[6] After having earlier lived in Victoria for three years, she moved permanently to British Columbia in 2018 and secured the party’s nomination in Port Moody—Coquitlam in June 2019.
Her initial posts were in inner-city high schools, at which two stabbings took place – events that she says “profoundly impacted” her by deepening her “awareness of the societal challenges around her.”[7] She also taught piano, theory and composition and directed choirs, bands and musical theatre productions.
However, she withdrew from the race following then-Liberal MP Leona Alleslev's September 2018 decision to cross the floor and join the Conservatives.
[6] Her campaign became public in February 2019 as she received endorsements from retired Coquitlam City Councillor Terry O'Neill and the previous Conservative candidate for the riding, Tim Laidler.
The only other person seeking the nomination, Matthew Sebastiani, said the following month that he had been pressured by at least one Conservative to drop out of the race.