Beyond 1,000: Two Weeks on the Trail in Kelowna
Two weeks past 1,000 conversations in Kelowna: what residents are asking about the Performing Arts Centre, Kelowna Springs, empty buildings, and safety.
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Now with VIBE Okanagan
Storyteller · Podcast host · Kelowna
1,000 conversations with Kelowna. That's where this all came from.A new chapter
Through the campaign, the best part was never the politics. It was sitting down with people and hearing what they had built, what they were up against, and why they stayed. More than a thousand conversations later, that is the part she wanted to keep.
As a podcast host and storyteller with VIBE Okanagan, she is still having those conversations, now with the business owners, entrepreneurs, community leaders and ordinary people whose stories deserve a wider audience.
Real people. Real stories. Real connections.
Own a business, have a story worth telling, or know someone who deserves the spotlight? Write to [email protected].

A record you can check
Teresa has been doing this work in Kelowna for seventeen years, with no campaign attached to it. Here is some of it.
Conversations with residents
One-on-one, in every part of Kelowna, published week by week all summer.
Volunteering in Kelowna
From 2008 to today, with the Gospel Mission, Pink Shirt Day, Shoe Bank Canada and more.
Raised in a single campaign
With the Wild Woman, Wise Woman committee for the East Meets West Children's Foundation.
Get Your Onesie On
A mental-health fundraiser she started for CMHA Kelowna, years before this campaign.
Fat Cat Children's Festival
Board member, then chair, of one of Kelowna's best-loved family events.
Kelowna Santas and Tiny Tim's
Wrapping and delivering gifts, and serving breakfast, for local families.
What 1,000 conversations changed
For three weeks, people told me the roads haven't kept up with the growth. In the Mission, the week the fires came close, they said it differently: if this neighbourhood had to evacuate, where does everybody go?
That one stopped me. Growth planning and emergency planning are the same conversation, and I'm not sure we've been treating them that way.
I didn't come into this campaign with that on my list. A resident put it there.
In her own words
What she said she'd do on council
From the 2026 all-candidates forum: why she called Kelowna's recovery system broken without transitional housing, what she'd change about approvals and fees, and the thing most candidates won't say out loud about walking into a job they haven't done before.
1,000 conversations with Kelowna. You told me.
Teresa closes out the 1,000 Conversations Tour: what residents raised again and again, and the priorities that came out of listening.
The video you've probably seen
Teresa will try the hard thing, and laugh at herself doing it. That same willingness to show up is what carried her through 1,000 conversations across Kelowna this year.
As seen on Global, CTV and CBC News
Endorsed by
“She's a force. She is someone who networks, who believes in her community, and who doesn't wait for someone else to do it. She gets it done.”
Hi, I'm Renee Merrifield, and I'm proud to endorse Teresa May for City Council. Teresa and I met about 15, 20 years ago, I can't even remember, fundraising for cancer research, which is a near and dear cause to my heart. And from that point forward, we connected over community efforts, community events, and she's a force. She is someone who networks, who believes in her community, and who doesn't wait for someone else to do it. She gets it done. She will be a tremendous asset to council, and I really hope that you join me in voting for her this upcoming Saturday. Teresa May for City Council. Thanks.
In their words
I first met Teresa May in 2006 and she never ceases to amaze me. Teresa is passionate in everything she does, she truly cares for our community, and I'm sure she's going to give it her best as she does with everything.
I have had the privilege of knowing Teresa for more than 20 years, and throughout that time she has consistently demonstrated honesty, integrity, and a genuine commitment to helping others. She is approachable, respectful, and dedicated to finding practical solutions that benefit all residents. She has my full confidence and my strongest endorsement.
I have known Teresa for over 10 years, and there is not a harder working candidate for council. I have served with her on non-profit community boards, and she is excellent at making tough choices. I have owned a business in Kelowna for over 30 years, and I fully recommend you look into her devotion to this city. She has earned the right to represent the people of Kelowna.
I have known you for a number of years now, and we even traveled to Mexico together this past winter. What amazes me about you is your fearless tenacity to go after what you are passionate about, and the best part is you get results. You are a connector of people. You love to help others. Your get-it-done attitude is exactly what Kelowna needs. I know firsthand that you have what it takes and I stand in support of you.
