Brian Guy has thrown his hat into the ring for Vernon city council.
The retired Vernon business leader announced Thursday, Sept. 8 he is running for council in the Oct. 15 municipal election.
He said he wants to use his experience in the business and non-profit sectors to make Vernon even better.
“Vernon is one of the best places to live in Canada and by serving on council I hope to do my part to make the city stronger and more livable,” Guy said.
Guy has been in the community for nearly three decades. He and his wife came to Vernon in 1994 and raised their two sons in the city.
Guy founded and led a successful business in downtown Vernon, Summit Environmental Consultants, bringing more than 35 young professionals and their families to the community.
Guy is a professional geoscientist who worked for many years as a hydrologist, overseeing water management.
After merging his business with Associated Engineering in 2010, Guy grew the company’s environmental consulting business in cities throughout western and northern Canada before retiring in 2017. Environmental issues are Guy’s strong suit; in his last two years before retirement he led the company’s climate change task force which educated municipalities, clients and staff on the risks posed by climate change and on opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Guy is big on volunteerism, serving at the local, regional, provincial and national levels. He chaired the board of the Okanagan Science Centre and was the director of the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. He spent 16 years volunteering with the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council and was also a director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
Since 2018 Guy has co-chaired the City of Vernon Climate Action Advisory Committee, which developed the city’s climate action plan.
He is well- known as a collaborative leader and decision-maker and feels strongly that his experience in government, financial management, strategic planning and risk assessment would benefit the local population.
There are several challenging local issues on Guy’s radar, including housing, climate action, the need to strengthen the city’s relationship with the Okanagan Indian Band, the renewal of the Official Community Plan, a new proposed active living centre, redevelopment of the Kin Race Track, a new cultural centre and upgrades to Polson Park.
Guy believes Vernon can become more resilient, economically stronger, more livable, healthier and more diverse, wants to work with council and the community to achieve those goals.
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