Akbal Mund

2026 Election Candidate

Environmental

A core principle of Vernon's Official Community Plan is to prevent sprawl and limit growth to within the urban containment boundary.

a) Under what conditions do you think Council should make an exception to this core principle?

b) Please give local examples of existing 'good' and 'not good' building development in Vernon, and explain why.

A) the OCP is a living document, meaning it is not black and white but grey when conversations occur about any type of development. The exception will be made by Council if they believe it is in the best interest of the community.

B) The Via build by Kal Tire office is good. Unfortunately Adventure Bay was not good. Turtle Mtn is good as well but downtown needs to go higher. There were tax incentives brought in in the mid 2010’s to help but as of yet no one developer sees it as a good area to build. Maybe it is because we are not on the lake

Vernon has a Climate Action Plan (CAP) that aims to reduce GHG emissions in transportation, buildings and waste, and prepare for climate impacts like wildfires, heat domes, floods, severe weather events.

a) What aspects of this plan are most important and urgent and how will you ensure implementation?

b) The CAP will undergo a review process in 2027. What would you like to see in a revised CAP?

A). Wildfires and Water Security are at the forefront. This past Council with partners did convince the Provincial Government to give us 15 million to mitigate any damage around our Aberdeen watershed area

B). The biggest one issue that needs to be clarified is the cost to the taxpayer of each action and which ones are the priorities. Cost is a huge factor in implementing any action

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?

Of course as would anyone else. I personally would have loved to see the 300 acres at 580 Commange preserved forever. As it sits now it can still be developed. Some environmentalists believe there should be no growth, they are happy where the City sits now. What if that was the thought process in the 1950’s? What would Vernon look like now. People complain there is nothing to keep their kids here, I would beehive that ten years ago. Not anymore, the growth we have seen in the last 12 years in infrastructure and facilities and trails has been amazing, not one other municipality has seen this much growth to keep people in Vernon

Our water reservoirs are at critically low levels. No longer can we count on having the water resources we enjoyed even a few years ago. 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?

We have already started with protection of our reservoirs. We have six water sources here, we need to continue to press the Prpvibce on the use of reclaimed water.

Social

What personal and/or professional experience has most shaped your understanding of Truth and Reconciliation, and how would it influence your decisions as a municipal elected official?

During my time as Mayor we created a quarterly action group with OKIB, with the help of CANDO, a federal organization that helps local municipalities and First Nations groups tackle issues together. My decisions on First Nations issues don’t matter, it’s what they want that matters. Then we discuss how can we get there, if we can.

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 personally worked with Amanda Shatzko to save the BX Ranchlands, as she and Bob Fleming had a vision for the property. We met with the Mayor and set a timeline and would up turning that land into a Agricultural Hub

What is one specific change you would make to better support local non-profits, and do you have personal experience (e.g. volunteer, board member, staff, and/or passion for a specific issue) that informs that action? Please include one brief example.

I have worked with every non-profit in this community. What I personally have done is raised the funding given away by the City from $50,000 a year to a $100,000. Working with VantageOne Credit Union as a Board member we did the same thing this past year. People in the community do not understand the need there is in this community for groups, I personally do. From Upper Room Mission to Dancing with the Stars to running Wendy’s Dreamlift Day so we could send children from our communities to Disneyland who had severe disabilities or life threading illnesses, I know the need.

Should the municipality continue to secure and provide land for affordable housing projects? Why or why not? If yes, how would you handle any neighbourhood concerns brought forward to Council?

A tough question, we need housing but at what cost to the taxpayers? Some work, such as the Native Hosing project at the corner of 27th street and OK landing road, and some have not, end of 24h Ave by the sewage plant Should we continue to do it yes because it is the one small thing a City can actually do We do not collect taxes from our residences to deal with social issues but the ball gets dropped at the Provincial level because they should be funding social services. We as local politicians get blamed because we live in our communities but the general public does not understand what we can’t do, almost everything they want us to do, clean up the issue!

Cultural

Vernon does not have a dedicated public art policy to guide how public art is selected, funded, maintained, or removed, while regional cultural direction sits with the RDNO through the Greater Vernon Cultural Plan. Do you support developing a public art policy for Vernon, and how would you coordinate the City's role with the Plan?

I believe the policy should be an RDNO function and not Vernon. If it becomes Vernon then our taxpayer will wind up funding it, while 35,000 users outside of the City in Area B, C and Coldstream will get a free ride

With more than 75 arts and culture groups active in the region, how would you work to remove barriers and strengthen City partnerships so that public spaces and facilities are accessible and equipped for community programming and gatherings?

We have a new Arts and Culture Center coming. The biggest factor that the general public needs to know is that now all these groups want to work together to raise their profile as a whole. Nothing working with that, but it makes it hard for the City to decide what groups want as a whole and the cost associated with satisfying all the groups

Arts and culture help shape who we are as a community. As Vernon continues to grow, how do you see our identity changing, and what kinds of arts and culture initiatives would you support to strengthen that future?

We will see what the new overdue Arts and Culture Center brings us. After this we can see what needs we have left in Vernon

Artists make up as much as 12% of the North Okanagan population and the sector generates over $126 million in direct economic activity and $46 million in GDP, how will you strengthen the role arts and culture play in our local economy, tourism, and community wellbeing?

This past Council has talked about creating an Art Walk area in the downtown core. Again we will wait to see what happens after the new Center opens

Economic

The business tax base is critical to the provision of services at the municipal level. How would you support business retention and expansion in the City of Vernon?

Being a business owner and understanding the needs of the general public, the City can continue to work with new businesses to move to Vernon. We have a Economic Developer on payroll that works with all interested parties to bring business to Vernon

Finding employees has consistently been identified as a top challenge by Vernon businesses in the City of Vernon Business Walks surveys. How should the City support businesses in meeting their workforce needs?

I disagree with this comment. I have worked in the fast food industry since I moved here in 1993, except for the four years I was

Mayor, I have rarely had a problem finding employees. As of today I hire 90% local kids, not foreign workers, and have not had any issues keeping them and rarely see a sick call. When you become reliant on one group of individuals and the well runs dry, you see problems. We do not have those issues at Triple 0’s.

What role does the City have with supporting growth-oriented sectors like manufacturing and agricultural processing?

The City can help with seeking out land and buildings the companies may need, but most of the factors facing those businesses are Provincial.

Considering the recent water and fire crisis, how should the City assist businesses to become more resilient to future risk?

The fire issues go back to Fire Smart principals, but the water issue the City needs to work with Greater Vernon Water to increase storage and mitigate fire risks in the plateaus

Health

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

Vernon has become a place where professionals want to live. Within the next five years I see more doctors moving here

If elected, what specific actions would you take within the authority of your municipal office to improve access to in-person mental health supports and services in our community, and how would you work with other levels of government to strengthen support for those services?

We need to work with Provincial and Federal Elected officials for support services. Again, we as a municipality do not collect taxes to provide these services, those taxes are collected by the other two levels of government. We can illicit action from these two levels, but Vernon must deal with issues of infrastructure and parks and pipes.

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

The building code for new buildings deals with most new construction and our new City website will be more informative about programs that exist in our community

What would you do to support the physical and mental health of members of our community against the effects of climate change, especially those who are most vulnerable?

We already offer Kal Tire Place as a cooling Center in the summer and the Province has a program providing air conditioning to seniors, but it should be expanded to make sure those unable to know about the two sources be notified. We also offer KTP as a indoor walking track