This is from Woodwynn Farms
For Immediate Release – Nov. 22, 2011
Victoria, BC – Student volunteers from Royal Roads University and the University of Victoria in partnership with Woodwynn Farms and Cabin 12 are collecting winter clothing to donate to the homeless of Victoria. Entitled Camp Compassion, the event coincides with the City of Victoria’s Santa Claus Parade, the 4th Annual Christmas Tree Light-up, and the opening of the Centennial Square skating rink. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations to Cabin 12 restaurant adjacent to Centennial Square on Pandora Street and share the holiday spirit with those less fortunate among us.
Entertainment will be provided by local Victoria musicians Jonathan Percy-Brother and Natascha Chatterton who will perform live starting at 6:30 p.m. on the stage at Cabin 12. Coffee and tea will be provided to warm the crowd and the Woodwynn Farms truck will be used to gather donated clothing items to be distributed by the Committee to End Homelessness in Victoria.
Homelessness is an important issue in Victoria, Mayor-elect Dean Fortin said in support of this student-led initiative.
“Last year homelessness was the number one concern in the city. This year it is the second most important issue behind affordable housing,” he said. “We need to make sure people continue working towards solutions so as much progress can be made this year as last.”
The event will also allow people to find out more about Woodwynn Farms, a therapeutic community in Saanich that provides an integrated solution for two challenging issues facing the region, local food security and opportunities for those in recovery from addiction and mental health to acquire life-skills and structure as a way of providing a sustainable solution for those struggling with homelessness in our community.
Woodwynn Farms founder and CEO Richard LeBlanc, who has been working to create a therapeutic community in the heart of Victoria’s agricultural zone for the past five years, was energized when the students came to him with the idea in September.
“As I’ve said before, Victoria’s homeless population needs more than a bed and a cup of soup,” he said. “People need to be more aware of the myriad of challenges Victoria’s homeless face. When the students approached me about staging this event, their compassion and awareness was humbling and energizing. I hope people will respond with donations of clothing and support the movement to end homelessness in our community and provide lasting change in the lives of those struggling with addictions and mental health.”
For more Information contact Kristyn Snell, Event Organizer, phone: 778-679-1163, e-mail: campcompasion2011@gmail.com
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Woodwynn Farms is a non-profit 193-acre organic farm that hosts a therapeutic community for the homeless, offering an opportunity to transform people’s lives with education and work programmes based on responsibility, dignity, independence and the principles of peer-to-peer support. Work skills, community, self-respect and a deep understanding of sustainability are fundamental pillars for reintegrating clients into society at Woodwynn Farms.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Observations on the 2011 elections in this region
Langford had the lowest turnout in BC at 13.98%, Esquimalt had the third lowest at 17.99%. No a single municipality had more than half the people vote, in 2008 two did. Only four municipalities had more than 1/3 of the people vote. I am not 100%, but I suspect the Greater Victoria Area had the lowest turnout in BC.
The North Saanich election was the closest one out there with a gap of only 228 votes between first and 9th. Jack Thornburgh lost by only 12 votes. The difference between 8th and 2nd was only 94 votes.
In Sidney Tim Chad, who came 7th in 2008, came 5th and won this time. His total vote went down by 16 votes.
Overall 9 mayors are returning and four are new. Out of the councilors, 65 incumbents ran and 58 were re-elected and 27 are new. We had more incumbents run this time than in 2008 with not much of an increase in defeated incumbents. No incumbent mayor was defeated in 2011, in 2008 three of them were.
Defeated Incumbents - I think this all of them - 10 in total, 7 city councilors and 3 trustees.
Victoria had three sitting incumbents defeated, Lynn Hunter, John Luton and Philippe Lucas. All them were serving their first term. There was a clear shift away from the Dean Team and towards the minority on the last council.
Central Saanich saw Susan Mason defeated. John Garrison, who topped the polls in 2008 was almost defeated as well. Interestingly, Carl Jensen got 55 fewer votes than in 2008 but came third instead of 8th as he did in 2008.
