“I want to be a part of the change I want to see.”

Annelise Beach is a social worker, healthcare professional and mother of two young children who has spent the past decade working in social services, including the last several years in mental health and substance use.

Annelise grew up in the rural northern B.C. community of Burns Lake and began working at the age of 14. Her early jobs included serving in restaurants and working briefly at a pellet plant before moving to Kamloops in 2013 to pursue a degree in Social Work at Thompson Rivers University.

Since then, she has built a career supporting people through the social services and healthcare systems. She has worked in healthcare for seven years and has focused specifically on mental health and substance use for the past five years.

Her work has strengthened her commitment to social justice, equity and ensuring people can access the support they need. As a social worker, she believes strong communities depend on inclusion, compassion and public systems that work for everyone.

Becoming a parent has also deepened Annelise’s concern about the future of the environment and the costs of climate change. She wants to see a faster transition to clean energy and a fairer tax system where the largest polluters and wealthiest individuals contribute more toward the challenges facing communities.

Annelise is running in Kamloops Centre to bring her experience in social work, healthcare and mental health into public service and to advocate for working people, stronger communities and a sustainable future for the next generation.