I’m not proud of the fact that we have a high crime rate, says Mayor Colin Basran

In this episode of Rick and Friends, Rick Maddison is joined by Mayor Colin Basran.

With questions from Basecamp Cards Co, Basran opens up about his guilty pleasure, what he hopes to accomplish by the end of the year, and how he hopes to change as a person in the future.

“I am not perfect and I have never said that I am,” he explains.

“I just continue to grow and learn from my mistakes, and I have made mistakes, I’ll be the first to admit it, but it’s what you do with those mistakes.”

Basran explains that the top two issues for Kelowna are social issues, including crime and safety, and its growth.

“I’d say a lot of people love how our city is growing, but there are some in our community who believe it’s growing too fast, or it’s growing in areas maybe it shouldn’t, or that the buildings are too tall.”

Regarding homelessness and mental illness, Basran shares how the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus has gone to the provincial government for assistance because there has not been enough improvement on major city streets in BC.

“I’m not proud of the fact that we have a high crime rate,” he adds.

Maddison and Basran also discuss the Sugarplum Ball.

One of the first things Basran did as mayor was paint rainbow crosswalks downtown to encourage an inclusive and diverse community moving forward, but there was some backlash.

After being labeled as “Mayor Sugarplum,” the Kelowna Pride Society organized the Sugarplum Ball during Pride Week to champion diversity and inclusion.

“It’s still one of the things I am most proud of in my time as mayor.”

As the last question of the interview, Maddison asks Basran what his favourite Taylor Swift album is – tune in to hear his answer.

For more episodes of Rick and Friends, listen to KelownaNow Streaming at 8 am and 3 pm daily, or find them on Spotify!