Lake Country’s Carr’s Landing Councillor, Cara Reed, announced she will be standing for re-election in the municipal elections this fall.
Reed says “The last four years have demonstrated the value of local action, even in the midst of global events. For example, working collaboratively with Council, District staff and local community groups, such as the Friends of Gable Beach, Carr’s Landing Community & Recreation Association and Walk Around Lake Country (WALC), vital access and amenity improvements to Carr’s Landing trail network and park spaces were provided.”
The upcoming municipal election on October 15th is quickly approaching.
In Reed’s view “The coming four-year term is going to be challenging. Key local issues include the quality and safety of roads, water and sewer. Add to this, the 2021 Census Lake Country reports the population now exceeds 15,000 and under Provincial legislation, the tax-payer portion of RMCP costs increases from 75 to 90 percent. This is all happening against a backdrop of rising inflation and a housing affordability crisis. Future housing development in Lake Country must better meet the needs of our diverse community – both in terms of rental housing and home ownership.”
Reed insists “In Carr’s Landing it’s all about access to safe drinking water, improved fire flows for wildfire protection, improved safety on Carr’s Landing Road for all users, reducing noise and light pollution, lowering traffic speed in residential neighbourhoods, and continuing to expand recreational areas.”,
On a provincial level, communities across British Columbia are grappling with issues such as climate change, homelessness, the shortage of family doctors and the opioid crisis. The District of Lake Country as a member of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) is actively engaged in continuing conversations sharing strategies and approaches to tackling these big issues at a local level.
Effective municipal government is more that what can be achieved in a four-year term. If re-elected, some of the initiatives Reed intends complete are the Carr’s Landing Water Strategy, design of the Carr’s Landing multi-use pathway with traffic calming, community access to Crown Land in Carr’s Landing, and the Liquid Waste Management Plan.
“Having continuity at the Council table is an asset for Carr’s Landing and I hope to bring everything I have learnt working with Council, staff and the community into this new term and seeing those goals come into fruition” says Reed.
Reed adds “For me, being on Council is about bringing my passion, integrity and hard work for the people and place that is Lake Country. My passion for working with others to protect and enhance this rural community while acting with integrity in everything I do. I work hard - doing the reading, asking the questions, listening to others. I will always try to give Carr’s Landing and Lake Country my very best.”
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Additional Resources:
Cara Reed Biography:
Over the past four years, since 2018, Cara Reed has been Carr’s Landing Councillor for the District of Lake Country. She has brought a strong and varied background to the role.
Cara grew up on a small island off the coast of Britain and spent part of her childhood in France. After graduating from the University of London, she worked in education as a national examination coordinator, then moved into in the UK oil and gas sector as contract manager working directly with over 34 oil companies engaged in North Sea exploration. Her contract management role then led to employment for the UK government in the national mapping agency Ordnance Survey where she travelled to India, Slovenia, Romania and France as part of her job.
Since moving to Carr’s Landing in 2008 with her husband Shaun and their spaniel “Otter”, Cara has worked for a number of local businesses including Twin Creek Media in Kelowna as financial manager and account director, Jealous Fruits/Coral Beach Farms as their quality assurance manager, and both hospital and client care manager at Tri Lake Animal Hospital before starting her own bookkeeping business in 2019.
Her bookkeeping business has flourished and now serves a wide variety of great small businesses in Lake Country, Vernon and Kelowna.
Working for a broad range of industries, Cara describes herself as being a ‘specialist generalist’. Someone who is well able to quickly get up to speed on issues, know and understand numbers, think both long and shorter term, have a passion for the team, deliver on goals together, and be open to learn from experts around her. This skill set has served her well on Council.
During the last four-year term, Cara has been a Council representative on the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Lake Country Health Board, and the Central Okanagan Economic Development Council, as well as the alternative representative at the Okanagan Regional Library Board.
Her prior community involvement included chairing St Edwards Parish Council, vice-chair of the Carr’s Landing Community Recreation & Association, volunteering at the Oceola Fish & Game Club Banquet, and has been a passionate advocate for protecting access to Lake Country’s public waterfront including preserving public access to Gable Beach North. Cara also has made frequent appearances as Sparky the Fire Dog to support Lake Country Fire Department’s Safe program for local school children.
Cara is committed to continuing to represent the citizens of Carr’s Landing and Lake Country with integrity, honesty and fairness while improving the quality of life in Lake Country and planning successfully for the future.
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