Tracy Gray


Tracy Gray is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Kelowna—Lake Country in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Prior to her election in the House of Commons, she was a city councillor in Kelowna.

Business career

Prior to entering public service, Gray had worked extensively in the British Columbia liquor industry. She served in managerial capacities at several breweries and wineries in the Okanagan Valley, including Mission Hill Winery and Granville Island Brewing. She ran the Retail and Hospitality department at Mission Hill when it was awarded the International Wine and Spirit Competition Avery Trophy for Best Chardonnay in the World.
In 2003, Gray launched a chain of VQA wine stores in the British Columbia Interior. Throughout its operation, the chain was the highest ranked wine store in British Columbia in terms of sales, and carried over 800 varieties of local British Columbia wine. Gray has guest lectured at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and Okanagan College about entrepreneurship and has been an advocate and mentor for women in business. Gray hosted a weekly wine lifeystyle segment on Global Okanagan and has also served as a judge at several international wine competitions.
Gray was a director on the Okanagan Film Commission, an organization which promotes regional economic development in film and animation. She was also a board member for Prospera Credit Union. Gray was on the board when Prospera merged with Westminster Savings, the largest credit union merger in Canadian history, making the new organization the 6th largest credit union in Canada. She also served as a director on the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.
Gray was appointed by British Columbia's cabinet to serve on the Passenger Transportation Board.

Politics

Kelowna City Councillor (2014-2018)

Gray was elected as a Kelowna, British Columbia City Councillor following the 2014 municipal election. While on City Council, Gray was also elected as Chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, and spearheaded the region's flood mitigation strategy and invasive Quagga mussel prevention campaign. In April 2017, the provincial government responded to the concerns raised by Gray and the Water Board about invasive mussels by hiring more conservation officers and providing funding for two more boat inspection stations in the area. She was also appointed as a Trustee on the Okanagan Regional Library board.
She also served at the regional government level as a director on the Central Okanagan Regional District board.

Federal Politics (2018-present)

On September 6, 2018, Gray announced she would seek the federal Conservative nomination for the electoral district of Kelowna—Lake Country, stating she felt compelled the run following the Liberal government's proposed small business tax changes. She won the contested nomination on April 6, 2019. Gray was elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding on October 21, defeating Liberal incumbent Stephen Fuhr. She is the first woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament for the riding.
Gray was named to the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet in November 2019 as Shadow Minister for Interprovincial Trade.

Personal life

Gray is married with one adult son. She was born in Edmonton and grew up in Lethbridge, moving to Kelowna in 1989. She is a graduate of the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.
In her free time, Gray enjoys skiing and singing in a volunteer community rock band composed of elected officials in the Kelowna-area.

Awards and Recognition

In 2006, Gray was named RBC Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
In 2008, she was named by the Women's Enterprise Centre as one of 100 'New Pioneers' in British Columbia involved in entrepreneurship.
In 2015, she was named as a 'Woman to Watch' by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and Kelowna Capital News for her work in the local wine industry and on city council.

Electoral record

Federal

Municipal