Every community brings something unique and valuable to the national conversation, and every voice - large or small - needs to be heard.
My Village, Silverton, has fewer than 200 fulltime residents; and my Regional District of Central Kootenay is home to 60,000 people in an area just over 22,000 square kilometres.
The reality in much of BC is that we are relatively sparsely settled over a vast and varied geography. Our economy includes resource extraction, agriculture, tourism, culture and entertainment, and a growing tech/knowledge industry.
I have represented British Columbia on FCMs Board for the last seven years - the last three years as BC Caucus Chair. It has been an exciting – and sometimes challenging – portfolio, and one I thoroughly enjoy.
In my time on FCM Board, I have served on Standing Committees for Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development; Municipal Infrastructure and Transportation (former Vice-Chair) where I have been instrumental in engaging the federal government on the rural passenger transportation issue; Social-Economic Development; Conference Planning (and the Rural Programming Working Group); Increasing Women’s Participation in Local Government (former Vice-Chair); the Elections Readiness Working Group; and the Rural Forum, as well as participating on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee and sitting on the Executive Committee.
Back home, I am Chair of Regional District Community Sustainable Living Advisory Committee; Chair of Slocan Valley Economic Development Commission; former Vice-Chair of both the West Kootenay Regional Hospital District Board (where I continue to serve on the Executive Committee) and the West Kootenay Regional Transit Committee; … as well as sitting on all the numerous Committees and Advisory Boards that we are all so familiar with!
I am a musician, gardener and cross-country skier; I have worked as a restaurant cook, newspaper reporter, teacher’s aide, and I ran a home-based graphic design business for many years. My partner of 47 years and I both have big city backgrounds, but we love living in a small, rural village. My son, who is also a musician, works away as a mineral exploration driller.
I am steeped in both the advantages and the challenges of living in rural Canada!
I am a collaborative worker, and advocate for the supports that both rural and urban Canada need to thrive.
Please feel free to contact me via email: leahmain@rdck.bc.ca