As the provincial election grows near, get to know your local BC Greens candidate for the Kootenay-Rockies riding: Kerri Wall.
Who is Kerri Wall?
Kerri Wall has been a committed resident of Fernie, in unceded Ktunaxa territory, since 2008.
With over 25 years of experience in public health and community service, she has worked with Interior Health (IH) since 2010, helping municipalities across the Kootenays incorporate health into local planning and policies.
“The last time the City of Fernie updated the affordable housing plan. Another big thing I’m pleased with is last year I was a contributing author on the 2023 Interior Health Medical Health Officers Report, which was called Climate Change and Health.” said Wall.
Wall holds a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training and has certifications in Negotiation, Mediation, and Public Participation.
She also has a certificate in Public Participation from the International Association for Public Participation. The focus of her career over the last 25 years has been families, mental health, and shared prosperity in both the non-profit and public sectors. Current projects centre on housing, climate action, and poverty reduction.
Wall is also a founding member of Interior Health’s first anti-racism community of practice.
Wall is a current member of the Community Social Planning Society of Cranbrook and Area and also sits on Elk Valley Resources (formerly Teck) Communities of Interest Advisory Committee.
Outside of work, Wall is also a mom to her adult son, who also calls Fernie home.
She can often be found in the pool or working out with the Elk Valley Dolphins swim club if she isn’t biking or skiing.
The Issues: Climate change, housing, homelessness and affordability
Wall says the issues look different in each community, with housing at the top of her list of key issues, as housing is the start of many flow on affect problems that are within our society.
“In Elkford, it’s really a lack of housing that’s available, a lack of housing stock. And then down in Cranbrook at the other end of the riding, homelessness is a real issue that’s impacting the business community, residents, and of course, the social service sector and the local government as well.” said Wall.
“Homelessness is a bigger deal in Cranbrook. We know that there’s more services for people who are unhoused and struggling in Cranbrook, so they tend to be in Cranbrook, plus Cranbrook is a much larger population.”
“If we don’t immediately ensure that everyone in British Columbia has secure and affordable housing, all the other related issues will continue surging to emergency levels.”
And the effects are felt across the whole community, not just those affected.
“Housing is one of those cornerstone issues because when we don’t have secure affordable housing, the other pieces of what we need to be a healthy community or a resilient society,” said Wall.
“Crime is worse when people do not have secure affordable housing. Mental health is much worse when people don’t have that. Employment is harder. We already know the community economic impacts of the fact that so many businesses in the Kootenai Rockies can’t find employees because employees can’t find housing.”
Final Words
“It will take a range of strategies to truly put human health and well-being at the center of decision-making.” said Wall.
“There are dozens of crucial arenas where brave individuals are needed to collaborate and work hard as society shifts to sustaining life and prosperity for everyone, including future generations. Politics is but one arena.”
“If we really want to do things differently, we have to vote differently, and for too long, voters have been told that they need to settle somehow for, like, the least bad option. We can’t afford more disappointment.”
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