Building More Inclusive Local Governments'

This year - there has been a renewed push for more female or under represented societal groups (young, LGBTQ, minorities, etc) in local governments, be it on Municipal Councils, Regional District Boards (Electoral Area Directors) or Boards' of Education (School Trustees) for the forthcoming fall local government general elections on Saturday, October 20th, 2018

Firstly - it started with a very wonderful presentation by Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne at the Feb 1st, 2018 Local Government Leadership Academy's Annual Leadership Forum.  For the presentation, click here.  I would note that a number of men were in attendance at the presentation, including myself and Cariboo RD Area B Director Jerry Bruce in addition to a lot of my fellow female elected official local government colleagues throughout BC

And just late last week - City Councillors Jillian Merrick from Prince George and Tina Lange/Kathy Sinclair from Kamloops spoke to CBC's Daybreak North and Kamloops, respectively about what actions they are taking in order to actively encourage women and other under represented society groups to run for their local municipal council in this October's local government elections'

You can listen to the interview with Councillor Merrick here while you can listen to the interview with Councillors Lange and Sinclair here

Councillor Merrick is hosting a number of workshops this Spring and Summer on encourage women or under represented groups (young, LGBTQ, minorities, etc) to seek public office this October at the Prince George Public Library -- details here while a public forum will be held in Kamloops on May 30th from 6-8pm at Kamloops City Hall (#7 - Victoria Street West) on the subject on encouraging females to seek public office this October, specific details to come...

I hold much admiration for the work that these 3 City Councillors do in their respective municipalities and I'm hoping that all 3 will seek re-election this October while I feel truly blessed knowing some great female local elected officials in BC, whether Mayors', Councillors or Electoral Area Directors', that I can consult with on local government matters and they always provide great feedback that I always find I can use... these same female elected officials have also encouraged me to seek re-election this fall and I'll be making an announcement on that later this year...

In the context of Electoral Area Directors - this elected role is generally held routinely by more men than women or  under represented societal groups (young, LGBTQ, minorities, etc).  If we take the 3 Regional Districts' in the BC Interior (Fraser Fort George, Cariboo and Thompson Nicola), there are a combined total of 29 elected positions (Electoral Area Directors) on these 3 Boards of which of 10 are held by females (2 of 7 on the Fraser-Fort George RD Board, 4 of 12 on the Cariboo Regional District Board and 4 of 10 on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Board) which represents 34% of the total elected positions on these 3 Regional District Boards' are held by females.  With the forthcoming local elections in October, I personally hope to see these stats for female Electoral Area Directors' in the BC Interior hold and perhaps even build upwards...

By my own actions - I have tried to promote female and under represented groups in local political life by:

* Appointing a Female Alternate Director for Cariboo RD Electoral Area 'D' (who is also comes from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe/Dog Creek Band) which is one of the 4 First Nations Bands that make up the Northern Shuswap Indigenous area...

* Appointing 3 of the 7 positions as female or young people on the Cariboo RD Area 'D' Advisory Planning Commission

* Nominated one of my female CRD colleagues for Cariboo RD Chair last November (Margo Wagner) who I personally consider to be a good friend/colleague along with one of my other CRD female colleagues, Joan Sorley...

* Encourage females, young people, etc to consider entering into local government life...

I feel it is a societal success when we have a healthy balance of men/women and other under represented societal groups in the various local governments in BC and I will do what I can to promote these ideals within and outside my personal circles of influence...

~SF