Aimee Grice

Candidate for Mayor of Oliver

Experienced leadership, rooted in Oliver and connected beyond it.

"The best leadership for Oliver understands both what happens at Town Hall and what happens outside it, and knows how to connect the two."

I'm Aimee Grice, and I'm running for Mayor of Oliver.

For eight years I've served on council, and for much of that time I've also carried Oliver's voice into rooms most residents never see: as President of the Southern Interior Local Government Association, as UBCM's Third Vice-President, and on variou regional committees such as UBCM's Presidents Committee and Indigenous Relations Committee. That work has taught me something simple. The best leadership for Oliver understands both what happens at Town Hall and what happens outside it, and knows how to connect the two.

Council and Regional Leadership

Eight years on Oliver council have taken me well beyond Town Hall. I joined the Southern Interior Local Government Association board as a Director in 2020, moved up to Second Vice President in 2021, and served as President from 2022 to 2024. Today I sit on the UBCM Board as Director at Large and Third Vice-President, with a seat on UBCM's Presidents Committee, where my portfolio is financial management, and I chair UBCM's Indigenous Relations Committee. I've also served as Acting Mayor of Oliver each July, August and September.

Some of this work is ongoing, some of it is service I've since completed, but all of it has shaped how I think about the job. Here's is a sample of where I've served, at home and across the region:

Regional and Provincial

Southern Interior Local Government Association: Director (2020-2021), Second Vice President (2021-2022), President (2022-2024), Past President (2024-2026)
SILGA Resolutions Committee (Chair)
UBCM Board: Director at Large, SILGA Rep. and Third Vice-President
UBCM Presidents Committee (financial management portfolio)
UBCM Indigenous Relations Committee (Chair)
UBCM Health and Social Development Committee

Town of Oliver Committees

Acting Mayor: July, August, September
Airport Advisory Committee
Oliver Accessibility and Age Friendly Committee
Oliver Emergency Executive Committee
Asset Management Steering Committee
Supporting Local Physician Recruitment Working Group (Chair)
Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee (Chair)
Downtown Development Advisory Committee
Food Action Advisory Committee
Cold Weather Shelter Working Group

Community Organizations

Community Advisory Board, Okanagan Correctional Centre
Oliver & Area Affordable Housing Society, Founder and President
South Okanagan Amateur Players, Director and Secretary
Oliver Community Theatre Society, Director at Large & Secretary
Oliver Community Foundation, Neighbourhood Small Grants

Working Life in Oliver

Outside council, I work at Venables Theatre as House Manager, Volunteer Coordinator, and Marketing and Promotions Coordinator. In practice, that means running the venue on show nights, recruiting and coordinating the volunteers who keep our local arts scene alive, and promoting events that bring people together and support the businesses around them. It's work that matters to Oliver on its own, and it relates directly to the skill set the job of mayor calls for: organizing people, managing a budget, and promoting what's happening in town, just from a different chair.

My connection to Venables Theatre isn't new, either. I served as Secretary of the Oliver Community Theatre Society from 2015 to 2016, and I've also been a Director and Secretary with the South Okanagan Amateur Players. Long before it was a job, the theatre was one of the places I volunteered.

Roots and Personal Life

"Oliver is my home. I've raised my family here, built relationships, worked, volunteered and served."

Photo Credit: Sarah Crookall

Oliver is my home. I've raised my family here, built relationships, worked, volunteered and served, and I've been showing up for this community in one role or another for nealry two decades now: early on as the founder of the Oliver and Community Affordable Housing Society, as the vice president of the chamber of commerce, and on various arts boards prior to my time on council.

I love this community, and I believe in what we can accomplish together.

Why I'm Running

My hope isn't simply that Oliver manages the challenges ahead. I want us to approach the future with confidence.

I want young people to see opportunities here. I want families to feel supported. I want seniors to feel secure. I want businesses and community organizations to know that their work matters. Most of all, I want people to believe that Oliver's best days are not behind us.

That vision runs through every part of my platform, from affordability and infrastructure to healthcare and our local economy.

[Read my full platform →]