Dawn Tucker

Since 2019, I have pushed pushed for climate-related policy change in Vernon: I successfully advocated to change the City's bylaw to allow backyard beekeeping, I have been pressing council on its unfinished tree protection bylaw, raising stormwater and septic pollution concerns since 2022, pushing for expanded reclaimed water use, pushing for secure protection for great blue heron nesting grounds, writing to protect native habitat at Becker Park, and joined a youth-led climate protest at City Hall and at The Court House. I also make a concerted effort to not drive and to walk most places but when I do in town I use a small gas powered mini truck. It’s fuel efficient and economic. As well growing up with my grandparents in a multigenerational household we always recycled and utilized items as much as possible- Long before anyone had heard of climate change. My yard is a pollinator paradise and not only have I had honey bees for years and promoted pollinator pathways in the community & news but I also keep Mason bees and make sure that people are aware of the usefulness of bumble bees and not to destroy their nests and if needed I relocate them in order to save them. I use my administrator status on the community forum I run with 34,000+ people to educate folks on what to do and not to do with pollinators and with animals and their habitat. I have also cleaned up abandoned homeless camps and my neighborhood regularly.

a) Rarely, and only when the numbers work. Vernon already maintains 462 km of sanitary and storm pipe, almost twice as much per resident as Kelowna and more than three times per resident as Vancouver. Every extension outward adds costs taxpayers carry forever. I'd only consider an exception if a project fully pays its own infrastructure costs, avoids high-value ecological land and wildfire interface, and delivers something we genuinely can't build inside the boundary. I opposed the 580 Commonage proposal on exactly these grounds.
b) Good: Alexis Park, where small-scale infill is replacing older homes close to transit, services and downtown, using pipe we already maintain. Also good: council's unanimous vote requiring a protection plan for the great blue heron nesting site on 20th Street before any building permit.
Not good: council continuing to approve affordable developments outside the current transit network, leaving the residents who most need affordable housing to choose between a home they can afford and transit they can rely on. Growth and transit planning must happen together.

a) Wildfire readiness, water, and the tree canopy. This summer's Bradley Creek fire and Stage 3 restrictions made that clear. I'd push to finally bring back the stalled tree bylaw, keep improving Trees for Tomorrow, and work directly with residents on FireSmart and real emergency preparedness: block captains, building captains and practice drills, especially for downtown seniors without easy app access. On implementation: I've attended almost every council meeting since 2017, so I know how plans stall. I'll ask for public progress reports with dates and dollars, and keep asking until items move.
b) A revised CAP should extend beyond City Hall's own operations into the community, with measurable targets and annual public reporting. I'd add water security as a core pillar: stormwater, septic-to-sewer conversions, and permanent reclaimed water expansion, not just the temporary approval to 2028 as well as looking at development approval tied to proven water capacity rather than assumed capacity. Plus grants for resident-driven improvements, with provincial and federal funding pursued before property taxes.

Yes, with conditions. Public dollars for conservation should leverage partners (land trusts, provincial and federal programs, fundraising) and come with a management plan, so we're not buying land we can't care for. It's the same asset-management principle I apply everywhere: know what we have and fund its upkeep.
On trading away high-value natural lands, my bar is very high. We have room to grow inside the urban containment boundary through infill and missing-middle housing, and sprawl costs more in pipes, roads and services than it brings in. I've pushed for protection before: the great blue heron nesting grounds on 20th Street, native cactus and the lava-flow feature at Becker Park during pump-track construction, and keeping the 580 Commonage proposal outside our growth plans. Housing is urgent, but sacrificing ecologically valuable land is almost never the only option, and I'd need to see that proven first.

First, finish the job on sewer and stormwater. Stormwater is the number one factor affecting our lake water quality, and City testing has confirmed septic pollution in ditches in older neighbourhoods like Okanagan Landing. I want fair terms and incentives to connect those areas, plus investment in ditch and stormwater infrastructure.
Second, make reclaimed water permanent. I pushed for years to expand it; this July the Province approved expanded use only until September 2028. Sports fields, parks and agricultural users should be on reclaimed water permanently so drinking water goes further.
Third, real timelines on storage. Reservoir capacity was flagged in RDNO's 2012 Master Water Plan and is still at the study stage. Seat at the RDNO table or not, I'll push for public deadlines.
I've also raised MacKay Reservoir contamination risk to Bolter's Creek. Protecting source water means acting before a crisis, not during one.

Since 2019, I have pushed pushed for climate-related policy change in Vernon: I successfully advocated to change the City's bylaw to allow backyard beekeeping, I have been pressing council on its unfinished tree protection bylaw, raising stormwater and septic pollution concerns since 2022, pushing for expanded reclaimed water use, pushing for secure protection for great blue heron nesting grounds, writing to protect native habitat at Becker Park, and joined a youth-led climate protest at City Hall and at The Court House. I also make a concerted effort to not drive and to walk most places but when I do in town I use a small gas powered mini truck. It’s fuel efficient and economic. As well growing up with my grandparents in a multigenerational household we always recycled and utilized items as much as possible- Long before anyone had heard of climate change. My yard is a pollinator paradise and not only have I had honey bees for years and promoted pollinator pathways in the community & news but I also keep Mason bees and make sure that people are aware of the usefulness of bumble bees and not to destroy their nests and if needed I relocate them in order to save them. I use my administrator status on the community forum I run with 34,000+ people to educate folks on what to do and not to do with pollinators and with animals and their habitat. I have also cleaned up abandoned homeless camps and my neighborhood regularly.

Heat and Fire, Heat kwe address cooling stations/buildings by letting folks know where they can go and consider a bylaw regarding air conditioners for tenants. For fire how my propose that the public be educated on our emergency plan for our community. What good is a plan if no one knows what it is when the time comes? I want to make sure that those who are most vulnerable and may not have access to apps, cellphones, computers etc are able to evacuate if needed. We need block captains, building captains and we need to practice evacuation drills. We can have information sent out each year to residents letting them know where their muster point is and what they need to do in an emergency. This would be in conjunction with expanding our fire smart efforts, expanding the Trees for tomorrow program model king it after kelownas and bringing back the tree bylaw to finally get approved. Funding for all of this we would look first toward provincial and federal funding before funding it through local tax dollars.