Daphane Nelson
Candidate for City Councillor
Contact Information
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Phone: 250-852-0939
Personal Information
Resident of: Batchelor Heights
Age: 46
Current Occupation: Business Consultant
Political Experience:
The Interior Savings Credit Union board directors are elected for a three year term; I was recently re-elected for my third term as the second highest voted candidate out of seven candidates. My experience on this board has solidified my commitment to governance and the fiduciary duty to the membership which translates in the decisions I make as a director for the organization.
I have run in the past for City Council, however, as a single parent at the time, I was not able to campaign as vigourously as I had hoped. This time I'm ready for the challenge, having announced my candidacy earlier this week to ensure voters can get to know me well in advance of the October 15 polls.
Finally and while not directly political, I have been on several boards and committees in Kamloops and am acutely aware of the need to advocate my position while navigating the many personalities within a board, committee or council.
Biography
Originally from Clinton, I graduated in Ashcroft and moved to the booming metropolis of Kamloops in the 90s to study business at TRU. I’ve been here since, and have close to twenty years working with non-profits and businesses in Kamloops through a number of work and volunteer opportunities including The Relay for Life, Kamloops Food Policy Council, Farm 2 Chef, Community Futures, Kamloops Arts Council and the Kamloops Public Market Co-operative. My community involvement extends beyond board governance, I have hosted free in-person and online Co-op Cafes in alignment with co-operative principle #5, coached minor baseball, played ladies sports (hockey and fastpitch) and been involved in various beginner adult dance troupes over the years.
In 2018, I began a business consulting practice to assist small businesses achieve their highest potential and have contracted with Community Futures of Central Interior First Nations as an export advisor and Sun Country as a Regional Business Liaison helping business recovery efforts in Lytton. Coinciding with this endeavour, I have been a director with Interior Savings Credit Union for six years sitting on the audit and finance, governance, investment & lending, and nominations & elections committees during my tenure.
Majoring in economics, I spent my undergraduate degree learning about businesses and government expectations of unfettered growth, eagerly writing about how GDP expansion is the unquestioned answer to success. As a consumer, a contributor of my labour, an owner of capital and inhabitant of this planet, I have turned my attention to sustainability as a practice and have shifted my expectations and goals from infinite growth to prosperity of the population.
I am a co-operative developer, advocating the benefits of the co-operative model, have a solid background in business and am a governance professional with over 20 years of board and committee experience within the city I’ve called home for over 30 years. I introduce myself as an idealistic community builder because I love my community and I care about finding innovative ways to solve difficult social and economic development issues using the co-operative model and have been thinking and learning about how sustainable economic practices can benefit our community.
Organization Endorsements
Kamloops & District Labour Council
We are the elected representatives of roughly 13,000 unionized workers in the Kamloops area covering Merritt to Valemount and Chase to Lillooet.
Our affiliates work collaboratively to advance the economic and social welfare of workers and with other progressive organizations in the promotion of social justice and human rights as described in the United Nations’ Charter of Human Rights.
We are members of the BC Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress, the latter of which represents over three-million unionized Canadians.
View WebsiteAnswers to Questions from the Public
Do you think education should be treated as an essential service?
Daphane Nelson Answered
Education is absolutely an essential service. Parents, students, teachers and administration experienced the impacts on the Education system through COVID 19 and students are suffering from the pressure to 'catch up.'
Having said that, if the intent of the question is to determine whether I believe that teachers should be enabled to strike, then I would suggest that any labour movement should be able to stand up for their rights as workers by the legal means provided to them. When work environments are not acceptable and pay increases don't maintain pace with the cost of living, there should be ways to enable workers to express their discontent.
Many communities are facing drug addiction challenges, homelessness and have seen increase in crime and property crimes. How would advocate for our disadvantaged community members and what solutions would you propose?
Daphane Nelson Answered
I absolutely see the prolific and repeat offenders in our community as being a huge part of the issue. I know that there is work being done to determine what options are available in dealing with these individuals, and this does fall into my realm of, "Reports are good, results are better." I will have more to say when those recommendations come forth. https://www.radionl.com/2022/05/05/89254/
On top of the prolific offender issue, it does seem that the addiction and homelessness crisis is out of control and I will lobby government while learning more about how civic leaders can do better for the communities they represent. I will ask difficult questions not only to other levels of government but also to social service providers receiving millions of dollars in funding annually to facilitate services for addicts, mentally ill and homeless. I want to see these agencies work together on a gap analysis to explore ways of working together and I would love to sit at that table to listen, learn and lead.
