Catherine Lord looks to use past experiences to get back on council

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“I have no trouble making decisions; at the same time I’m fair and look at all sides of an issue before committing to a decision,” said Lord in her statement.

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“I believe in balance, honesty, accountability and transparency.”

Lord told Vernon Matters that she sees some room for improvement in the way services are delivered in Vernon, pointing specifically to the development and permit processes which she called “a bit onerous and sometimes not clear enough.” She also noted that communication could use some fine-tuning.

On the topic of climate change, Lord said she supported the city’s Climate Action Plan, but added that after seeing the devastation caused by the wildfires this past summer, there were several recommendations that should be acted on immediately.

“Seven per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions come from organics. I am committed to getting residential organic pickup in our city,” said Lord.

“Ensure we are purchasing electric vehicles when replacing cars and light delivery trucks for the city. We need to continue on the path of making walking, hiking and cycling more available and safer for our residents.”

She also noted that housing in Vernon has become unaffordable for many, and that action must be taken to address this issue.

“A lot of households spend much more than 30 per cent of their income on housing and our number of people that are couch surfing keeps growing,” said Lord.

“Singles between the ages of 46-65 make up the largest group requiring housing (renters) followed by families and low and moderate income earners. Rental units are in high demand and low supply.”

She added the Regional District of North Okanagan has compiled a housing needs assessment, and a housing strategy was recently developed for the North Okanagan, saying that Vernon council needs to take the action laid out in those reports to meet local housing needs.

Lord also noted that past partnerships between non-profits, both the provincial and federal governments, and other agencies have supported affordable housing projects in Vernon in the past, and work needs to be done to maintain and grow these collaborative partnerships and create more affordable housing stock.

On the topic of COVID-19, Lord said she supported the measures put in place by the province, and is in favour of the vaccine passport.

“I want safety for all our citizens,” said Lord, “I’m not an epidemiologist and [I] trust the professionals to advise us on the best way to achieve this.”

Lord has lived in Vernon for the past 40 years, and along with her work in Vernon’s Finance Department and her seven years on city council (2011-2018), she also worked as Director of Finance for the District of Coldstream.

Lord has also been involved in the community directly, serving as director for a number of local non-profits including Vernon Women’s Transition House (now Archway for Domestic Peace), O’Keefe Ranch, the United Way and the Boys and Girls Club.

She is a current director on the Ribbons of Green Society, co-chair of the Community of North Okanagan Grants Committee, and Action Team Chair for the Vernon Seniors Action Network. Lord is also a member of the city’s Transportation Committee and the Affordable Housing Committee.