Mayor Buchanan’s values and passion for our City come naturally to her. Her late father, Jim Buchanan, was a popular high school principal whose memory is celebrated with the annual Buchanan Bowl football game. Her mother, Verna, was a nurse and remains a long-time community volunteer. Mayor Buchanan states both her parents provided a deep foundation to the value of family, deep times to our community and an understanding of the diverse people who live here.
After graduating from Carson Graham Secondary School and the University of British Columbia (Honors), Mayor Buchanan pursued her family’s commitment to people and community through a career in nursing, providing preventative health services working with the Squamish Nation; health promotion to children, youth and families; and working in schools and community clinics.
As a past School Trustee Mayor Buchanan played a leadership role in the revitalization of the City’s schools. She is one of the founding members of the Ridgeway Heritage Committee and is proud of their success in having Ridgeway Elementary, one of the most significant heritage buildings in North Vancouver, restored. People who know Mayor Buchanan describe her as an exceptional leader, a collaborator and a strong advocate for our community.
Mayor Buchanan is the principle author of the North Shore Child and Family Friendly Charter and as a Councillor championed the creation of the Child, Youth and Family Municipal Strategy and the Dementia Friendly Action Plan. She is a strong supporter of improving the quality of living for residents that focuses on programs and services, the public spaces, arts and culture, and infrastructure that makes our City, a people place.
Mayor Buchanan lives with her husband and their four children. She is a proud hockey mom, an avid walker, tennis player, and jazz music enthusiast.