An Optimist's Campaign Diary

Tomorrow, Trail votes. It’s hard to believe we’re already here. The last several weeks have been full of conversations, questions, social media posts, events, and more than a few moments of wondering where the past 4 years went.

Running for Council is a very public thing. You put yourself out there, share what you believe, explain your decisions, and invite people to ask questions. What people don’t always see is how vulnerable that can feel. You know not everyone will agree with you, and that’s part of the job. But when you care deeply about your community and genuinely try to do your best, criticism can sometimes hit harder than you’d like to admit. It can be difficult to separate criticism of a decision from criticism of yourself.

I’ve done my best to stay positive throughout this campaign because I’m an optimist at heart. Interestingly, I’ve even received some criticism for that. I guess you can’t please everyone, and apparently being positive isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea! I’ve also received some unkind messages, and I’d be lying if I said some didn’t hurt my feelings. But I’ve tried to keep things in perspective and focus on the good conversations, the encouragement, and the people who have taken the time to connect with me. On the brighter side, someone also told me I’m “hard to hate” and I’m going to take that as a compliment! It gave me a good laugh, and after some of the tougher moments of this campaign, I need that.

I know optimism doesn’t mean ignoring challenges or pretending everything is perfect. There are plenty of things we need to work on in Trail, and I’ve never shied away from that. For me, being positive means believing we can tackle those challenges, have honest conversations, disagree when we need to, and still treat each other with respect. I don’t think we have to be negative about things to take them seriously.

One thing people have asked me

One thing I’ve been asked about is why I haven’t publicly endorsed a mayoral candidate. This was a deliberate choice.

I still consider our current Council a team, and I would never want to do anything that creates divisions within that team or undermines the working relationships we’ve built. Rather than endorsing a candidate in the mayoral race, I’m focused on my own campaign and asking residents to consider my record, approach, and contributions to Council. If I am re-elected to Council, it’s important to me that I can work constructively with whoever is elected. At the end of the day, we’re all here to serve Trail, and I will bring that same commitment to collaboration, respect, and teamwork into the next term.

On asset management, lawn signs, and humility

I also learned that some topics are easier to get people talking about than others. My posts about asset management didn’t exactly set social media on fire! Clearly, I still have some work to do to make asset management sexier. But that’s part of local government. Not everything that matters is exciting or generates a lot of discussion. Planning for our roads, water systems, sewer infrastructure, and the long-term costs of maintaining a 125-year-old city might not be the stuff of viral posts, but it has a real impact on our everyday lives.

There were some campaign moments that made me smile, too. My favourite is probably when a nine-year-old asked for a lawn sign because “most” of his friends had one. He made a point of emphasizing most, not all, which told me there is already some healthy political diversity in the neighbourhood. I’m fairly certain he wasn’t weighing the finer points of municipal governance, but I am happy to see the campaign generating that kind of enthusiasm (even if it is among the under-10 demographic).

On the other hand, you never feel as humble as when you find your campaign flyer in your condo building’s recycling bin. Apparently, some of my neighbours support environmental sustainability more enthusiastically than my election campaign.

Campaigns are a funny mix of putting yourself out there, hoping people connect with what you’re saying, and keeping things in perspective. Thankfully, my family has never viewed being elected as a reason to let me win an argument. It turns out serving on Council carries a lot less weight around the Thanksgiving table than you might think.

The people who taught me the most

Over the past four years on Council, I’ve learned a great deal about local government, the value of listening, and the importance of working through difficult issues. I’ve learned that identifying a problem is only the first step. Real progress comes from asking questions, considering different perspectives, and focusing on practical solutions. I’m so grateful to City staff, whose knowledge, dedication, and hard work turn Council decisions into action every day. Their support, expertise, and willingness to share what they know have taught me a lot.

Finally, I’m thankful for my fellow Council members. We shared the responsibility of serving Trail and working toward what we each believed was best for our community. We were an interesting mix of backgrounds, personalities, experiences, and perspectives, and I think that’s what made this Council so special. We didn’t always agree, but I never doubted that everyone cared deeply about the community and wanted to make a difference. I’ll always value the relationships we built, the lessons we learned, and the experiences we shared over the past four years. It has been a privilege to serve alongside them.

Whatever tomorrow brings

Tomorrow, residents will make their choices, and I trust them to do that. I’m proud of the work I’ve put into this campaign and the time I’ve spent serving Trail. Whatever the result, we’ll still be neighbours. Elections come and go, but the community we’re building together remains. I’m an optimist, and I remain optimistic about Trail. There is important work ahead of us, and I believe in the value of showing up, listening, working together, and finding practical ways to make a difference.

Thank you, Trail, for the conversations, the questions, the challenges, and the opportunity to serve over the past four years. It has meant a great deal to me.