Teresa will definitely make a world of difference at City Council. Her actions speak louder than words! She is a true gem for Kelowna, and I'm wishing her all the best from the bottom of my heart. She is the star of our Warrior Women group and now the star of Kelowna! I love seeing those beautiful signs with Teresa's infectious smile all around the city. Kelowna is lucky to have you!
Teresa May is someone who doesn't just talk about what needs to be done. She takes action, finds solutions, and gets things done. She is resourceful, a natural connector, and has built genuine relationships throughout our community. I've seen firsthand her ability to listen, bring people together, and take action. I'm proud to wholeheartedly endorse Teresa May for Kelowna City Council.
I've known Teresa May for nearly 20 years, and throughout that time I've known her as a woman of integrity, kindness and goodwill. She is honest, hardworking and genuinely committed to the community she calls home. Teresa is also fearless. When she sets her mind to something, she takes it on with determination. I believe she will bring that same courage and dedication to serving Kelowna on City Council.
Teresa brings people together for the good of us all, right here in Kelowna. She is a genuinely beautiful person with a heart for helping people from all walks of life. She doesn't just talk about caring. She takes action.
Meet Teresa
Kelowna has been home for more than 20 years. Teresa is a mother and grandmother, a small-business owner, and a lifelong community volunteer who has spent her life bringing people together to solve real problems, not to score political points.
She isn't running because she's a career politician. She's running because she's a connector. She listens first, gets to know the challenges families and neighbourhoods are facing, and works on solutions that actually move the city forward.
Kelowna is growing fast, and that growth should make life better, not harder: safer streets, homes people can afford, real support for seniors and families, and a downtown where local businesses can thrive.
Teresa May is a lifelong entrepreneur, community leader, volunteer, and advocate who has spent decades investing in the people and future of Kelowna.
Throughout her career, Teresa May has owned and managed a diverse range of businesses, including a custom home building company, a talent agency in the film industry, a dental practice, a furniture refinishing business, a fundraising enterprise, and a specialty meat shop. She has also worked as a teacher and is a published author. Her broad business background has given her firsthand experience in leadership, budgeting, problem-solving, customer service, and creating employment opportunities.
Teresa May is perhaps best known for her unwavering commitment to community service. Over the past two decades, she has volunteered thousands of hours with organizations that support families, children, seniors, health care, and those experiencing hardship. Her volunteer leadership has included serving with and, in many cases, chairing organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Children's Festival, the Wild Women Wise Women Foundation, East Meets West, the Kelowna Gospel Mission, Shoe Bank Canada, The Bridge Youth & Family Services, the Community Food Bank, and Canadian Blood Services. She has always believed that strong communities are built through service, collaboration, and compassion.
Today, Teresa May continues to work alongside her husband Peter Teschner in the residential construction industry, advocating for sustainable, innovative building practices that address housing affordability, environmental responsibility, and community growth. She is passionate about responsible development that enhances neighbourhoods while preparing Kelowna for the future. Teresa has two children, Alisha and Trevor, and Peter has two sons, together a blended family with four grandchildren.
As a grandmother, business owner, volunteer, and Kelowna resident of more than two decades, Teresa brings a practical, balanced, fresh perspective to community issues. She understands the challenges facing families, seniors, businesses, and young people because she has lived them. Her approach is collaborative rather than divisive, and she believes the best solutions come from listening, building relationships, and bringing people together.
Teresa May is seeking public office because she wants to build on the positive momentum Kelowna has achieved. She believes in thoughtful growth, fiscal responsibility, strong community partnerships, and maintaining the high quality of life that makes Kelowna such a remarkable place to live.
Her decades of volunteerism, business leadership, and community involvement reflect a simple philosophy: give back, work hard, listen carefully, and leave your community better than you found it.
This week I heard
Every Sunday, a short recap of what came up in that week's conversations.
Two weeks past 1,000 conversations in Kelowna: what residents are asking about the Performing Arts Centre, Kelowna Springs, empty buildings, and safety.
Read moreTeresa May's 1,000 Conversations Tour reached its goal with 1,001 conversations, and what Kelowna residents said about housing, safety, growth and costs.
Read moreWeek seven of Teresa May's 1,000 Conversations Tour across Kelowna: 144 conversations on recovery and homelessness, excessive vehicle noise, needles in parks, and a practical idea to curb illegal dumping, bringing the running total to 810.
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