Boot kicks off race for mayor
First-term district councillor Toni Boot announced her candidacy for Summerland mayor Tuesday morning, becoming the first person to officially jump into the race.
“Summerland is a gem of a place,” she told the couple dozen supporters who gathered at The Bear stone statue on Wharton Street near the Summerland Museum for the announcement.
“I’ve learned a lot during my term as councillor and have made many valuable contacts,” said Boot, who topped the polls for councillor in the 2014 municipal election.
“I think we need to step back and examine the documents that guide us,” she said.
She would like to see the Official Community Plan updated and current neighbourhood plans developed for Trout Creek, Lower Town and the downtown area.
Boot sees the downtown as a bustling place combining businesses, residences and cultural activities.
Development, including a diversity of types of housing, must meet the needs of the people already here, she said.
She recognizes the community is long overdue for new recreational facilities, including a swimming pool. “I am confident it will happen,” she said. Regarding the legalization of marijuana and the attendant need for local governments to develop relevant bylaws, Boot said, “I have strong feelings about cannabis being produced in large industrial-type buildings on ALR land.”
“She grew up here and understands Summerland,” supporter Terry Green said.
Following graduation from high school, Boot studied and worked in Kelowna and Vancouver for 12 years before returning to the community.
She recently earned a master’s degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria.
A strong environmentalist and supporter of agriculture, Boot can often be seen jogging with her dog, Ranger.
She also brings a business perspective to her role as a municipal politician having established Grassland’s Nursery, which she sold as a thriving business a few years ago.
Previously, she was associated with Kettle Valley Dried Fruits.
“I trust her. Over the last few years I’ve come to recognize a level of honesty and straightforwardness in her,” said another supporter, Aart Dronkers.
Mayor Peter Waterman hasn’t said whether he will seek re-election, but suggested in January that he’s leaning toward it.
And in September 2017, Janet Peake, also a first-term councillor, told the Herald that she too is interested.