Finding Solutions with Dan Albas

Dan Albas MP
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Dan is the Member of Parliament for Okanagan Lake West- South Kelowna, in the Interior of beautiful British Columbia. In each episode of Finding Solutions, we sit down with the individuals—inside and outside Parliament—who are putting forward practical, thoughtful solutions. Not the headlines, not the noise, but the work: the ideas, the experience, and the perseverance behind efforts to make life better for Canadians across the country. danalbas.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    Finding Solutions: Mayor Gord Milsom on building up West Kelowna

    On this edition of Okanagan Stories and Solutions, I sat down with West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom. With municipal elections coming this fall and Gord stepping down after eight years as mayor, this conversation looks past day-to-day headlines at how a community actually gets built, how local leaders navigate crisis, and what it means to put service above self. Watch our full conversation in the video above. From Kitchen Tables to City Hall Gord did not set out to run for office. He grew up in Dorval, Quebec, where his father served on city council. After earning a commerce degree, he built a 35-year career as a personal financial planner, helping local families budget, manage debt, and buy their first homes. When Gord and his wife moved their young kids from Vancouver to the Okanagan in the 1980s, he brought that service mindset into Rotary, minor hockey, and the food bank. Those decades across a desk taught him how to listen without judgment before proposing solutions, a skill that carried straight into local government. The 51-49 Vote and Building From Scratch In 2007, when the regional district could no longer administer the fast-growing west side, residents faced a referendum: join Kelowna across the lake, or incorporate on their own. The community chose independence by the narrowest of margins: 51% to 49%. Gord stepped forward to serve on that inaugural council. What the first mayor and six councillors inherited was daunting: 28,000 residents, one temporary administrator, no city hall, and a patchwork of rural roads and water systems never built to urban standards. As Gord recalls, the first few years were spent stacking master plans just to catch up: ”There was so many plans that we had to have a plan to manage those plans.” What We Cover in This Episode: Leading Through McDougall Creek: Roughly 10,000 residents evacuated and about 200 homes lost, with zero lives lost. Gord explains why operations must stay with trained fire and emergency personnel, while the mayor’s job is presence, supporting evacuated families, and steady communication. Partnership with Westbank First Nation: Why regular staff meetings and council-to-council respect with Chief Robert Louie and council matter for communities that share borders, roads, and services for generations. Winning Six More RCMP Officers: How West Kelowna, Peachland, WFN, our MLA, and I joined forces to end a decade-long shortfall in provincial rural policing. Unfinished Business: Why 70,000 west-side residents need a redundant power line placed underground, the push for Highway 97 interchanges at Boucherie and Westlake, and the need for local mental health facilities. Advice for Future Leaders: Gord’s practical counsel for anyone running this fall: listen to the community, support volunteers, and keep a balanced approach. Dan Albas is the Member of Parliament for Okanagan Lake West - South Kelowna. For weekly reports, constituency assistance, or to reach our office, visit [danalbasmp.ca](https://danalbasmp.ca) or call toll-free anytime at 1-800-665-8711. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Finding Solutions: Mayor Gord Milsom on building up West Kelowna

  2. 4d ago

    Finding Solutions: Erin Durant and Michael Barrett MP on the ALTO High-Speed Rail Project

    Erin Durrant shares how discovering that a proposed ALTO corridor could affect her rural property led her to examine the evolution of the project from the earlier High Frequency Rail initiative to the current high-speed rail proposal, now estimated at $60-$90 billion. She discusses concerns about the availability of project studies, proposed changes to federal expropriation procedures under Bill C-15, and the use of confidentiality agreements during project development. Michael Barrett MP discusses feedback he says he has received from constituents across Eastern Ontario, including concerns about impacts on farms, road access, emergency response, and environmentally sensitive areas such as the Rideau Canal and Frontenac Arch Biosphere. Erin DurantPublisher of The Canadian High-Speed Rail Files & Founder of Durant Barristers * Substack (The Canadian High-Speed Rail Files): * Profile: https://www.durantbarristers.com/erin-h-durant Background: Graduate of Queen’s Law School and former litigator at Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), one of Canada’s largest law firms. Founder of Durant Barristers, a litigation-focused boutique practice. A rural resident in the proposed Ottawa–Montreal ALTO corridor, she has applied her legal and investigative experience to independent research and analysis of the ALTO high-speed rail project. Michael Barrett MPMember of Parliament for Leeds, Grenville, Thousand Islands and Rideau LakesShadow Minister for Veterans Affairs * Website: https://michaelbarrettmp.ca Background: Former telecommunications lineman in the Canadian Armed Forces, serving domestically with the Regular Force Army and posted to CFB Edmonton. After returning to Ontario to raise a family, he served on municipal council in Edwardsburg Cardinal. First elected to the House of Commons in the 2018 by-election and re-elected since. He has become one of Parliament’s leading voices raising concerns about the ALTO high-speed rail project’s costs, consultation process, and impacts on farms, emergency services, and communities across Eastern Ontario. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Finding Solutions: Erin Durant and Michael Barrett MP on the ALTO High-Speed Rail Project

