Okanagan Echo Civic Series: Silverado Socrates
Okanagan Echo asked all 11 women running for council the same four questions about why they’re running, the priorities they would bring to City Hall, the experience they offer and what they want residents to know before voting.
Kelowna voters will head to the polls on October 17, 2026, to elect a mayor and eight city councillors. The official field includes 37 candidates for council, including the 11 women featured here. Advance voting begins October 7.
Silverado Socrates is a longtime Kelowna resident and accomplished former competitive runner. In 2026, she was inducted into the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame after a career that included two BC Summer Games championships, a gold medal at the 1984 Pan American Junior Championships, five All-Canadian honours and being named the 1988 CIS Athlete of the Year at the University of Victoria. She is now one of the candidates seeking a seat on Kelowna City Council in the 2026 municipal election.
Here are Silverado Socrates’ responses.
OE: What made you decide to run for Kelowna City Council in 2026?
SS: As many know, I have run for city councilor before. Twice for Mayor.. Once 4 years ago and once 30 years ago!
I ran the first time partly because I had volunteered for MLA earlier that year and liked being in a position to help people. I was volunteering at a time where my mobility was limited due to a small fracture in my 2nd cervical.
I had completed my first toastmaster's book of (about 10 speeches) I realized that to go any further, I needed a reason to speak for something that I believed in. I did not want to be a polished speaker that could and would sell snow to an Eskimo.
I was more someone who grew up listening to stories of people that grew up on farms and became a person who had their own stories. Many of these stories came from a business of taking people on trailrides. I still love true stories from people. My fear of public speaking was a big reason I literally stepped off of the track despite being federally funded as an athlete and winning national championships in record times (1988).
Later that 1996 year, I was trying to start a motivational centre Downtown Kelowna. I could see the incredible potential in the people experiencing struggles. It seemed such a waste.
I had had my business in tourism that often had teens or preteens from varying backgrounds that learned to lead trailrides, first by helping with the horses. Some may have had their parents paying but many of them would never have had the opportunity if they hadn't been given a chance to earn it! For the most part, we got along great and the youth were amazing assets. I think that the main pay for me was seeing the genuine joy or contentment. I think that they could feel that too, but mostly like to ride and I think be on a team with others that did too (be they dog, horse or person). I think that this is missing in our society.
People seem to only be valued if they are buying a taxable service or providing that service. I think there is something to be said for genuine kindness and honest effort. Learned helplessness is real. I have also had many adults come through my homes. Some had jobs and just needed an inexpensive place to rent. Many had disabilities that had a shelter portion that covered much of their rent. Some of these people earned their stay plus pay. I wish I had set us something that could have involved shares and this is something I feel we could do as a society. A combination of community credit's and less expensive or free use of services that we have which are under-utilized when the tourists or the main 'working' force aren't using them.
My brother and father served in the Canadian Armed Forces. Foolishly, it wasn't until I was in my later 20's that I realized my brother might not come home from one of his trips on the HMS Winnipeg. I realize now that I grew up in a culture where you celebrate life and don't talk about death while away at war (but had a father who religiously attended and often spoke at Remembrance Day).
I thought of also serving, but then realized that through tourism, we become friends with people from other places. In theory, if you are friends with someone, you wouldn't want to fight them. I see now why celebrating local and learning about other cultures is very important.
In these days of AI, I think it is more important than ever to get the stories from our elders and for every community to develop strong local history roots. I think that this can be integrated with a fitness and nutrition to help our locals be strong of mind spirit and body. War, homelessness, and addictions are expensive; peace/ well being is priceless. We literally spend billions on the former. My efforts of time and money, combined with a car accident in 2009, and going from being a business in the regional district to it being labelled West Kelowna (and basically being bad at selling what I feel is common sense) snowballed into losing my home of over 30 years. I moved about 10 times, including a stint at a homeless shelter. I have been over 8 years at one Kelowna acreage now. Ironically, a few years ago my injury from my car accident flared up and I got a series of great exercises and stretches I could do at home to let it near heal 100%. Snowballing incidents from that 2009 year still give me a bit of PTSD with ICBC, but, that is a provincial issue.. Some humor is good, I am not there yet.
OE: What are the three issues you believe should be priorities for the next council?
SS:
Developing wards.. I think 8 wards plus the downtown main section would be a start to having more community involvement in city decisions. I would like to see a park and ride system going from at least 8 areas and a member or council going to these areas at least once a month.
There could be a mini council in each ward, containing members of different generations including at least one teen that isn't voting age. These ward council members could help others organize their plans/ problems in ways that could be solution orientated. Harnessed to this could be a group of citizens that make a point of checking on members of the ward, one that is centered along the ideas of getting to know people and offer kindness/ support. I think at least one council member should go to these wards at least once a month. Many people have served the community in the past, or raised kids to be healthy adults. They are potential great mentors and this mentorship idea is one that I feel we have largely lost. I've had ideas of this group being called SOS KnightMARES and having it learn the history of the areas in an entertaining manor, one that develops spirit and pride. I've had thoughts of it being a TaleRiding Program and a lot of fun!