In Sooke, two of the five incumbents running for re-election were defeated - Sheila Beech and Ron Dumont.
Ernie Robertson lost in Colwood, he came in 9th
Greater Victoria School District #61 had three sitting incumbents defeated, I am stunned. Four of the incumbents lost between 1015 and 2363 votes. Four of the five candidates endorsed by the Greater Victoria Teachers Association were elected, one of them, Catherine Alpha, had an increase of 2137 votes.
The North Saanich election was the closest one out there with a gap of only 228 votes between first and 9th. Jack Thornburgh lost by only 12 votes. The difference between 8th and 2nd was only 94 votes.
In Sidney Tim Chad, who came 7th in 2008, came 5th and won this time. His total vote went down by 16 votes.
Overall 9 mayors are returning and four are new. Out of the councilors, 65 incumbents ran and 58 were re-elected and 27 are new. We had more incumbents run this time than in 2008 with not much of an increase in defeated incumbents. No incumbent mayor was defeated in 2011, in 2008 three of them were.
Defeated Incumbents - I think this all of them - 10 in total, 7 city councilors and 3 trustees.
Victoria had three sitting incumbents defeated, Lynn Hunter, John Luton and Philippe Lucas. All them were serving their first term. There was a clear shift away from the Dean Team and towards the minority on the last council.
Central Saanich saw Susan Mason defeated. John Garrison, who topped the polls in 2008 was almost defeated as well. Interestingly, Carl Jensen got 55 fewer votes than in 2008 but came third instead of 8th as he did in 2008.
In Sooke, two of the five incumbents running for re-election were defeated - Sheila Beech and Ron Dumont.
Ernie Robertson lost in Colwood, he came in 9th
Greater Victoria School District #61 had three sitting incumbents defeated, I am stunned. Four of the incumbents lost between 1015 and 2363 votes. Four of the five candidates endorsed by the Greater Victoria Teachers Association were elected, one of them, Catherine Alpha, had an increase of 2137 votes.
2011 View Royal Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
Mayor
Council
Mayor
- Graham Hill 1078
- Barb Fetherstonhaugh 453
- Andrew Britton 401
Council
- Heidi Rast 1355(+590)
- John Rogers 1282(+194)
- David Screech 1192(+161)
- Ron Mattson 1013
- Brian Watters 786
- Frank Rudge 784
2011 Saanich School District Election Results
Central Saanich
Nick Claxton and Tim Dunford acclaimed
Sidney
Jane Husband acclaimed
North Saanich
Barbara Mezies 2230
Jim Standen 1374
Monica Copleland 1298
Saanich
Wayne Hunter 2951
Helen Parker 2446
Kerry Steinemann 800
Nick Claxton and Tim Dunford acclaimed
Sidney
Jane Husband acclaimed
North Saanich
Barbara Mezies 2230
Jim Standen 1374
Monica Copleland 1298
Saanich
Wayne Hunter 2951
Helen Parker 2446
Kerry Steinemann 800
2011 Sooke School Board Election Results
Milnes Landing Zone (Sooke area)
Don Brown, Wendy Hobbs, Denise Riley and Dianna Seaton were elected
- Margot Swinburnson 1824
- Neil Poirier 1567
- Bob Philips 1267
- Terrance Martin 1229
- Allison Watson 1117
- Janet Evans 1000
Don Brown, Wendy Hobbs, Denise Riley and Dianna Seaton were elected
2011 Greater Victoria School District Election Results
Numbers in brackets are changes in vote since 2008