  3. Sep 4

    Finding Solutions: Louise Binder on faster access to new medicines

    On this episode of Finding Solutions, Dan continues the healthcare solutions series with Louise Binder, one of Canada’s most experienced patient advocates. Louise traces her path from HIV advocacy in the early 1990s, when the system moved too slowly to save lives, through co-founding the Canadian Treatment Action Council, to her current work as a health policy consultant with Save Your Skin Foundation, including travel and accommodation support so patients can reach treatments and trials they cannot get at home. They walk through Canada’s drug access maze from a patient’s point of view: Health Canada safety and efficacy review, health technology assessment, Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance price negotiation, and separate provincial formulary decisions, often run consecutively rather than at the same time. Louise argues that delay is not abstract. For cancer, each month without treatment can cut survival chances sharply, yet the full path from a drug entering Canada to first provincial reimbursement can stretch past two years. She also describes the “postal code lottery”: rural and remote patients shut out of urban-centred trials, and neighbours in different provinces facing different reimbursement outcomes for the same drug, which she says runs against the spirit of the Canada Health Act. The conversation turns to solutions Louise sees as practical, not impossible: concurrent rather than consecutive review; less siloed provincial drug, hospital, and physician budgeting; risk-sharing agreements and real-world evidence for innovative therapies; hub-and-spoke clinical trials and subcutaneous options that reduce travel; stronger funding and a real seat for patient organizations at every decision table; and support for changes so clinicians can access a patient’s full health information across the country. She welcomes much of the federal pharmaceutical and life sciences sector task force roadmap, especially overhauling drug review and modernizing clinical trials and research, while stressing that provinces must come on board and that money without accountability will not fix the problem. To learn more about Louise and the organizations she works with: - Save Your Skin Foundation: https://www.saveyourskin.ca/ - Team / Louise Binder bio: https://www.saveyourskin.ca/ourteam- Canadian Cancer Society: https://cancer.ca/ - BioCanRx (Canada’s immunotherapy network): BioCanRx | Canada’s Immunotherapy Network | Cancer Clinical Trials- Bill S-5, *Connected Care for Canadians Act* (Parliament of Canada): https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/s-5 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Finding Solutions: Louise Binder on faster access to new medicines

  4. Aug 31

    Finding Solutions: Étienne-Alexandre Beauregard on Anti-Civilization and the common good

    On this episode of Finding Solutions, Dan sits down with Étienne-Alexandre Beauregard, one of a rising generation of Quebec public intellectuals. They begin with life in Quebec City and how his experiences placed culture and belonging at the heart of political life. The episode traces his path from answering constituent mail as an 18-year-old to speechwriting for the Premier of Quebec, authoring three books on Quebec identity, history, and politics, before taking on some of our country’s most pressing issues as a policy researcher at Cardus. The core of the conversation focuses on Anti-Civilization: what civilization requires (shared norms that channel individual impulses toward a common life), how the deconstruction of family, nation, and institutions hollows that foundation out, and why cultural debates are fundamental to political life rather than a sideshow to pocketbook issues. Étienne draws a clear distinction between reform that strengthens physical, economic, and cultural security and revolutionary projects that prioritize disruption over the common good. They also examine fertility rates (the gap between what Canadian families say they want versus reality), daycare policy that funds institutions over parents’ choices, managerial elites, populism as a citizen demand, Quebec’s upcoming election realignment, and how Quebec and Western Canada can better understand each other through shared principles of rootedness and local autonomy. Follow / find his work * X: @eabeauregard * Without Diminishment: Without Diminishment | Substack * Cardus research: Étienne-Alexandre Beauregard | Cardus * Anti-Civilization (English): bookstores across Canada, Amazon, and major online retailers from September 1, 2026 To find out more about Étienne’s latest book: Anti-Civilization (Preorder) – Sutherland House Publishing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Finding Solutions: Étienne-Alexandre Beauregard on Anti-Civilization and the common good

