West Vancouver Council is the elected decision-making body for the District and is comprised of the mayor and six councillors. The mayor is the chief executive officer. Under the Local Government Act, Council sets budgets, levy taxes and establishes policies to guide the growth, development and operation of the District.
Contact Mayor and Council
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Mark Sager, Mayor
604-925-7001 (office)
604-921-8881 (cell)
EmailChristine Cassidy, Councillor
604-690-3067
EmailNora Gambioli, Councillor
604-653-8823
EmailPeter Lambur, Councillor
604-644-1769
EmailScott Snider, Councillor
604-218-2597
EmailSharon Thompson, Councillor
604-209-4621
EmailLinda Watt, Councillor
604-690-2952
Email
Mayor and Council Profiles
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Mark Sager has lived in West Vancouver his entire life and attended both West Bay and Hillside schools. Mark was elected as a School Trustee in 1979 and served in that role till 1983, the last year as Board Chair. He was later elected as a Councillor and served from 1983–1990. In 1991 he was elected as Mayor and served in that position until 1996. Mark stepped away from public service to have more family time as their daughter Mikayla was then six years old. As Mikayla is now a successful opera singer in San Francisco, he decided to return to public service, and was elected Mayor again in 2022.
Mark has held several other positions in the community over the years, including:
- West Vancouver Police Board (Chair)
- Metro Vancouver (Vice-Chair)
- British Columbia Court of Appeal (Law Clerk)
- British Columbia Commission on School District Administration (Chair)
- Ambleside Dundarave Business Improvement Association (Secretary/Director)
- West Vancouver Foundation (Honorary Governors’ Council)
- Ambleside Centre Strata Corporation (President)
He has also served on numerous homeowners’ associations and strata councils, both locally and in the US. He has also been a diplomatic guest of both the United States Government and the Government of China.
Beyond his community work, Mayor Sager is an avid sportsman and pilot. He loves Crossfit, skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, sailing, cycling, windsurfing, travel, golf, and swimming. Mark raced the Victoria to Maui Yacht Race and won the Andreas Schurller Memorial Trophy for Best Navigator.
Most importantly though, Mark is dedicated to his community, having had deep roots in West Vancouver spanning over generations, he is a proponent of seeing our business communities come back to life.
Contact Information
604-925-7001 (office)
604-921-8881 (cell)
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Nora Gambioli is now serving her fourth term on Council—she was first elected in 2011.
Her family has lived in West Vancouver for more than 100 years and five generations. A graduate of Gleneagles Elementary, West Vancouver Secondary, UBC, and Dalhousie, Nora’s early career included teaching secondary school science in West Vancouver and owning her own education business. She has worked abroad as a teacher and lawyer and has spent much of her career in the non-profit sector; as a Manager for the Law Courts Education Society of BC and Executive Director of the Canadian Breast Cancer Network in Ottawa.
Nora has a strong dedication to our community, devoting over 30 years of her life to volunteering and public service. She has served on boards, committees and working groups in West Vancouver, from Streamkeepers to Scouts to the Library Board, and every committee in-between!
She is particularly motivated by policies supporting climate change action, protecting, restoring, and defending the natural environment, creating more diverse housing and transportation options, and encouraging a strong sense of community and belonging for residents of all ages. She is an open-minded listener, and an advocate for the sustainability of West Vancouver.
Nora is also active at our recreation centres, in her garden and with our local schools.
Contact Information
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Peter Lambur was first elected to Council in 2016 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
A resident of West Vancouver since 1990, Peter lives in Ambleside with his wife Rebecca and their two dogs, Roco and Tasha. Trained as an architect and urban planner, Peter brings his professional experience to the role of municipal Councillor as an advocate for a better community through planning and design best practices.
He helped lead a grass-roots community campaign against large-format retail expansion at Park Royal which led to the development of the highly successful lifestyle village. He has championed neighbourhood values serving as the Council representative to the Neighbourhood Character Working Group and supports effective community-serving transportation and transit solutions.
Peter is actively engaged in the completion of Local Area Plans for Ambleside and the Taylor Way Corridor, actioning climate change adaptation initiatives and protection of our natural assets.
Peter has previously served as a Trustee for the West Vancouver Memorial Library and Chair of the Community Engagement Committee. He currently sits as Council representative to the Seniors’ Activity Centre Advisory Board and is the Mayor’s appointee to the Metro Vancouver Regional Planning Committee.
