Born and raised in Canmore,
I’ve seen valley change.

That’s right, I’m one of those locals who was born in Canmore. I am a third generation Albertan and Canadian. My family lives locally and my roots are here in the Bow Valley.

I have come to embrace change as a constant in life. The community I call home and this province have changed over the years. I have also changed and grown professionally and personally while I have worked to build community through local journalism over the years.

I grew up the oldest child in a single parent family. We lived in subsidized housing and were supported by social safety net in place for such situations. I remember living in Woodlands and then being one of the first families to move into the new social housing that came from the 1988 Winter Olympic athletes village. That was the last time Canmore (and the valley) saw an increase in the number of units of subsidized housing for families.

I was the first person in my family to attend and graduate university. I received a bachelor’s of arts (with honours) from Queen’s University in sociology in 2001. That was after I graduated from Canmore Collegiate High School.

Like many Canmore kids, I decided to travel the world for a bit, and lived for a year in Dublin. I also did a stint on a cruise ship in the Bahamas.

But I always ended up back in my home town. I found myself working in the service industry and considering my next move in 2005. That led to journalism school at Mount Royal, a job at the Canmore Leader and then the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

I left for a year (July 2012-May 2013) and went to Whistler to work at a weekly community newspaper. It was an interesting experience to learn how another resort town manages itself. I returned a few weeks before the floods and that event was a defining point in my life and career. I found myself even more committed to serving my community through journalism.

Since 2013, I have also been lucky to work with Rob Murray and Mountain FM for the Mountain Insider segments and our Thursday morning live radio shows.

I have worked diligently over the years to inform my fellow community members about what is happening in this town and valley. That includes the business of town council and other municipal boards and committees; the provincial government and those departments that most affect our valley; and the federal government.

As a result, I understand the legislation, processes, players and issues firsthand. As a former journalist, I believe the best decisions are informed ones and I know how to ask tough questions. I have built strong working relationships with the business community, our local non-profits, and other municipalities and councils in the region.

Half my family still lives in Canmore, and half have moved to Cochrane. I am so grateful to them for their support throughout the years and in this campaign.

I have an adorable French bulldog/Boston terrier named Coco and a Boston terrier named Sabine who turned two years old in January 2024, practise yoga as much as I can, and try to play roller derby. I’m really not that good, but I love a challenge.