Nonpartisan Hacks

BC’s political landscape seems to change by the week... new parties, shifting allegiances, and plenty of noise. But what about the voters in the middle who just want good government? In this episode of Non-Partisan Hacks , Parksville councillors Joel Grenz and Sean Wood welcome Karin Kirkpatrick, leader of CentreBC and former MLA for West Vancouver–Capilano. From her time as Shadow Minister for Ho...

Thinking about throwing your hat in the ring for local office? Or maybe someone told you you should run ? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what it really takes to run — and serve — in local government. Joel and Sean share candid reflections on why people run, what the job actually involves, and what they wish they knew before signing up. From campaign prep and council dynamics to emoti...

Can provincial housing targets be a smarter way to plan future housing across the province? In this no-guest episode of Non-Partisan Hacks , Joel and Sean unpack a new Parksville resolution headed to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) that seeks to uplevel how the Province sets housing targets for local governments. It’s a call for smarter, more climate-resilient, infrastructure-ready planning...

Is a 0% property tax increase really something to celebrate? Or is it just kicking the financial can down the road? In this episode of Non-Partisan Hacks , we’re joined by Chris Brown, host of Cross Border Interviews , for a candid conversation about municipal responsibility, political courage, and the dangerous allure of short-term wins. We dig into Chris’s viral editorial on local governments th...

Welcome to Non-Partisan Hacks , where hosts Sean Wood and Joel Grenz, both Parksville city councillors, take you behind the scenes of good governance. This episode is extra special as we welcome our very first guest, Michelle Stilwell—Paralympic champion, former MLA for Parksville-Qualicum, and passionate advocate for inclusive communities. Michelle shares her journey from winning gold medals to n...

In this episode of  Non-Partisan Hacks , Joel and Sean return from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference in Ottawa. We share what we learned, who we met, and why it matters back home. We cover how FCM gives local governments a collective voice on national issues—from aging infrastructure to housing targets—and why property taxes alone aren’t cutting it anymore. We also br...

In our inaugural episode of  Nonpartisan Hacks , we dive headfirst into the world of local government — the meetings, the budgets, the sewage (yes, really). Joel Granz and Sean Wood explain why they started this podcast, why politics doesn’t have to be partisan, and why boring government is actually a good thing. We take on regional districts, mystery tax line items, and the Deloitte report o...