Dionne Lane

2026 Election Candidate

Environmental

Coldstream's Official Community Plan focuses on directing growth to designated “growth areas” while limiting development in “rural protection areas.”

a) Under what conditions do you think Council should make exceptions to this growth strategy?

b) Please give local examples of 'good' and 'not good' building development in Coldstream, and state why.

a) I think the OCP is an important guide for how Coldstream grows, but I also don’t think we should be afraid to revisit it when a proposal makes sense

For me, an exception would have to make sense for the area, have the infrastructure to support it — particularly water, sewer and roads — and not put an unreasonable cost onto existing taxpayers.

I don’t believe the answer should automatically be yes to development, but I also don’t believe it should automatically be no because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”

b) To me, good development is development that fits where it’s being built. There are areas of Coldstream where some additional residential or commercial development makes sense, particularly where services and infrastructure already exist or can reasonably be provided.

What I don’t want to see is high-rises or large developments dropped into areas where they clearly don’t fit, or development spreading everywhere into our rural and agricultural areas.

I think there is a balance. We can allow some thoughtful growth, broaden our tax base and create more housing options without changing the character of the community. That’s the direction I would like to see us take.

Coldstream has experienced significant climate impacts for the last few years. How do you propose to address these crises, both in preparing ahead for disasters like drought, wildfires, heat domes and floods, as well as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that lead to climate change?

I think the biggest thing is just being prepared and planning ahead. Water is a big one for me, especially making sure we have enough for what we have now and for any future growth.

Wildfire is obviously a concern in our area too, so continuing with FireSmart, fuel reduction and good emergency planning makes sense.

As far as emissions, I’m all for making changes where they actually make sense and taking advantage of grants whenever we can. I just don’t want to see everything automatically passed on to the taxpayer.

Do you support the use of public funds to contribute to acquiring natural lands for environmental conservation purposes? Under what conditions would the perceived need for more housing, businesses, roads and other infrastructure prompt you to trade away natural lands with high ecological value for urban expansion?

I don’t think Coldstream needs to be spending more public money buying land for conservation. We are already surrounded by incredible natural areas, including Kal Park and many trails and hiking areas, and I think we need to take care of what we already have.

I do support protecting environmentally sensitive areas when we’re considering development, but I also believe Coldstream needs some thoughtful residential and commercial growth. I would look at each proposal individually and try to find a balance between protecting important areas and allowing reasonable growth.

Drought, contamination, increasing demand are just some of the water issues. What actions would you prioritise to protect our creeks, lakes, aquifers, and groundwater for home and agricultural water sources, habitat for fish and wildlife, and human recreation?

Water is one of my biggest concerns for Coldstream. I think we need to seriously look at another long-term water source or system so we aren’t continuing to put more pressure on Kalamalka Lake as our community grows.

There were options discussed and put to the public years ago, including the 2014 referendum, and I think it’s time to bring those conversations back and look at what makes sense today.

We need to protect the water sources we have, while also planning ahead so we have a reliable supply for our homes, agriculture and future generations

Social

In smaller communities, we need to be creative in how we help one another; how do you see the role of local government in this?

I actually think this is an area where Coldstream could do more. We have these beautiful parks, and I would love to see us use them more for community events — movie nights, music in the park, food trucks, face painting and simple things that bring families and neighbours together.

Lavington does a great job of creating that sense of community, and I would love to see more of that throughout Coldstream. It doesn’t have to be complicated or cost a fortune. Sometimes it’s just about creating opportunities for people to get together, meet their neighbours and feel more connected to where they live

How do we tackle misinformation and growing distrust in local government as well as uncivil behaviour on social media and in person?

I think a lot of distrust comes from people feeling like they don’t know what’s going on or aren’t being heard. Better communication and more transparency from local government would go a long way.

I would like to see Coldstream do a better job of letting residents know about issues before decisions are made, especially when something directly affects their neighbourhood.

As for social media, people are always going to have different opinions, and that’s okay. I think we can disagree, ask questions and have some pretty tough conversations without making it personal. Council needs to lead by example on that

Cultural

Describe what arts and culture are in the Coldstream area from your perspective, and how do you think local government should support these features of our community?

To me, arts and culture is really about community. It’s local music, artists, markets, events and opportunities for people to get together.

I would love to see Coldstream make better use of the beautiful spaces we already have for things like music in the park, local artists and vendors, food trucks and community events.

I don’t think local government necessarily needs to spend a lot of money to support arts and culture. Sometimes it’s simply helping create the space and opportunity for people in our community to make things happen

Is the current structure of funding for arts & culture and recreation, which is currently through the RDNO, working for Coldstream? Why or why not?

I’ll be completely upfront — I don’t know enough about the current funding structure through the RDNO to tell you today whether I think it’s working well or not.

What I would want to know is how much Coldstream is contributing, where that money is going, and what Coldstream residents are actually getting back for it. I think that’s the responsible way to look at it.

Economic

What is your understanding of how small local governments can support our economic development, including the success of our small local businesses?

Being a small-business owner myself, I think local government can play a big role just by making it easier for people to do business here. Clear rules, reasonable timelines, and actually working with people who want to start something or grow what they already have.

I also think we need to be open to some appropriate commercial development. We can’t keep saying no to everything and then expect our residential taxpayers to carry more and more of the load.

What is one action the municipality should take to strengthen our local food system and improve access to healthy, affordable food? Why that action?

I think a community garden would be a great place to start. We have lots of beautiful spaces in Coldstream, and I’d love to see an area where people who maybe don’t have the space at home could grow some of their own food.

It gives people access to fresh, healthy food, but it also brings people together. And honestly, I think we could use more of that in Coldstream

Health

As Mayor / Councilor, how would you work to attract and retain medical professionals in Coldstream?

I think we have to be realistic about this one. Coldstream has very little commercial space that would currently be suitable for medical offices or clinics, so attracting medical professionals specifically to Coldstream would be difficult.

I think our role is more about working with our neighbouring communities and supporting efforts to attract medical professionals to the Greater Vernon area, because at the end of the day, those are the doctors and healthcare professionals our Coldstream residents rely on too.

How will you ensure that our planning of our built environment, our programs and our policies support the diverse physical and mental health needs of our population?

I think we need to make sure Coldstream works for all ages and abilities, with safe places to walk and bike, accessible parks and opportunities for people to get out, be active and connect with each other.