- Orcherton, Peg 15,613(-1015)
- Leonard, Elaine 14,742(+249)
- Horsman, Bev 13,795(-1165)
- Nohr, Deborah 13,445
- McNally, Diane 12,977
- Alpha, Catherine 12,965(+2137) 9th in 2008
- McEvoy, Michael 12,642(+495)
- Ferris, Tom 12,600(+709)
- Loring-Kuhanga, Edith 11,264
- Pitre, David 11,201(-56) 8th in 2008
- Holland, Jim 11,122(-1181) 5th in 2008
- Young, John 10,685(-2363) 4th in 2008
- Bratzer, David 10,275
- Paynter, Rob 8,137
- Rand, David 5,363
- Stern, Richard 5,182
2011 Sidney Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
Mayor
Council
Mayor
- Larry Cross 2184(+377)
- Jack Barker 704
Council
- Kenny Podmore 2099(+110)
- Steve Price 1943(+181)
- Marilyn Loveless 1868(-102)
- Mervyn Logher-Goodey 1747(-106)
- Tim Chad 1616(-16) - he came 7th in 2008 with 1632 votes
- Melissa Hailey 1347
- Lois Weaver 1060
- Michael Barwick 1055
- Garry Crispin 682(-62)
2011 Central Saanich Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
Mayor
Council:
Mayor
- Alastair Bryson 2753
- Christopher Graham 1827
Council:
- Cathie Ounsted 2915
- Adam Olsen 2697(-47)
- Carl Jensen 2250(-55) - he came 8th in 2008
- Zeb King 2115(-206)- he came 7th in 2008
- Terry Siklenka 2025(-354)
- John Garrison 2021(-1030) - he topped the polls in 2008
- Susan Mason 1936(-610)
- Robert Thompson 1898
- Liam Cooper 1843
- Sue Stroud 1168(-733)
- Ryan Windsor 1160
- James McNulty 1039
- Wayne Spencer 975
2011 North Saanich Election Results
Mayor by acclamation
Council
This is a shockingly close election, only 228 votes between first and last place. There were only 12 votes between 6th and 7th
Council
- Craig Mearns 2042
- Elsie McMurphy 1990
- Conny McBride 1983
- Dunstan Browne 1975
- Celia Stock 1957
- Ted Daly 1926
- Jack Thornburgh 1914
- Allan Collier 1896
- Ted Izard 1814
This is a shockingly close election, only 228 votes between first and last place. There were only 12 votes between 6th and 7th
2011 Langford Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
Mayor
Council: 2826 voters cast 13118 votes for an average of 4.64 votes per elector
Mayor
- Stew Young 2319
- Chris Johnson 507
Council: 2826 voters cast 13118 votes for an average of 4.64 votes per elector
- Denise Blackwell 1960(-304)
- Lillian Szpak 1936(-321)
- Winnie Siffert 1833(-304)
- Lanny Seaton 1831(-350)
- Matthew Sahlstrom 1680(-179)
- Roger Wade 1640(-270)
- Grant McLachlan 1219
- Sean Horgan 1019
2011 Sooke Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in votes from 2008
Mayor
Council: 3525 voters cast 17,687 ballots for an average of 5.02 votes per elector
Mayor
- Wendal Milne 2571
- David Bennett 931
Council: 3525 voters cast 17,687 ballots for an average of 5.02 votes per elector
- Kevin Pearson 1868
- Bev Berger 1824(+292)
- Herb Haldane 1810(-162)
- Rick Kaspar 1735
- Maja Tait 1675(-305)
- Kerrie Reay 1592
- Jim Mitchell 1527
- Ron Dumont 1500(-86)
- Sheila Beech 1111(-724)
- Myke-Colbert Moonfist 1074
- Terrance Martin 1072
- Shauna Salsman 899
Voter Turnout
The number in the bracket is the change from 2008
As you can see, only 4 of 12 municipalities had an increase in voter turnout. The four that increased all had competitive races for mayor
- Metchosin 48.8(-10.0)
- Oak Bay 42.0(+6.0)
- Sooke 41.9(+1.8)
- North Saanich 41.5(-11.0)
- Central Saanich 32.4(-1.0)
