/Lauren Chalus
Biography
I'm a Salmon River resident, a working professional, a member of the Township's Heritage Advisory Committee, a dog mom and a committed supporter of local business.
For more than eleven years I've helped communities work through complicated decisions, leading engagement on some of Western Canada's largest infrastructure and capital projects, first on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project across British Columbia and Alberta, and today at BC Hydro in Indigenous Relations and Stakeholder Engagement.
Over a decade serving communities. From the City of Mission and FortisBC to the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and BC Hydro, I've gained firsthand experience in how thoughtful planning, collaboration, and responsible decision-making lead to better outcomes. I hold a Bachelor of Environment in Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University, with a minor in Indigenous Studies.
Stakeholder and Indigenous relations. I've worked with First Nations, local governments, provincial agencies, regulators, utilities, businesses, and communities to navigate complex issues and support informed, transparent decision-making. I understand how projects are planned, funded, approved, and delivered.
A local voice on heritage and community. As a member of the Township's Heritage Advisory Committee, I help review heritage planning matters and provide advice on protecting the places and history that make our community unique. I also played a leading role in advocating for balanced planning with the Fraser Highway Employment Lands Plan. Not growth at any cost.
Reason for running
I'm running for Council with Langley Strong because young families and working professionals are being priced out of the community they want to build a life in, while the decisions driving those costs get made behind closed doors. Residents deserve to be heard early, and Township Hall has to return to a governance style of transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility.
When projects get approved without proper scrutiny or public input, residents end up paying for infrastructure, servicing and debt that nobody sat down and explained to them. Throughout my career, I've learned that the best decisions are made when people are engaged early, information is shared openly, and different perspectives are genuinely considered. That is the approach I would bring to Council.
Council does not set interest rates or grocery prices, but it does set a great deal of what a household here pays: property taxes, utility rates, the charges built into the price of a new home, and how much debt this Township carries into the future. Those are choices, and I want them made with a clear view of what residents are already carrying.
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