Lenore Morris is no stranger to politics.
The Whitehorse lawyer ran for the Yukon’s seat in Ottawa under the Green Party banner in 2019 and 2021. Now, she’s looking to represent her community in a way that is much closer to home, by running for city council.
READ MORE: Meet the candidates: the Green Party’s Lenore Morris
While she said her values are the same as they were when she ran for federal office, she said municipal decisions directly affect people’s lives.
“We are going to be a collection of individuals on city council and with the mayor, and I've spent my whole work life working with different people with different priorities,” said Morris.
Through her experience with real estate law, Morris said she became interested in housing issues in Whitehorse. Now, as she helps housing non-profits, she sees the problems her clients are trying to fix.
“There's this huge number of people, like a big chunk of the population, that not only can't afford a house, but is looking at and thinking, ‘I'm never going to be able to afford a house,’ and someone's got to be addressing that,” Morris told the News.
Her approach to the housing shortage would look at downtown density. She said there are opportunities to house more people, without building high rises.
Her own three story building provides 12 units, with the two lots having previously been occupied by two bungalow units.
She would also investigate incentivizing the development of vacant lots around the downtown.
“There's tons of vacant lots, and there's buildings that are unoccupied,” said Morris. “I mean, we could have thousands more people living downtown, if we had reasonable density.”
She would also push for lower-emissions transportation within the city, like public transit or active commuting.
“If it's inconvenient to get to work any other way than driving, then you're going to drive a hundred per cent of the time,” said Morris. “I want to give people convenient options.”
When she moved to Whitehorse in 2000, Morris articled with a law firm in town, and then worked with the territorial department of justice. She then began a law firm with another lawyer, who eventually moved away. Other lawyers have joined the law firm since, like Shaunagh Stikeman.
Stikeman said Morris brings in all sorts of treats to the office, be it cream-filled pastries or post-Thanksgiving turkey soup.
Stikeman said Morris is incredibly engaged in the community, playing soccer, volunteering and singing in a choir, among other activities.
“She’s very business-minded, she’s very level-headed, she’s very compassionate, she’s high-energy, and she cares a lot about our community,” said Stikeman. “I think she would make an excellent city councillor, because she has a lot of experience.”
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