- Sidney 31.0(-5.5)
- View Royal 27.9(+4.6)
- Colwood 26.8(-0.2)
- Victoria 26.4(-0.5)
- Saanich 25.4(+4.4)
- Esquimalt 18.0(-8.9)
- Langford 14.0(-8.9)
As you can see, only 4 of 12 municipalities had an increase in voter turnout. The four that increased all had competitive races for mayor
2011 Metchosin Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
Mayor
Council 1855 voters cast 6713 votes for 3.62 votes per elector
Mayor
- John Ranns 1454(+298)
- Ed Cooper 391
Council 1855 voters cast 6713 votes for 3.62 votes per elector
- Larry Tremblay 1242(+328)
- Bob Gramigna 1232(+57)
- Jo Mitchell 1090(-101)
- Moralea Milne 1050(+35)
- Kyara Kahakauwila 921
- Karen Watson 559
- Terry Wilson 343
- Dani Horgan 276
2011 Colwood Election Results
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
Mayor
Council: 3075 voters cast 14732 votes for an average of 4.79 votes per elector
Mayor
- Carol Hamilton 1412(+103)
- Brian Tucknott 1042
- Jason Nault 621
Council: 3075 voters cast 14732 votes for an average of 4.79 votes per elector
- Shari Lukens 1881
- Gordie Logan 1701(-66)inc
- Cynthia Day 1651(-50)inc
- Rob Martin 1645
- Judith Cullington 1629(-146)inc
- Teresa Harvey 1490
- Rick McKay 1368
- Bill Wagner 1322
- Ernie Robertson 1245(-451)inc
- Duane MacNeill 811
2011 Esquimalt Election Results
Council
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
- Tim Morrison 1655
- Meagan Brame 1631(+184)
- Bob McKie 1594(+263)
- Lynda Hundleby 1570(+93)
- Dave Hodgins 1415
- David Shinbein 940
- Sandra Dixon 819
- Josh Steffler 800
Numbers in brackets are change in vote from 2008
2011 Oak Bay Results
Turnout was 42.05%
Mayor
Council: 6029 voters cast 26,665 votes for an average of 4.42 votes per elector
Numbers in brackets are changes in vote from 2008
Mayor
- Nils Jensen 3197
- Hazel Braithwaite 2769
Council: 6029 voters cast 26,665 votes for an average of 4.42 votes per elector
- Tara Ney 3899(+815)
- Pam Copley 3709(+861)
- John Herbert 3624(+696)
- Kevin Murdoch 3347
- Carine Green 2734
- Michelle Kirby 2616(+592)
- Corey Burger 1624(+457)
- Colleen Kirkpatrick 1454
- Susan Woods 1264
- Bill Carver 1125
- Gregory Hartnell 569
Numbers in brackets are changes in vote from 2008
2011 Victoria Election Results
The numbers in brackets are changes in vote from 2008
Mayor
Mayor
- Dean Fortin 10080 (+2374)inc
- Paul Brown 4229 -
- Steve Filipovic 2206 (+795)
- David Shebib 161
- Geoff Young 8940(+1664)inc
- Charlayne Thornton-Joe 8803(-1084)inc
- Lisa Helps 8523
- Ben Isitt 8419
- Marianne Alto 7493 inc
- Pam Madoff 7321(-1696)inc
- Shellie Gudgeon 6904
- Chris Coleman 6793(+691)inc
- John Luton 6343(+341)inc
- Lynn Hunter 6101(-1825)inc
- Philippe Lucas 5719(-1323)inc
- Rose Henry 4866(+1494)
- Sukhi Lalli 3993
- Linda McGrew 3923
- Aaron Hall 2777
- John C Turner 2014
- Robin Kimpton 1519
- Saul Andersen 1055
- Sean Murray 727
- Jon Valentine 682
2011 Saanich Election Results
Comparisons are to total votes candidates received in 2008 if they ran in 2008
Total of 21,134 people voted
Mayor
116,897 votes were cast for Council which is 5.53 votes cast per voter.
Total of 21,134 people voted
Mayor
- Frank Leonard 11,151 (-821)
- David Cubberley 9,526
- David Shebib 173
116,897 votes were cast for Council which is 5.53 votes cast per voter.