Many municipalities are facing ongoing problems and are dealing with staffing issues as part of the current health care crisis. Describe from a local government perspective how would you plan to recruit workers to our community?
Daphane Nelson Answered
There are many factors to the ongoing problems with staffing issues beyond the health crisis; a huge generation of workers is in the process of retiring and we don't have enough workers in the workforce to make up for that.
Because HR is an operational function and is not within the purview of City Council, I would not be able to make decisions about this as a councilor. From a policy or strategic perspective, I could see how it would benefit our community to recruit newcomers to either the country or the province and I would encourage Venture Kamloops, Tourism Kamloops and other promoters of our vibrant city to work on strategies to attract and retain employees.
Describe how you would prioritize fire and flood management and other infrastructure issues such as poor roads and services in our community. Are you prepared to raise taxes to pay for improved infrastructure?
Daphane Nelson Answered
I am not able to fully answer this question as someone who hasn't worked on the budget for the City of Kamloops. I do, however, wish to be on the audit & finance committee (as I've been on the credit union AFC in the past) so that I may spend as much time as possible getting up to speed on how the budget is laid out, why expenditures continue to increase year over year, and where the priorities should be, based on input from residents. And I don't mean hosting a few budget meetings before it's unveiled annually. I mean becoming involved with a survey of residents to truly unpack the priorities of the users of the services and infrastructure that the City provides.
Kamloops residents are looking for answers and I want to be able to be straightforward about the process and how the funding was put forth.
Define Fiduciary Responsibility and how would you personally apply this to an elected role in Council or the TNRD.
Daphane Nelson Answered
Fiduciary duty is the requirement of someone who has been entrusted stewardship over an organization (or government) to caretake the interests of others. They are expected to act honestly, in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the organization (or government).
I have been a director with a credit union for six years (recently re-elected for another 3 year term) and earned my accredited credit union director certification through the Canadian Credit Union Association. I have also earned a designation in governance through the Governance Professionals of Canada. I fully understand and appreciate the level of trust and integrity required to be a member of a board or council and am prepared for that responsibility as a fiduciary for the City of Kamloops.
Millions of jobs were lost during the pandemic. Describe how you will advocate for replacing those lost jobs with good union jobs.
Daphane Nelson Answered
As a business consultant and co-operative developer, I understand that a million jobs in BC come from self-employed people, including worker co-operatives that could choose unionization - I'm currently working with one right now.
Worker co-operatives are a group of owners who make decisions about their work environments, wages and benefits while splitting the residual profit at the end of the year. While I understand that labour unions advocate for all these things on behalf of membership, I do see the benefit of people having that right themselves and believe that more businesses could benefit from this model. Perhaps a combination of worker co-operative and unionization will replace lost jobs with good union jobs.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/small-business/sb_profile.pdf
What steps will you take to work towards action on Truth and Reconciliation?
Daphane Nelson Answered
It was only over the past year that I realized that while living in Cache Creek and attending Ashcroft Secondary, I was traversing between two great nations, the Secwepemc and the Nlaka'pamux. It saddened me to learn this so recently not ever having been taught about the people who lived in my area. I have worked with Indigenous business owners throughout BC and am grateful for the knowledge they have provided me as well and fully acknowledge I have so much to learn.
When I speak, regardless of whether the conversation is public or private, I express gratitude for the land I have been using since birth, having lived in Secwepemculew most of my life. On my website you will see my commitment to the 94 Calls to Action and I have learned a few phrases and plan to continue learning Secwepemctsin. Above all I look forward to working with Tk'emlups te Secwepemc having made many connections there already.
How will you promote ethical purchases, including local unionized goods and services, where available?
Daphane Nelson Answered
At both the federal and provincial levels of government, there are new procurement policies in place to ensure Indigenous business owners are given the opportunity to bid on work by these levels of government. I will review the City's procurement policy and absolutely make recommendations to ensure local content is represented in the language.
I would also like to understand the contract awarding process and while, again, the decision is not one for City Council, the strategy and direction do come from that level.
What steps would you take to ensure your local government hiring practices reflect the community’s population diversity? Are you aware of any existing Employment Equity policies in your community or other communities?
Daphane Nelson Answered
Unfortunately, it is my understanding that City Council does not make decisions about hiring practices as this is an operational function and that the only employee of City Council is the Chief Administrative Officer.
Having said that, I do believe in setting the 'tone at the top' and believe that City Council should have an Equity, Diversity and Inclusiveness policy to ensure people within the community understands how critical these practices are in decision-making.
