Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran had lots to say about the State of the City, at his annual address to the Chamber of Commerce today, but he began with some comments about his own state of mind.
Specifically, he said he and his family were the targets of some nasty commentary that he's had a hard time dealing with.
Reflecting on his election victory, Basran said, "It should have been a highlight of maybe my life." But instead, he felt relief that it was over. "The election and the campaign were probably one of the worst experiences of my life."
When pressed for details after his Chamber speech, Basran was reluctant to elaborate. "It was just not a fun time," he said. But later, he revealed that it was the hurtful comments that had this effect on him. "Myself and my family were the subject of personal attacks online."
But if there is a silver lining to it all, Basran said it led him to re-evaluate what matters most to him in life.
"Probably the most important lesson that I learned through this was that it's really cool to be the mayor in the city that you're born and raised in, but far more important than this job is my incredible family."
The State of the City Address laid out priorities for housing, transportation, public safety and a lot more, but Basran made one thing clear before he even got to any of those.
"My family is my top priority," he said.
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