Shane Brienen, born and raised in Houston, B.C., shares a special bond with his hometown. As a devoted father of four—Gabe, Damon, Dallas, and Sarah—and a dedicated member of the Houston community, Shane brings both a personal and professional commitment to being the BC United candidate for Nechako Lakes.

Shane has over 36 years of experience in the local forestry industry and has been a longstanding member of the United Steelworkers Union. He also brings 17 years of local governance experience to the BC United Team, initially as a Councillor and now in his third consecutive term as Mayor of Houston, following a successful re-election in 2022. Beyond his role as Mayor, Shane wears many hats, serving as a director on critical boards including the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District Board, the Northwest Regional Hospital Board, and the Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance. His past engagements include contributions to the North Central Local Government Association and years spent on the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition.

Beyond the corridors of local governance, Shane champions the spirit of sports, volunteerism, and outdoor recreation within his local community. His active involvement includes coaching roles in minor hockey, ringette, and senior hockey. Notable affiliations include the Houston Minor Hockey Association, Central Interior Senior Hockey League, Houston Luckies Senior Hockey Club, Omineca Minor Hockey League, and Houston Minor Ringette.

Shane currently resides in “Naturally Amazing” Houston, British Columbia. Like most people in local government, Shane is usually running on coffee by Thursday afternoon. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, coaching, tying flies, flyfishing on the spectacular rivers and lakes throughout the northwest region of the province, and spending quality time with his kids.

Having served in local government since 2005, Shane brings to BC United a deep and comprehensive understanding of the local issues facing his region and rural areas, and a commitment to building a more prosperous future for British Columbia, and most importantly, the people of Nechako Lakes.