District of West Vancouver Councillor Nora Gambioli is retiring from municipal politics after 15 years on the council table.
Gambioli, who has served four terms and has the longest continuous tenure on council, announced her decision Sept. 9 after more than three decades of volunteer and public service in the community.
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According to the news release by Gambioli, she was first elected in 2011 and has focused during her time on council on issues including affordable housing, climate change, environmental protection and transportation.
“I have worked hard to show leadership and make independent decisions with integrity,” Gambioli said in the release. She highlighted her support for housing projects for the local workforce, including Kiwanis and Catalyst, as well as efforts to create parkland covering forests and shoreline.
Gambioli said she now wants to support new council candidates who can continue work on affordable housing, protection of natural spaces, climate action, transportation improvements and creating a community where people of all ages and demographics can belong.
According to the news release, environmental stewardship has been a central part of Gambioli’s public service. She has advocated for home energy retrofits, heat pumps, solar power and electric-vehicle charging, along with wildfire and sea-level-rise preparedness, tree planting and protection of natural assets.
Gambioli has also advocated for expanding housing choices in West Vancouver and moving forward with planning for Ambleside. The release said public correspondence received by the District has praised her for bringing urgency to the Ambleside planning process, particularly regarding revitalization and additional multi-family housing.
According to the news release, Gambioli has also served on a range of municipal boards, committees and working groups, as well as Metro Vancouver. Her public-service work has included heritage, finance, utilities, community engagement, public art, schools, seniors, recreation, libraries and climate change.
Gambioli said she does not plan to completely step away from community involvement and will remain involved with local community groups.
“I am not going to call it ‘re-wiring’ not retiring,” she said in the release. “I will surely stay involved with local community groups who do important work.”
