Submitted questionnaire

Bal Grewal

Lawyer

This is the candidate’s public questionnaire. It is not a ForChange recommendation. The committee’s recommended candidates are published on the Candidates page.

  1. 01 · Why are you running for Kelowna City Council?

    Kelowna is at a pivotal turning point. As our city grows rapidly, residents and local businesses face mounting challenges with public safety, traffic gridlock, rising property taxes, and housing pressure. I am running for City Council because Kelowna needs decisive, practical, and accountable leadership at City Hall—backed by broad legal experience, real-world business ownership, and full commitment.

    As Founder and Managing Partner of BSG Law Corp, my legal career spans both courtroom litigation and solicitor work focused on residential and commercial real estate, contracts, and compliance. Starting in litigation taught me to analyze evidence critically and hold institutions accountable, while my residential real estate practice gives me a deep, practical understanding of homeownership, conveyancing, and housing market realities.

    To serve Kelowna effectively, I am scaling back my legal caseload so I can dedicate the substantial time and energy Council demands. I am ready to bring this
    Combination of legal rigor, real estate expertise, and small business experience to City Hall.

  2. 02 · Issue #1: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

    Issue 1: Public Safety, Safe Streets & Street Crisis

    • The Issue: Open crime, habitual property offenders, and unaddressed mental health/addiction crises on public streets erode public safety and hurt local businesses and neighborhoods.
    • Specific Actions:
    1. Lobby the BC Provincial Government to enact and expand compulsory, involuntary care facilities for individuals experiencing severe mental health and addiction crises.
    2. Partner with the RCMP and Crown prosecutors to enforce strict bail conditions and target habitual offenders.
    3. Expand street-level RCMP auxiliary, foot, and cycle patrols across Downtown, Rutland, and municipal parks. Also Expanded bylaw powers.
    • Council’s Influence: City Council sets municipal policing priorities and budget allocations, and serves as the primary municipal advocate lobbying Victoria for health and justice reform.

  3. 03 · Issue #2: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

    Infrastructure-First, Responsible Growth & Housing
    The Issue: Rapid high-density residential development without adequate infrastructure creates traffic bottlenecks, overburdens utilities, and risks destroying established neighborhood character and agricultural lands (ALR).
    Specific Actions:
    1. Enforce an "Infrastructure-First Mandate"—freezing major high-density approvals in under-serviced zones until sewer, stormwater, and road capacities are budgeted and built.
    2. Direct high-rise high-density growth strictly along primary commercial transit corridors to protect single-family residential cores.
    3. Fix traffic gridlock by synchronizing traffic signals with AI/dynamic timing along major routes (Hwy 97, Lakeshore, Springfield)
    Council Inf: City Council holds authority over zoning bylaws, official community plans (OCP), development permits, capital infrastructure spending

  4. 04 · Issue #3: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

    Fiscal Stewardship, Taxpayer Protection & Accountability
    • The Issue: Property tax hikes continue to outpace family budgets while municipal spending grows without sufficient independent oversight.
    • Specific Actions:
    1. Initiate an immediate, independent top-to-bottom performance review of all city departments to eliminate operational redundancies and middle-management waste.
    2. Cap future property tax increases tightly to core municipal inflation indexes, prioritizing core services (safety, roads, utilities) over non-essential vanity projects.
    3. Modernize municipal procurement with transparent digital bidding to invite competitive local contractor bids and lower capital project costs.
    • Council’s Influence: City Council debates, approves, and oversees Kelowna’s annual municipal budget and directs internal and external audit scopes.

  5. 05 · What experience, skills, and community involvement do you bring to the role?

    I bring a practical blend of legal, real estate, and small business experience to the table. As Managing Partner of BSG Law Corp (admitted to the Bar in BC and Alberta), my career began in courtroom litigation before evolving into solicitor work with a focus on residential real estate, commercial transactions, compliance, and contract negotiation.

    This legal arc is directly applicable to municipal governance: litigation, trained me to question assumptions and analyze evidence under scrutiny, while my extensive residential real estate practice gives me a clear, detailed grasp of housing transactions, zoning bylaws, development agreements, and municipal process.

    Importantly, I am intentionally winding down my active legal caseload to prioritize City Council duties. Combined with my community advocacy—focusing on public safety, Okanagan Lake water security, FireSmart wildfire resilience, and ALR preservation—I offer the legal precision, small business perspective, and dedicated time needed to serve Kelowna effectively.

  6. 06 · How will you approach council decisions when priorities compete for limited resources?

    When resources are limited, Council must apply a strict "Core Services First" framework. Essential municipal responsibilities—public safety, road and transit infrastructure, clean drinking water, and waste management—must always take priority over discretionary or prestige projects.

    My approach relies on objective data, independent cost-benefit audits, and clear legal analysis. Before approving funding, I will evaluate: Does this directly serve public safety or infrastructure readiness? What is the multi-year tax impact on residents? Is there a local procurement alternative that yields better value? By maintaining fiscal discipline and asking tough legal and financial questions up front, we can protect taxpayers while delivering high-quality core services.

  7. 07 · How do you work with people who see an issue differently than you?

    As a lawyer and corporate negotiator, my entire career has been built on finding constructive solutions among parties with competing interests. Effective governance requires listening intently, respecting opposing viewpoints, and focusing strictly on facts, evidence, and common ground rather than personal politics.

    I welcome rigorous debate. When disagreements arise on Council or with community stakeholders, I advocate for transparent discussions, clear data presentation, and focusing on our shared objective: what best serves the long-term well-being of Kelowna residents. Once a collaborative decision is reached through due process, I believe in moving forward with professional unity and accountability.

  8. 08 · What else should voters know about you?

    I am not a career politician—I am a practicing lawyer, business owner, and neighbor who loves Kelowna and wants to see our city governed with integrity, common sense, and foresight.

    I believe Council members should be accessible, accountable, and thoroughly prepared for every vote. I will bring a fresh, independent voice to City Hall—one that isn't beholden to slates or special interests, but is dedicated entirely to practical solutions, safe neighborhoods, and responsible growth.

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