“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of
the world that is in our reach” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Municipal politics are the people’s government, the level that is closest to ordinary working people, but many people do not have the time or the resources to be involved.  I want to change that. 

By blending both labour and community organizing, my goal is to increase political and economic awareness through education and engagement at the neighbourhood level. Many people have shared their stories with me, stories of trying to find their place in society, of feeling as if their voices do not matter. To adapt to our quickly changing world we need everyone to be engaged, to be on board, and to believe that they are integral to building a strong, resilient community.   

Why I am Running

I am running for Victoria City Council to bring missing voices to the table. As a labour activist, I see how the stories of working people are missing from our everyday conversations. I understand that workers know more than are given credit for. 

From picket lines to meeting rooms, union members shared with me tangible solutions to issues in their workplaces, that are both thoughtful and economically sound.  We are the backbone of our economy and yet feel relegated to the sidelines by the lack of consideration when economic problems arise from those decision makers who discount their voices. This needs to change.

The top concerns facing working people in Victoria are housing instability, the affordability crisis and a lack of safety.  We know that the corporate profits come at the expense of hard-earned wages, yet many feel powerless to change things. 

As a community organizer I hear from Victoria residents that the current state of our world leaves them feeling helpless and unsure where to find hope. It is not one single crisis but economic disparities, climate catastrophes, geopolitical violence and instability, and the polarization of ideologies that are all competing for our attention. 

Despite these internal and external challenges, we live in a city that is ripe with dedicated boots-on-the-ground citizens who tirelessly attend to the work that needs to be done. Victoria is full of grassroot community groups who are quietly, yet effectively, doing the work to bring about real change. I will highlight those efforts, from neighbourhood seed exchanges to those fighting for food security, from climate activists to community members offering the necessary compassion to tackle the toxic drug crisis.

I will reflect all that community members have shared with me. We already have our experts in the field. As a worker, and as an active member of my community, I will not shy away from working with others to ensure that Victoria municipal government is hearing from all citizens. I believe in civic responsibility and that strong communities are engaged communities. 

People want to feel safe in their communities, share respect in their workplaces, and have a sense of agency over their lives instead of feeling that the ground is constantly shifting under them.  People are facing impossible decisions in their daily lives. Building a sense of shared care and responsibility will not only increase civic engagement at the community level, but will build the necessary collective power that is missing from the political dialogue today. 

I know how transformational the power of community can be.  The responsibility of collective care is a cornerstone of what motivates me to run for municipal office.  

When I stepped into the role of a benefit trustee eight years ago, I didn’t realize that the education and experience would lead me here. The responsibility of collective care awoke something within me and set me on a path of deep learning. The most meaningful piece of my ongoing education is what I learn in shared spaces, where peer-based learning compliments the foundations of governance and fiduciary responsibility.  From feeling that I had no voice I moved to a place of understanding in which building community is in itself an act of resistance.