JOSIE OSBORNE - running for Mayor

I’m a first generation Canadian, born in BC and raised with my younger brother in three different communities on the East Coast of Vancouver Island. I attended Malaspina College (now VIU) and UBC and received an undergraduate degree in marine biology, then went on to complete a master’s degree in resource and environmental management from SFU. I moved to Tofino in 1998 to work as a fisheries biologist for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. My experiences with the Nuu-chah-nulth were tantamount to an entirely different kind of education that has impacted me profoundly. I fell in love with and married the boy next door, so any dreams to moving back to the big city were happily dashed and I have lived in Tofino ever since, working for the NTC, as well as working and volunteering for several different non-profit organizations before becoming mayor in 2013. 

I'm running for re-election as mayor of Tofino because I love this community and I believe I have the skills, experience, and persistence to do the job a mayor needs to do. In 2012 I put my name forward to take on the work of being mayor because I thought we needed leadership that was energetic, communicative, optimistic, and team-oriented, and I think I’ve brought just that to the table. Over the past two municipal terms, I’ve pushed up my sleeves and gotten to work on the nuts and bolts of good municipal governance from facilitating effective, respectful meetings and pushing for more and better civic engagement, to communicating widely about District initiatives and Council decisions. I’ve worked hard to build trust and relationships within and beyond Tofino to effectively represent our community, work towards reconciliation with First Nations, and achieve regional needs. I look forward to working with Council, staff, and the community for another four year term.

She has lived in Tofino for 20 years. She joined Council in January 2013 after a by-election, and served the full term of 2014-2018.