Wayne Carson is putting his name forward for a seat on Vernon City Council with a practical record of public service, emergency response experience, and local government leadership. His approach is grounded in listening, showing up, and making decisions that reflect the day-to-day realities of the people who live, work, raise families, and retire in the North Okanagan. Wayne brings a steady, community-first style to public life. He understands that municipal decisions are not

Water feels abundant in Vernon when Kalamalka Lake is bright blue, snow still sits on the hills, and creeks run high in spring. By late summer, the picture can change quickly. Lawns brown, smoke hangs in the valley, farms need steady irrigation, and residents watch for watering restrictions. That seasonal swing is the heart of the issue. The North Okanagan has water, but it does not always have it in the right place, at the right time, in the right condition, or at the right

Wayne Carson recently sat down with Castanet as part of its Vernon Votes 2026 candidate series. The conversation covered several of the issues Wayne believes are important to Vernon’s future, including wildfire preparedness and FireSmart, public safety and bylaw enforcement, water security, responsible use of taxpayer dollars and keeping the public involved in local decision-making. FireSmart and Wildfire Preparedness With decades of experience in wildfire response, Wayne has

Meeting Overview Candidates gathered for a municipal all-candidates forum to discuss housing, climate action, and infrastructure management1. The discussion focused on balancing population growth with environmental sustainability and fiscal responsibility. Participants debated the effectiveness of current Official Community Plan (OCP) strategies and the need for proactive development policies. Wayne Carson's Key Positions Carson emphasized his background as a former fire chi

Too many people in Vernon are living with a hard truth: they do not feel as safe as they should in their own neighbourhoods, and too many of our neighbours are sleeping outside, in doorways, in vehicles, or in temporary spaces that were never meant to be homes. As a candidate running for council in the City of Vernon, I believe we have to be honest about both parts of this crisis. Crime is real. Homelessness is real. Addiction, mental illness, poverty, and public disorder are

A lightning strike can be over in a split second, but the fire it starts can shape a valley for weeks. In the North Okanagan, that risk is not abstract. Dry summers, steep slopes, grasslands, mixed forests, farms, rural roads, and scattered homes all combine to make lightning-caused wildfire a serious concern. Unlike human-caused fires, lightning fires often start in remote terrain. They may smoulder in duff, roots, or under heavy timber before smoke becomes visible. If wind