SIDNEY, BC – Green Party Leader and Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands, Elizabeth May, welcomes the news that Josie Osborne was sworn in today as mayor of Tofino, British Columbia.
Ms. Osborne has worked as a fisheries biologist for First Nations communities and as a leader in social enterprise at the Tofino Botanical Gardens Foundation. She has recently been more engaged as a community and business representative, chairing the local destination marketing organization, Tourism Tofino. Josie Osborne is also an active member of the Green Party of Canada.
“I am so pleased that the new Mayor of Tofino, Josie Osborne, is a Green Party member. I know she will, as I have tried to do federally, put constituents first and party last. While party affiliations are not raised in most municipalities, the Green Party is nevertheless pleased and proud that one of our own has become mayor. This is a first in Canada,” said May.
“As a small village that is the gateway to a globally significant UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, I believe we have an opportunity and an obligation in Tofino to think 'outside the box' on social, environmental and economic issues, from transportation and housing to business diversity and entrepreneurship,” said Ms. Osborne. “I'm excited about working with all members of my community in this new role as Mayor, regardless of party affiliations.”
Tofino has a long record for innovations in things green. It is located in the heart of what was one of Canada's most intense wilderness struggles, the fight to protect the old growth forests of Clayoquot Sound. It is a beacon for tourism, for everything from whale watching to year-round surfing, as well as aquaculture and First Nations business enterprises.
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Media Contact:
Stéphane Vigneault
Communications Coordinator, Green Party of Canada
cell: 613.614.4916