  5. Aug 24

    Finding Solutions: Opie Sidhu on preserving Sikh history in the Okanagan

    In this episode of Finding Solutions, Dan Albas sits down with Opie Sidhu, an Okanagan-born public policy professional, community volunteer, and small business owner who is leading an initiative to collect and preserve Sikh family stories, historical records, and photographs across the region. From the early days of agriculture and pioneer partnership to modern trailblazers in community leadership and healthcare, Dan and Opie explore how history comes alive through people, trust, and community solidarity. Key Topics & Chapter Timestamps [00:00] – Introduction: What is Finding Solutions and Okanagan Stories & Solutions? [01:03] – Meet Opie Sidhu: From Summerland orchard roots to public policy & small business [03:13] – What inspired the Okanagan Sikh history archive project? [04:22] – The “Farmer’s Handshake”: Mr. Basran (Hillcrest Cherries) and the Stewart family (Quails’ Gate) navigating discriminatory property laws [07:11] – The story of Ajit Kaur Sangha (1946): Defying prejudice to buy a home in Kelowna with support from MLA Cecil Robert Bull [11:00] – Trailblazers & Legacies: Sindi Hawkins (Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Cancer Centre), Mohini Singh, and community advocates [12:35] – Migration patterns: Understanding early Sikh settlement in the North vs. South Okanagan [14:15] – Chardi Kala (Eternal Optimism): Common themes of agriculture, faith, and working together through adversity [17:01] – Responding to prejudice: Why community support and strong policy matter (standing with families like the Singlas) [19:15] – Building bridges: Collaboration across faith, ethnic, and local communities during crisis and emergency response [21:10] – How listeners can share photos, documents, and family stories with the project Call to Action & How to Share Your Story Do you or your family have photos, historical documents, oral histories, or stories about early Sikh pioneers and community members in the Okanagan? Opie Sidhu is building an archival record to ensure these stories are preserved for future generations. 📬 Get in touch with Opie Sidhu: opie.sidhu@gmail.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Finding Solutions: Opie Sidhu on preserving Sikh history in the Okanagan

  6. Aug 11

    Okanagan Stories & Solutions with Fire Chief Jason Brolund

    In this episode of Finding Solutions with Dan Albas, Dan sits down with Jason Brolund, Fire Chief of West Kelowna Fire Rescue. Born and raised in the Central Okanagan, Chief Brolund has spent more than three decades in emergency services. After serving with the Kelowna Fire Department, including as Deputy Fire Chief, he became Fire Chief of West Kelowna Fire Rescue in 2015, serving both the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation. He became widely known for his leadership during the McDougall Creek Wildfire in August 2023, one of the most significant wildfire emergencies in our region’s history, and has since become a leading voice on wildfire resilience, emergency preparedness, and FireSmart principles in British Columbia and beyond, including at the United Nations. Important Note This interview was recorded on July 30, 2026. The conversation took place prior to several significant wildfire events that occurred in the Southern Interior in early August 2026, including the Quilpituk Creek Wildfire in the Central Okanagan and the Bald Range Wildfire (K51490) affecting portions of the Summerland and Peachland areas. Those events are therefore not discussed during this episode. In This Episode * Growing up in the Central Okanagan and what draws people into the fire service * Leadership lessons from the front lines to Fire Chief, including the value of relationships before an emergency hits * How rapid growth and taller buildings are changing the demands on West Kelowna Fire Rescue * Building capacity: full-time crews, Fire Hall 32 in Lakeview Heights, and a modern training centre * Firefighter health: mental wellness, cancer risk, decontamination, and gear treated with forever chemicals * McDougall Creek: when a fire behind the community becomes a community-wide emergency * “A hundred years of firefighting in one night,” mutual aid from across B.C., and the shift-change parade that still hangs in the hall * Lessons learned: embers crossing Okanagan Lake, bringing the public along through open media briefings, and telling the story of neighbours who fight fires * FireSmart that works: the immediate zone around the home, ember storms like snowstorms, and why prevention funding belongs at the front end of the problem * Human-caused fire, carelessness in the backcountry, and respect for fire across the whole community * An all-of-society message: we cannot build a fire department big enough to wait for the next McDougall Creek Throughout the discussion, Chief Brolund shares what it takes to lead through catastrophe, protect the people who run toward danger, and give residents practical steps that improve the odds when wildfire returns. About Jason Brolund Jason Brolund is Fire Chief of West Kelowna Fire Rescue. He serves the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation, and is a recognized voice on wildfire resilience, FireSmart, and emergency preparedness following the 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire. Resources Mentioned * FireSmart BC and FireSmart Canada (including practical guides and the simple colouring-book checklist for households) * Your local fire department: Chief Brolund’s advice is to call your local fire chief with questions about making your home and neighbourhood more resilient About Okanagan Stories & Solutions Okanagan Stories & Solutions is a recurring segment of Finding Solutions with Dan Albas featuring local leaders, first responders, innovators, and community builders who are helping shape the future of the Okanagan through practical solutions and public service. Connect with Dan Albas 🌐 www.danalbas.com📘 Facebook: Dan Albas📸 Instagram: @danalbasmp𝕏 X (Twitter): @DanAlbas If you enjoyed this episode of Finding Solutions with Dan Albas, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others. Together, we can continue finding solutions to the challenges facing our communities. Resources Mentioned * FireSmart BC – Home assessments, guides, videos, and wildfire preparedness resources: https://firesmartbc.ca/ * FireSmart Canada – National FireSmart resources and publications: https://firesmartcanada.ca/ * FireSmart Resources Library – Guides, homeowner resources, and checklists: https://firesmartcanada.ca/resources/ * PreparedBC – Emergency preparedness guides and household emergency planning: https://preparedbc.ca/ * BC Wildfire Service – Current wildfire information, restrictions, and preparedness resources: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status * Your Local Fire Department – Chief Brolund’s advice: contact your local fire department or fire chief if you have questions about making your home, property, or neighbourhood more wildfire resilient. Quick Start: Start with the FireSmart resources page and download the Home Ignition Zone Checklist and FireSmart Begins at Home Guide. They provide some of the simplest and most effective actions homeowners can take to reduce wildfire risk. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Okanagan Stories & Solutions with Fire Chief Jason Brolund

