Tell us a bit about yourself and why you are running in this election:

Kelowna helped shape me into the husband, father, business owner and community advocate I am today. I own and operate two licensed childcare centres and previously served as a Regional Sales Manager with Shaw, where I managed people, budgets and operations across several regions of British Columbia.

My community involvement includes serving as President of the OKGN Sports and Cultural Society and holding leadership and volunteer roles in business, youth sports, early childhood education and literacy.

I am running because I believe public service should begin with listening and putting the community first. I want to give back through honest, practical leadership focused on safer neighbourhoods, thoughtful growth, strong families, responsible spending and support for people who need help. I will work collaboratively, ask difficult questions and remain accessible to the residents I serve.

If you feel comfortable sharing, what is your faith background, religious tradition, or philosophical worldview, for example: Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, secular, or another worldview?

I come from a Sikh household that believes in treating everyone person, religion and culture equally.

How do your personal values shape your leadership, and what are those values?

My leadership is shaped by honesty, service, hard work, family and treating every person with dignity. I believe leadership starts with listening, understanding different perspectives and putting the people you serve first. These values guide me to make practical decisions, take responsibility for the outcomes and remain accessible—even when the conversations or decisions are difficult.

How would you balance your personal beliefs with your responsibility to represent all Kelowna residents?

My personal beliefs provide a foundation for how I lead, but they are not a test that residents must meet to be heard or represented. I would listen to people from all backgrounds, consider evidence and legal responsibilities, and make decisions based on the broader public interest. Every Kelowna resident deserves dignity, fairness and access to their elected representatives, whether or not we share the same beliefs.

How would you like to see city spending prioritized?

City spending should prioritize essential services: public safety, roads, water, utilities, parks and infrastructure needed to support growth. Council must also maintain existing assets before committing to major new projects. Every significant expense should have a clear purpose, measurable results and long-term value, while protecting affordability for taxpayers and seeking partnerships whenever appropriate.

What role, if any, do you think City Council should have in setting standards for materials and programming available to minors in city-funded facilities and public libraries?

As a father and childcare operator, I believe programming intended for minors in city-funded facilities should be safe, age-appropriate and clearly communicated to parents. Parents should remain the primary decision-makers for their children.

Concerns about materials should be addressed through a clear, consistent public-review process that considers age, placement and context. The goal should be to protect children, respect parental responsibility and avoid political interference.

What role do you believe parental consent and notification should play when a minor makes personal disclosures or requests support from a school counsellor, and what exceptions, if any, should apply?

Parents should normally be informed and involved when a minor seeks ongoing counselling or support, particularly when the matter could significantly affect the child’s health, safety or well-being. Families should not be excluded as a matter of routine.

Exceptions should be limited to situations involving suspected abuse or neglect, an immediate risk of harm, a reasonable concern that disclosure could endanger the child, or circumstances protected by law and professional standards. In those cases, qualified professionals and appropriate child-protection services should determine the safest response. This is primarily a provincial and school-board responsibility, but my guiding principle is to respect parental responsibility while always protecting the child.

What steps would you like to see taken to increase transparency and accountability at City Hall?

Residents should be able to understand how decisions are made, how tax dollars are spent and whether projects are delivering results. I would support plain-language summaries of major decisions, accessible reporting on project costs and timelines, and stronger disclosure around procurement and budget changes.

Public engagement should also include a clear explanation of what residents said and how that input affected the final decision. Councilors must remain accessible, return phone calls and explain their decisions—even when people disagree with them.

What public safety issues are you seeing in Kelowna, and how do you believe these issues should be addressed?

I hear directly how open drug use, property crime, aggressive behavior and sheltering near parks, schools and businesses affect residents.

Kelowna needs visible enforcement, stronger action on repeat offenders and a coordinated intake system connecting people to treatment, healthcare and housing. Compassion must be balanced with clear expectations for public behavior.

What do you think can be done locally to bring down the cost of housing?

The City can help lower housing costs by speeding up approvals, allowing more housing near existing services and transit, and reviewing fees to ensure they reflect actual infrastructure costs. We should encourage family-sized and attainable homes, use city-owned land strategically, and partner with non-profits and senior governments without shifting growth-related costs onto existing taxpayers.

What policies would you support to help stimulate Kelowna’s job market?

I would support a Kelowna-specific economic strategy focused on attracting and retaining employers in aerospace, technology, agri-tech and skilled trades. The City should streamline approvals, protect employment lands, address infrastructure constraints and work with colleges, industry and other governments to connect training with real workforce needs. Success should be measured by stable, well-paying local jobs.

What ideas do you have to better balance infrastructure and city growth?

Growth should be tied to available road, water, sewer, power and emergency-service capacity. I would support phasing development with infrastructure upgrades, following the Official Community Plan and regularly reviewing Development Cost Charges to ensure growth pays its fair share. The City must also coordinate earlier with utilities and senior governments while maintaining existing infrastructure before adding new commitments.