After four years as mayor, Lilia Hansen is ready to keep going

Lilia Hansen has been part of Fort St. John for a long time, through business, community organizations, two terms on council and now four years as mayor, and Tuesday morning she made it clear there is still plenty she wants to do for the community she calls home.

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Hansen was first elected mayor in 2022 after serving two terms as a city councillor, and while she is proud of what Fort St. John has accomplished over the past four years, she also knows there is still plenty of work ahead and says she is ready to keep going.

“Fort St. John is my home. It’s where I’ve built my career, raised my family, volunteered and had the incredible privilege of serving as Mayor,” said Hansen. “Four years ago, residents placed their trust in me to lead our community. I’m asking for the opportunity to continue that work.”

Fort St. John has been home for Hansen for most of her life, with the mayor now having lived here for 50 years, raising her family in the community and spending years involved in business, economic development and community organizations before eventually making her way to city council.

Heading into another campaign, Hansen said experience matters when the decisions get difficult, but so do the relationships built along the way and taking the time to listen to the people those decisions will ultimately affect.

“I believe experience matters when decisions are difficult. Relationships matter when we need partners at the table. And listening matters because the best decisions start by understanding the people they affect,” Hansen said.

Economic development will be another big part of the campaign, although Hansen believes bringing new people, businesses and investment to Fort St. John means looking at considerably more than the job waiting for somebody when they get here. “People don’t just choose a job - they choose a community.”

Around here, that means everything from housing and health care to recreation, safety, infrastructure, economic opportunity and simply making Fort St. John somewhere people want to put down roots and stick around.

“People choose where they want to raise a family, build a business, put down roots and belong,” Hansen said. “That means continuing to build a Fort St. John where families thrive, businesses succeed, young people see a future, seniors feel valued, and people feel safe and welcome.”

For Hansen, responsible decision-making will remain a big part of that work as well, and she believes investing in the city's future and keeping life affordable don't necessarily have to work against one another, but do require some careful thought about costs, partnerships, risks and what those decisions mean years down the road.

There will be lots to talk about between now and election day, with community safety, affordability, housing, health care advocacy, economic opportunity, infrastructure and recreation all expected to be part of Hansen's campaign, but she says there will also be plenty of listening.

“Most importantly, I’ll be listening,” Hansen said. “I want to hear what residents believe is working, what isn’t, and the kind of Fort St. John they want us to continue building together.”

Hansen's 2026 campaign will carry the message:

Proud of our progress. Ready for what’s next.

Listening. Leading. Building Together.

Fort St. John voters head to the polls Oct. 17.