  7. Aug 2

    Okanagan Stories & Solutions: Preserving Chinese Canadian Heritage

    In this episode, Dan Albas is joined by Adrian Marr, Board Director of the Okanagan Chinese Canadian Association (OCCA) and Chair of the OCCA Chinese Heritage Committee, and Master Shui Lee, member of the Chinese Freemasons, cultural ambassador, lion dance instructor, court interpreter, and longtime community volunteer. Together, they discuss: * Chinese Canadian history in the Okanagan and across Canada * Family stories of perseverance, community service, and sacrifice * The impact of the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act * British Columbia’s 2014 apology for historical wrongs against Chinese Canadians * The legacy of Douglas Jung, Canada’s first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament * The role of the Chinese Freemasons in supporting Chinese communities * Preserving culture through lion dancing, education, and community events * The work of the OCCA Chinese Heritage Committee * The campaign for a nationally recognized Chinese Heritage Month * The importance of ensuring future generations understand both the challenges and contributions of Chinese Canadians Chinese Canadian history is a story of perseverance, service, community building, and cultural preservation. By sharing these stories and preserving this heritage, future generations can better understand both the challenges faced and the contributions made by Chinese Canadians throughout Canada’s history. Thank you for listening to Finding Solutions with Dan Albas.Real stories. Real challenges. Practical solutions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    Okanagan Stories & Solutions: Preserving Chinese Canadian Heritage

  8. Aug 1

    You Get What You Tolerate

    Finding Solutions with Dan Albas Dan Albas sits down with fellow Conservative MP Aaron Gunn to discuss his journey from documentary filmmaker to Parliamentarian and his new role as Shadow Minister for Ethics and Accountable Government. The conversation covers a wide range of issues, including Canada’s addiction crisis, recovery-focused programs, housing affordability, BC Ferries procurement, workforce challenges, recreational fisheries, and the future of British Columbia’s forestry sector. In This Episode: Aaron’s transition from filmmaking to federal politics Lessons from documentaries such as Vancouver Is Dying Addiction policy and recovery-based solutions Questions surrounding the BC condo development bailout BC Ferries and building ships in Canada Concerns over ferry workforce recruitment policies Recreational salmon fishing and allocation changes Challenges facing BC’s forestry sector Aaron’s priorities as Ethics and Accountable Government Critic Quote of the Episode “You get what you tolerate as a society.” – Aaron Gunn Subscribe to Finding Solutions for conversations on practical solutions, public policy, and the issues affecting communities across British Columbia and Canada. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com

    You Get What You Tolerate
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About

Dan is the Member of Parliament for Okanagan Lake West- South Kelowna, in the Interior of beautiful British Columbia. In each episode of Finding Solutions, we sit down with the individuals—inside and outside Parliament—who are putting forward practical, thoughtful solutions. Not the headlines, not the noise, but the work: the ideas, the experience, and the perseverance behind efforts to make life better for Canadians across the country. danalbas.substack.com

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