Why I'm Running

I have grown to love the homestead lifestyle in the Cowichan Valley and see first hand the many benefits and challenges that come with it. My daughter's favorite show is Little House on the Prairie, and over the past five years of living across the Cowichan Valley I've seen her experience those values firsthand: neighbors helping neighbors, living close to the land, community as a way of life, and obtaining life skills. I want to be able to look her in the eyes when she's older and be able to say I did everything I could to protect that way of life for her and our friends.

There is a quiet but real push to move people away from rural living and into cities. I see it in the bylaws being passed, in the enforcement actions against RV and tiny home residents, and in zoning that treats homesteading as a problem to be solved rather than a way of life worth protecting. I'm running because that push needs to be challenged and I have the skills, experience, and moral motivation to do it.

Across my careers of firefighting in Calgary's downtown core, to working alongside police and bylaw officers in some of the most complex situations a city produces, to twelve years as a psychologist, I have witnessed a variety of suffering up close. Physical suffering, mental suffering, and the kind that comes from being overlooked or failed by systems that weren't built to really support us. That experience has given me both the tools and the drive to help communities build better support in areas of mental health, in physical wellness, and the kind of spiritual support that gives people resilience when things get hard.

I believe deeply in accountability to the community, to the truth, and to the principle that what we do unto others ultimately comes back to us. That belief isn't abstract for me. It shapes how I show up in every role I take on. I've held positions of perceived authority throughout my career, and I know firsthand how that responsibility can either be carried with integrity or abused. I choose integrity and I will bring that same standard to the role of Area B Director.

I'm not running to win a title. I'm running because Shawnigan Lake deserves a director who does the research, understands the complexity, listens to residents, and makes decisions that serve the whole community.

• Registered PsychologistOver 10 years specializing in trauma-based and mindfulness-based interventions (EMDR, EFT, MBCT) specializing in neuroplasticity and stress reduction, providing services to veterans, first-responders, and the general population.
• Calgary Fire DepartmentServed 10 years as a firefighter primarily in Calgary's downtown core and as part of the High Angle Rescue Team. During this career training was completed as a Fire Safety Codes Officer Level 2 (FSCO-II, pyrotechnics, provincially licensed) and as a Fire Investigator. These positions dealt with fire permit approvals, occupancy levels and compliance inspections to ensure the National Fire Code requirements were met and adhered to. This applied to public venues including bars, nightclubs and special events through the Public Safety Task Force (PSTF), as well as rental housing units and basement suites through the Safe Housing Inspection Program.
• Kinesiologist (B.Sc.) & Physical Therapist (M.Sc.)First training in Kinesiology (exercise physiology and human movement sciences) and then Physical Therapy (rehab). This training and work experience cultivated the foundation of understanding human performance, injuries, and rehabilitation.
• Construction ContractorSmall construction business on the "off days" as a Firefighter specializing in home renos, fences, and decks. This career brought forth a practical understanding of building permits, construction methods, code compliance, and overall the building and development process.
• Additional Undergraduate StudiesOver the years additional education has been undertaken to include several years of undergraduate studies first in fire sciences and later in psychology, almost completing undergraduate degrees in both areas. Overall, this varied education has developed skills in reading, writing, and interpreting complex scientific, regulatory, and policy documents.
• NAIT: Architectural TechnologiesArchitecture was the initial career choice, but due to the sedentary aspect of the job a shift into the Health Sciences took place after completing the first year studies.