The third would be having a non road way to get from down town to the university. I think we could have one designed to be quicker than the roads and above them for much of the route. I think we could engineer it to be above the road traffic, and involve people power and solar power. This may sound out there, but I am sure there could be a way to harness the energy of people who want to participate. I remember a show, I believe W5 that had regular people on a bike or treadmill with the energy from their efforts powering their TV. This is a lot different, yet not necessarily. I seem to remember railway manual ways to travel that involved a kind of pumping of the arms. Let's get some young engineers and people with imagination to create a novel, fun and efficient way to travel. Maybe we can use it to get to the other "Ward" areas too.
OE: What experience or perspective would you bring to council?
SS: I feel I have a unique perspective, having had a homes that I have used for rental income, a business that dealt in tourism, having mentored many youth towards both trail guiding, and being involved with a number of non profit groups. I didn't have children, but I was a caregiver/ mentor/ teacher to many people. I feel I was a student of them too.. Any good teacher is a good student.
I can see from a point of giving discounted trail or pony rides to allowing many people chances for housing and horsemanship skills in trade for help. I think that there is great potential to develop mentorship programs for basic life and community skills. In '96 I talked/wrote about a community credit program and am sure we can start some pilot projects funded. We are paying for the problem, time to start paying to develop solutions.
In late 2010, I was interviewed by a UBCO grad student on the future of agritourism. My answers inspired him to tell me about the organization of IIPT and I am now the BC president of the chapter. In large part because of going to the world conference of IIPT in the spring of 2011. I funded this trip myself, selling a quad and taking time away from my business at a time when it would have been getting income after a long winter. Seasonal businesses can be hard to have people return who know the ropes. We need to put money into peace... and the ideas of preventing homelessness and addictions rather than treating casualties of war, homelessness and addictions. Ironically, I feel my efforts to go and join this organization were part of my own snowball to homelessness.
OE: What is one thing you want Kelowna residents to understand about you before they cast their ballots?
SS: I am serious as a heart attack, preventing one that is!!
World pace to world peace is a mantra I have been saying to myself for several years now. My mother died when I was in grade 11. I won the junior Pan ams that year, but it didn't bring her back.
The gold medal race against people older than me did help me get the premier's athletic award though. I would stop running after getting gold in an indoor 3000m Canadian university record that was also against people older than I and that record still stands for that meet... my brother was probably the biggest influencer for my running success because he was 12 years older and basically taught me not to be afraid of size strength or gender.
I realize that I have tried to be a big sister to most people that I meet. Making things challenging but not impossible if you try. Unfortunately, he passed a few years ago. He died at home soon after a quadruple bypass, but had retired from the forces. I feel he and my mother partly passed due to bad communication skills and lifestyle habits. They were amazing people, but I probably should have told them that! You can't turn back time, but we can work to make things easier for others through our tales of triumph and defeat. My father passed at the age of about 93 a couple of years ago. I was able to read to him from a book of song/stories I made called Peace in the Valley. Unfortunately, he was in hospice at the time and not able to speak. I had sung/ played a guitar at my brother's funeral to my song "Peace in the Valley" and would share part of the intro of the book at my father's funeral. I would like to share them here.
This book is dedicated to the pets that have enriched my life. There are so many, but I will limit the names to three. First there is Teffy, my first dog. Then there is Candy, my first larger dog. And lastly there is Theatre who is the first and only dog I had to have puppies. Each of them were loved greatly but passed so suddenly; treasure your time while you have it!
I also wish to dedicate the book to my Mom, big brother Brian and father. Each of them has helped inspire me to share my own stories through actions, songs and/or stories of pets. I should almost thank my bad memory. I prefer to make my own stories because I don't trust my remembering details from other people's stories but I do love to hear them!
Peace in the Valley
Do you want to live a life, you'll be happy to have lived?
do you want a legacy that will forever give?
we can make it happen, we can find a way
to find peace throughout the valley, starting here today
Gotta stop consuming things, and start producing thoughts
gotta live for what we have, not forget those we've lost
the truth is here and now my friends, the future will never be
until we learn to live, in peace in the valley, in peace in our own valley
How you treat your common man, how you treat your common beast
do you lend a helping hand, or on them do you feast?
we're in this world together, we all have a common fate
let's end war and hate forever, and lets not hesitate
when you see a stranger on the street, ,say "how are you today"
give a gently nod, send a friendly wave
takes such a little time, yet gives a lift of joy
lets make the world a better place, for all ages girls and boys
Gotta stop consuming things, and start producing thoughts
gotta live for what we have, not forget those we've lost
the truth is here and now my friends, the future will never be
until we learn to live, in peace in the valley, in peace in our own valley
Explore the full Civic Series This interview is part of Okanagan Echo’s 2026 Civic Series featuring the women running for Kelowna City Council. Visit the main series page to read the profiles and responses from all 11 candidates.
Okanagan Echo thanks all participating candidates for sharing their time and perspectives with residents.
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