Describe how you will address housing needs and housing that people can afford in your community?
Daphane Nelson Answered
There will be a common thread within my answers; co-operatives have historically helped people through affordability crises and I know they help people in housing as well. A good example of a housing co-operative at work here in Kamloops is the Sahali Housing Co-operative. Their model allows for the purchase of a $2,000 share and then an approximate $1,000 monthly housing cost. The board of this co-operative would decide on any monthly housing cost increases which would only happen if the entire co-operative voted to approve them. These would likely only be necessary if there were some repairs or maintenance beyond the scope of the contingency fund.
I don't have experience in developing housing co-operatives myself, however, there are people in that field who can and do help communities pull these types of investments together. I fully believe that we as a City could be focusing attention on these developments as way to improve affordability of housing in Kamloops.
https://www.chf.bc.ca/living-co-op/
What can local governments do to attract and create green jobs and businesses in their community?
Daphane Nelson Answered
This is a tough one because it would require capital investment and we know how difficult those can be to pull off, but I do have ideas. Community or impact investment co-operatives are being developed across our province and funds could be used to start green energy projects such as wind turbines, solar panel fields or even a recycling facility that captures more than just the existing waste products we can currently recycle. I have been in many conversations with folks who are working to extend the parameters of these investment funds to allow for larger pools of investment.
A community investment co-operative allows a group of people to pool their funds to lend to a project the group decides upon. These are legal entities with strict rules and governance to ensure a safe investment environment, but it also allows local people to inject capital into their local communities to help bring a project to life while they earn a return on their investment. I had a speaker discuss these at a Co-op Cafe I presented just before COVID, if you'd like to see the slides from his presentation, please let me know.
What steps would you take to ensure a Pay Equity policy is in place and that the policy is applied to all staff employed by the local government?
Daphane Nelson Answered
Unfortunately, I don't have experience in this area and would need more information before being able to comment and/or support this proposed policy.
Do you support the Living Wage for Families Campaign? Please explain why or why not.
Daphane Nelson Answered
Again and unfortunately, I'm not familiar with this specific campaign, however, as I mentioned earlier, I see affordability as being an issue in our area and do support the concept of a living wage. I consult with worker co-operatives who see an equitable business structure as being a solution to issues around affordability.
Describe your position on Contracting Out and Public Private Partnerships and how they effect existing jobs.
Daphane Nelson Answered
My personal belief is that jobs should be sourced locally as much as possible. In terms of Contracting Out and PPPs, I don't have much experience in these areas.
What are the top three critical issues facing your community?
Daphane Nelson Answered
Affordability (housing, food, gas, basically everything) <= I'd like to take a look at co-operatives as a possible solution - housing co-operatives, worker co-operatives, food co-operatives,
Opioid crisis impacting our community, is there a way to work together on this instead of funding individual service providers?
Small business economic recovery from COVID and other extreme events <- support local, make it easier for small businesses to operate
Are you or have you ever been active in any community organizations, actions, or campaigns?
Describe your volunteer work, positions, and any tangible change to the community from your involvement. Are you still involved with this work?
Daphane Nelson Answered
ACTIVE VOLUNTEERING AND BOARDS
Founding Director Kamloops Public Market Cooperative January 2018 to present
Director Interior Savings Credit Union May 2016 to present
BC Co-op Association Community of Practice May 2021 to present
PAST BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
Member Kamloops Food Policy Council (5 years)
Kamloops Lived Experience Community (2 years)
Kamloops Arts Council (Treasurer 2 years) (3 years)
Kamloops Minor Baseball Coach (4 years)
Community Futures Loan Committee (10 years)
Farm2Chef Collaborative (2 years)
Kamloops Voter’s Society (2 years)
TD Friends of the Environment committee; coordinated annual Shoreline Cleanup. (4 years)
Secured TD sponsorship for the Kamloops Food Bank Basics For Babies Breakfast (2 years)
TD Advancing Together committee. (2 years)
Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life committee. (3 years)
If you are a Union member, does your union (provide union/local name) offer endorsement to members running for public office? If so, have you applied for/received endorsement from your union?
Daphane Nelson Answered
As a self-employed individual, I am not a union member.
Have you ever been a candidate or volunteered in a previous civic, provincial, or federal election? If so, please give details.
Daphane Nelson Answered
I ran with the Vision Kamloops team in 2014. Unfortunately we did not start our campaigning until the fall of that election season which didn't give me enough time to get my name 'out there.'