Contact Information
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Scott Snider was born and raised in West Vancouver and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and History from UBC in 1989. After graduation, Scott left West Vancouver but returned with his family in 2012. He currently lives in the Cypress Park area.
Scott has been a self-employed Mediator since 2002, participating in thousands of hours of successful mediations, including complex multi-party matters, being a member in good standing with Mediate BC since 2001. Scott conducts more than 200 mediation per year and is a big believer in working collaboratively with interested parties in achieving resolutions to matters in dispute.
Scott is also the Designated Broker of a new mortgage company based in West Vancouver, Firststep Financial Corp, specializing in finding alternative residential financing for those not able to or not willing to put more than 10% down.
On Council, Scott has been appointed as liaison to the Chamber of Commerce.
Contact Information
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Sharon Thompson is serving her second term on Council and recently concluded a seven-year role as a constituency assistant in the riding West Vancouver–Sea to Sky. In her provincial role she engaged with six Municipal and two First Nations councils, the Squamish Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), Electoral Area A (Metro) communities, and the Federal Government to collaborate with various Provincial Ministries. Her degree in Urban Geography from UBC and diploma in Civic Engagement and Dialogue at SFU suit her current role well.
Sharon has been a resident of West Vancouver for almost 40 years. She raised three daughters in the community who have completed university and are now living around the world. Sharon has been an avid volunteer community leader, and an advocate for West Vancouver.
Sharon currently sits on the following committees and boards:
- Mayors’ TransLink Board (Alternate)
- Metro Vancouver Regional Parks
- West Vancouver Memorial Library Board
- Awards Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
- Howe Sound Community Forum
- Youth Services
- Ocean Watch Action Committee
- North Shore Emergency Management (NSEM)
She has also served on several other committees over the years, including:- Heritage Advisory Committee
- Coastal Marine Management Plan Working Group
- Community Grants Committee
- Design Review Committee
- School Traffic and Safety Advisory Committee
- Gleneagles Advisory Committee
- Public Art Advisory Committee
- Enhance West Van Board
- Community Engagement Committee (Chair)
She is also a member of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver Sunrise, House Sound Biosphere Regional Initiative, and the Caulfeild Park Stewardship group.
Sharon is an outdoor enthusiast who loves cooking, reading, fitness, and recreation. As a member of the community and as a member of Council, Sharon prioritizes bringing people and stakeholder’s together for meaningful and productive conversations. She believes in the power and purpose of volunteerism and her time away from council duties often involves participating in invasive species removal, storm clean ups, working at blood donor clinics, and lending a hand wherever needed.
On Council, Sharon focuses on solutions to protect our community from the impacts of climate change, improvements to regional transportation, and managing conflicts around park access. She looks for housing solutions that encourage gentle densification, respect neighbourhood character, and provide equity-building housing opportunities, while seeking to improve municipal processes and policies that add time and cost, which ultimately lands on the homeowner or renter.
The highlight on council in 2024 for Sharon, is the formation of our Environmental Committee and hopeful assembly of a Planning Committee to bring more holistic perspective and approach to municipal planning, strategic priorities, organizational efficiencies, and budgetary spends as the pressures of growth and climate change veil our community.
Preserving Heritage and the world class Post Modern Homes that exist in West Vancouver is an ongoing challenge and fascinating subject to educate yourself on. Sharon encourages you to check out West Coast Modern Week in West Vancouver, follow West Vancouver Art Museum, and watch ”Coastal Modern” on Knowledge Network to get a idea of the treasures we have in our community.
Contact Information
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Linda Watt was first elected to Council in 2022. Linda arrived in Horseshoe Bay with her young family in 2006 for what was to be a temporary relocation. The profound sense of community and accessibility to some of the most spectacular outdoor recreation and scenery on the planet inspired her to make West Vancouver her permanent home. Her prior career in the film industry and propensity for offbeat travel have exposed her to a vast array of cultures and has often led her into remote locales in challenging conditions. She is inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and acutely aware that we are extremely fortunate to call West Vancouver home.
Linda is motivated by policies that uplift our commercial villages. She is an advocate for the protection of neighbourhood character through gentle densification, the forced upkeep or removal of derelict homes, the protection of views and the preservation of our natural environment.
An avid skier, kayaker and open ocean swimmer, Linda prefers to push the limit in the elements. Prior to being elected to Council, she served as a BC Ferries Liaison Committee member, Director with the Western Residents Association, Block Watch Captain and volunteered as a ski instructor in the children’s program at Cypress Mountain.
Linda holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies with a Legal Studies Minor from the University of Waterloo.
Contact Information
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