Mayor Buchanan was born and raised in North Vancouver, and through her professional work, volunteer efforts and service as an elected official, she has spent her life working to improve this community.
After obtaining her degree in nursing from UBC, Mayor Buchanan worked as a public health nurse in the Squamish Nation and in North Shore schools and community clinics, providing preventative health services to people of all ages.
In 2008, she was elected as a school trustee for the North Vancouver School District, where she worked to revitalize the City’s schools and ensure the preservation and restoration of the historic Ridgeway Elementary School.
In 2011, she was elected as a City Councillor, and over the course of her two terms she championed the creation of the Child, Youth and Family Municipal Strategy, the Dementia-Friendly Action Plan, and the North Shore Child and Family-Friendly Charter. Since 2018, Mayor Buchanan has been proud to serve as the Vice-Chair of Metro Vancouver. Throughout her time as Councillor and her current work as Mayor, she has focused on building a City that is people-focused, where businesses can prosper and residents can access the support they need to live healthy and happy lives.
Mayor Buchanan and her husband Kevin raised their four children in North Vancouver together, and they share a passion for the City’s amazing local jazz music scene.