenue available to them.
Tell us a little about yourself and your connection to Golden: I have lived in Golden for a large part of the past 8 years. Like many others, what I love about Golden is its outdoor recreation activities, arts and cultural scene and strong sense of community. I grew up in Ontario, where I went to university; I have an MA in Sustainability Studies and a BA in Environmental Studies.
I have worked for Wildsight Golden as the Invasive Plant Program Coordinator, Electric Vehicle Car Share Coordinator and Air Quality Coordinator. I’ve volunteered with a number of different groups in town: I was on Wildsight Golden’s Board of Directors from 2022-2024; I have a podcast on Golden Co-Op Radio; I was a volunteer with Kicking Horse Culture during this year’s Emberfest events and Pageant; and this past winter I was a volunteer Nordic ski coach at Dawn Mountain Nordic Center.
I have also worked as a ski instructor, volunteer ski patrol and sea kayak guide; and I’m a certified Divemaster. In 2021, I moved the Town of Golden to pass a motion to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, joining over a dozen Kootenay communities that made commitments at the time. In 2023, I successfully applied for a grant from Columbia Basin Trust to finish installing solar panels on Golden Secondary School; since then, they’ve been generating electricity and resulting in cost savings on energy bills for the school district.
Why have you decided to run for Golden Town Council? I’m running because I think what I have to offer is a unique skill set and background that stands out from all the other candidates. I want to use my education and experience towards something positive. I believe it would be an asset to have someone like me on Council; if I’m not at the table, then you don’t have that perspective.
One thing I would really like to see happen is a Community Climate Action Plan so we can start to work on and implement policies to reduce our emissions. It’s important to be prepared for the impacts of climate change: wildfires, flooding, heat domes; but we also need to ensure we are doing our part when it comes to fighting climate change.
There are numerous and diverse benefits to doing this; by supporting and investing in things we often perceive as climate solutions- such as heat pumps, solar panels, energy efficiency, public transit, electric vehicles, active transportation, composting and local food, we can: 1) help people who are struggling amidst an affordability crisis save money on their grocery/energy/fuel bills; 2) reduce pollution in our community so people can live healthier lives 3) create good local jobs in trades and attract new businesses to the Town; and 4) reduce our reliance on utility companies and become more energy independent.
