A downtown business owner and former president of the Downtown Penticton Association is seeking election for city council this fall.

Ryan Graham grew up in Penticton and is the current managing partner of Bluewater Cannabis located on Nanaimo Avenue West.

Graham says he has been involved with the downtown business community for a decade and, after years of consideration, feels it is finally his time to try his hand at municipal politics.

“We live in a beautiful city, but it’s time to have some hard conversations and to bring people to the table to make some difficult decisions,” states Graham in a press release.

“As someone who has seen this city at its best, I want my community to be healthy.”

Photo Credit: Ryan Graham

During his two years as president of the DPA, he pushed for an increased police presence in the downtown area while encouraging more accountability within the downtown core.

Graham says he wants more support for outreach programs, non-profit organizations and  front-line workers such as the fire department, police and paramedics.

He notes the increase in issues such as addiction, homelessness and property crime require solutions.

He says the “skyrocketing” levels of property crime are “obvious signs of decay” in the city and notes that in 2021 Statistics Canada found Penticton to have the worst crime rate in the Thompson-Okanagan.

“It’s time to redefine what’s an acceptable culture for this city and get to work on creating it,” says Graham

“I’m excited and I’m ready to go if people choose to support me.”