Raised in a farming family, we relocated from Saskatchewan to Nelson, BC in 1970 just before I started school. I completed my public school in Nelson and returned to Saskatchewan to enroll in university majoring in Psychology. I completed a business certificate and then launched into the world of technology.

For just shy of three decades I worked in the telecommunications industry performing research, business analysis, forecasting, planning, project management, and network design, implementation, and management. As a technical lead for the design and delivery of the Saskatchewan Enhanced 911 service, I had the opportunity to liaise and coordinate cutovers to the new system with EMS, police, and fire service providers throughout the province. A member of domestic and international trouble management teams, I have been heavily involved in planning for service failures, risk mitigation, and recovery efforts.

It was here where I developed a comprehensive toolkit of technical and business skills supplemented with degree classes in Administration and Human Resource Management. In 2022 I upgraded my training in incident management through the Justice Institute of BC.

My values are firmly grounded in service-based leadership. In parallel to my work in the telecom sector, I have provided personal consulting in the healing and wellness field. For nearly four decades, I have been an active volunteer with a series of community-based service organizations as board member, event chair, and volunteer at large, often working with marginalized, vulnerable, and at-risk children, youth, and families. 

My community service began in earnest at 19 years of age teaching ESL to newly-landed immigrants from nations across the globe including Iran, Iraq, El Salvador, China, Vietnam, and Germany. My hope was that my students would more readily be able to integrate into the community and develop a sense of place. I learned so much about the world through my students. I also developed a greater appreciation for what it means to be Canadian. A tense moment was when I realized that two young students, one from Iran and one from Iraq, would be attending the same classes. My takeaway: Check your biases at the door! They became the best of friends.

In 2009, I returned to BC with my then-teenage daughter and two furry companions and set about prospecting for a new city to call home. A weekend vacation trip brought us to Vancouver Island. Upon arrival, we both knew immediately this was to become home. While family illnesses and work commitments have drawn me away from the island on a few occasions, I have always felt the pull to return. And so I have. The City of Nanaimo has always welcomed us back with open arms.

In my spare time (?), I enjoy getting out for a paddle, puttering in the garden, walking the trails, playing reno queen, trashing a perfectly good song with my guitar or ukelele, engaging in fibre arts and crafts, volunteering in the community, or playing with our new Bernadoodle monster puppy, Sadie.

My Platform

In brief, my platform is organized around four priority areas including

1. Homelessness and the intersections of mental health and wellness, addictions, violence, and public safety

2. The Climate Emergency, the need for risk mitigation, emergency preparedness, and a comprehensive food security strategy

3. Economic prosperity by providing leadership, sound business judgement, innovative problem solving, and effective planning, and

4. Honoring and celebrating Culture and Diversity.

By adopting a trauma-informed framework we can break down complex challenges into more manageable pieces and work on issues from their source. To be the most efficient and effective with the resources we have, I believe it is a critical for City Hall to lead, coordinate, mobilize, and support the response by our community-based partners.

The full version of my platform can be found on my Facebook group, "Shirley Lambrecht for Nanaimo City Council 2022." https://www.facebook.com/groups/814188626437643/permalink/822260595630446