About Corey Viala

Corey Viala was raised in Vernon, BC, before moving to Nelson on Boxing Day of 1981. He quickly became involved in the community, joining the Nelson Fire Department as an auxiliary firefighter in 1982 and becoming a full-time firefighter in 1989. In 1992, Corey joined the BC Ambulance Service as a paramedic, where he served for 28 years. During his full-time work with BC Ambulance, he also remained an auxiliary firefighter with the Nelson Fire Department for an additional 23 years of service.

Nelson is where Corey built his family life. He met his wife, Tina, in Nelson more than 39 years ago. Together, they raised two children they are very proud of.

Over the years, Corey has remained actively involved in the community through a number of volunteer roles. He was a member of the Nelson Rotary Club for over 10 years, serving as both President and Past President. He has helped coordinate, and deliver, Meals on Wheels each December for over 15 years. He has membership in the Nelson Italian Club, and supported the Club through family involvement. Currently, Corey is the President of the Nelson Leafs Hockey Society, a role he has held for the last 9 years.

During his career as a paramedic, Corey also took on significant leadership responsibilities within the Ambulance Paramedics of BC. He served as a Union Regional Vice-President for 4 years before being elected as Provincial Safety Director. He remained in that position for nearly 10 years, until his retirement from BCEHS. He was also appointed to the CUPE BC Health and Safety Committee for 4 years. Corey is particularly proud of the work he did to improve ambulance and workplace safety. He was involved in the redesign of the ambulance fleet used by BC Ambulance Service, and was one of only two paramedics in Canada invited to help rewrite the Canadian Standards Association standards for ambulance design.

His work also gave him considerable experience working with both provincial and municipal leaders. Corey attended numerous Union of BC Municipalities conferences, where he met with elected officials and government representatives. He also attended meetings at the BC Legislature with MLAs to discuss issues affecting paramedics, as well as the communities they served.

For more than four decades, Nelson has been Corey’s home. Nelson is where he raised his family, built his career, volunteered his time, and became invested in many parts of the community. Through his work in emergency services, union leadership, and local organizations, he has learned how to listen carefully, bring people together, advocate for practical improvements and make thoughtful decisions when the stakes are high.

That experience is at the heart of Corey’s decision to run for Nelson City Council. He understands the importance of public service, the responsibility that comes with representing others, and the value of working collaboratively to solve problems. His years of community involvement have also given him a firsthand understanding of the people, organizations, and neighbourhoods that make Nelson strong.

Corey has considered running for Council for many years, and with more time now to devote to the role, he believes this is the right moment to step forward. He is running because he wants to contribute his experience, energy, and knowledge of Nelson to the decisions shaping the city’s future—and because he believes Council is strongest when it listens to residents, responds to practical needs and works together to deliver results.