Tathlina Lovlin is running for a seat on Elkford council.
Originally from Yellowknife, Lovlin moved to Elkford in 2006 and has raised a family of three in town.
She worked as a geological engineer at the Fording River mine, and in 2016 she decided to retire from her role as a senior engineer and stay home with her kids.
She has since taken part in all kinds of roles, such as casual lifeguarding, a casual school teacher, is involved with the soccer association, the ski hill, the Parent Advisory Council, the arts council, and gymnastics coaching (the latter of which she has done with her husband for 15 years).
Lovlin owns a pottery business called Tathlina’s Pottery, and sells her wares at local farmer’s markets and the Fernie Arts Co-op.
She said she is running for council because people asked her to.
“Regular folk in the community, retirees, people my age, new people to the community,” she said, adding that she knows a wide spectrum of people in town.
She said, if elected to council, she wants to change the narrative and make sure that conversations are being had with the right people.
“With the demographic of the council that we have, it’s not that they don’t ask the question, it’s that they don’t necessarily get the right answer, cause they don’t have the right person,” she said.
“I feel that my experience in data information and answering peoples questions on the broader scope will be good to have at the table.
“Just thinking outside the box a little bit more, and that’s what I want to bring to the table.”
Lovlin said she knows enough about council to know that some things are hard to change. She said her father has 40 years of experience working with the territorial government in the Northwest Territories (and beyond) which has added to her understanding.
“I’m going in with an open mind and an approachable personality. I want people to come to me, I want to bring their problems, I don’t have a focus.”
She said Elkford is a great community that has a lot.
“I just want to keep it going, I want to keep bringing more in.”
READ MORE: Editor’s note: Calling all local candidates
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josh.fischlin@thefreepress.ca
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