These are tough times for us as Canadians, but first and foremost, I want you to know that I am a proud Canadian. We live in an amazing country, populated by a great diversity of peoples and a stunning environment. Sure, things are not perfect – we can and must do better and I believe that as the Green Party of Canada, we can champion those things that are critical to our well-being and prosperity.

Now, American tariffs are threatening our way of life and our democracy seems more fragile than ever. We must be able to face these challenges with strength, unity and determination. It is critical that the Green Party of Canada engage strong candidates who believe in representing their constituents based on social justice and environmental values.

It has always been in my nature to serve my community and over the years, I have been involved in many community organizations, often taking a leading role. In 2017, after 21 years of service, I retired from the BC Government as an economic development policy analyst, gaining skills and experience in policy analysis, communications, project management, strategic thinking and program implementation. Best of all, I learned how government works, an invaluable insight for anyone wanting to serve in government. I have been able to use these skills effectively to serve my community.

I have a proven track record of hard work and success. In 2014, I was invited to join the Ecoforestry Institute Society as a Board member. EIS is the trustee of the renowned Wildwood Ecoforest and holds the property on behalf of the people of BC. I was part of the core legal team that fought for three years to keep the publicly donated forest in the public domain. In 2016, we won the BC Supreme Court decision that gave us the right to purchase Wildwood again and steward it in perpetuity. I am now chair of the Board.

More recently, I was involved in the Fairy Creek peaceful protests, the largest civil disobedience movement in Canadian history. In response to the injunction, I set up our legal team, finding the money and the lawyers to represent us in court. I remain a named defendant in the latest legal suit and am proud of the work we did on behalf of BC’s old-growth forests and Indigenous rights, title and sovereignty.

I cannot tell you how honoured I am to be asked to serve as the candidate for the Cowichan Malahat Langford Electoral District Association. Elizabeth May has also invited me to serve in her Shadow Cabinet as her Forestry Critic. The work has already begun and I am eager to dive in and represent the people in this constituency. We must work harder to ensure people have affordable homes and a lifestyle that works for them.

I have a strong belief in acting from a values-based foundation. Character matters. Integrity matters. Democracy matters. People matter and so does the environment. We can pay now or we can pay later when our children and their families suffer the lack of meaningful progress to advocate for the people and the environment. We can and must choose better to ensure we can all enjoy a future of prosperity and well-being. The Green Party of Canada is that choice.