"As your Mayor, I will fight for you," is the quote at the top of Dave Habib's campaign web page.
It's a reference to the decades he's spent coaching and mentoring at his boxing club.
When he's not around the boxing ring, he operates the Liquid Zoo, a strip club in downtown Kelowna.
It's not the typical resume for a mayoral candidate, but David Habib is not your typical guy.
"No, I'm not," he said. "I'm a person who's spent 43 years in this community and I have a strong belief that I'm here for the people."
He said, there's a lot more to his involvement in the Kelowna Boxing Club than the sport itself.
"I use that as a vehicle to help kids in this community," said Habib.
"We put an emphasis on reaching out and dealing with issues that some kids are having, whether it's issues with drugs, alcohol, physical abuse, mental abuse."
He's not considered a front-runner in the campaign, but Habib is serious about his campaign.
"I can assure you I have a shot," said Habib. "There's no question in my mind."
When asked about the city's ongoing efforts to address homelessness, he said it's time for a new approach.
"I'd do a lot differently," said Habib, "because I think it has to be hands-on from the top."
He shares stories about reaching out personally to people downtown sleeping on sidewalks.
On crime, he's very critical of the current regime.
"This is getting scary", said Habib. "We have to get these people off the street, get them into permanent housing and work on it."
And he suggests it's worse than it might seem.
"And I'm talking about people who are living in their cars, couch surfing, living in campers because they've got nowhere else to go."
There has been the presence of gang activity in the periphery of Habib's life, but he fights off any suggestion that he's ever been connected in any way.
And he points to his squeaky clean personal lifestyle to make the point.
"I've never bought, sold, done drugs, popped a pill, smoked a joint, I've never drank a can of Red Bull or a cup of coffee," said Habib.
"And the reason I do that is God put me on this earth to be an example," he said.
Habib's election signs include flowers, blue irises, across the bottom.
He said they are a symbol of hope, and he hopes to get your vote when we go to the polls Oct. 15.
For information and video interviews with almost every candidate in the race, visit Kelowna Votes 2022.
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