- Susan Brice 13,547 (+2271)
- Judy Brownoff 13,208 (+1866)
- Vic Derman 12,427 (+1442)
- Vicki Sanders 12,358 (+1940)
- Dean Murdock 11,899 (+2820)
- Leif Wergeland 11,740 (+1880)
- Paul Gerrard 10,681 (+2207)
- Nichola Wade 9,437 -
- Rob Wickson 7,801 (+831)
- Jesse McClinton 4,935
- Harald Wolf 4,865
- Ingrid Ip 3,999
Saturday, November 19, 2011
So we lost
And we lost badly. Such is life - never believe a campaign manager about where a campaign is at because any good campaign manager is not capable of seeing anything other than victory.
I also know why we lost.
I will go through all the local elections in the next day or two. The results in Victoria are somewhat different than I expected, not the Open Victoria stuff, but how well Ben Isitt and Lisa Helps did and how badly Lynn Hunter and John Luton did.
I am glad to see Chris Coleman, Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Geoff Young did well.
As to Open Victoria, it continues and will shift into what it really was intended to be, a civic watch dog. It is an important role and one that is missing in most of this region. Frankly most of the local governments need someone on the outside asking questions and pointing mistakes.
I also know why we lost.
I will go through all the local elections in the next day or two. The results in Victoria are somewhat different than I expected, not the Open Victoria stuff, but how well Ben Isitt and Lisa Helps did and how badly Lynn Hunter and John Luton did.
I am glad to see Chris Coleman, Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Geoff Young did well.
As to Open Victoria, it continues and will shift into what it really was intended to be, a civic watch dog. It is an important role and one that is missing in most of this region. Frankly most of the local governments need someone on the outside asking questions and pointing mistakes.
Election Day!
Hello there all - please take the time to vote today.
Please not that the Vic West polling station is not at the Vic West Y, but at the Vic West Elementary
If you are in Victoria, I would like it if you could all vote for:
For Mayor Paul Brown (Open Victoria)
For Council
Aaron Hall (Open Victoria)
Linda McGrew (Open Victoria)
Sukhi Lalli (Open Victoria)
Chris Coleman
Geoff Young
Charlayne Thorton-Joe
For School Board #61
David Bratzer
Please not that the Vic West polling station is not at the Vic West Y, but at the Vic West Elementary
If you are in Victoria, I would like it if you could all vote for:
For Mayor Paul Brown (Open Victoria)
For Council
Aaron Hall (Open Victoria)
Linda McGrew (Open Victoria)
Sukhi Lalli (Open Victoria)
Chris Coleman
Geoff Young
Charlayne Thorton-Joe
For School Board #61
David Bratzer
Friday, November 18, 2011
An email endorsement of a set of candidates
Date: November 18, 2011 6:11:48 PM PST
Subject: I'm voting for change, intelligence and openness.
Please vote saturday, Nov. 19. Turnout for recent municipal elections has been very low... and we are paying the price. Whether you rent or own, property tax increases affect you. Those who care about Victoria, need to keep an eye on city hall. Whose interests are represented? Here's my voting selections... just mine..
if you are interested please consider, if not delete (or let me know you never want to hear from me on such matters in the future). And thanks for voting. Monday magazine has profiles of candidates and their web-site has info on polling stations.
Hi folks ... a few people have asked me for my picks for Victoria mayor and Council. Here they are. I wish I could have gotten out to see these folks in action, but I didn't get that chance. Some I know from the past, others I am going based on endorsements of those I trust.
In my voting I am following three basic principals: I am voting for change. I am voting for intelligence. I am voting for openness (sharing real information, and real listening to what the community wants).
The current Council has acted poorly in listening to citizens, and I will not support them further. They pay lip service to community consultation, but their actions have proven otherwise. The only incumbent I will vote for is Geoff Young - and believe me, that is a first... but he earned my vote for bravely bucking a council refusing to consider the wishes of the citizens regarding the Johnson st. bridge. I have watched Geoff for the past 25 years and I do know you can count on him to give thoughtful consideration to issues and do what he thinks best. That's more than any of the other incumbents have done. I want people who are bright, committed, open, and have experience with either government or community relations.
Mayor: Paul Brown, Open Victoria - a warm intelligent individual, highly qualified (tho not a career politician); experience relating to levels of government, good understanding of economics, committed to openness and authentic communication about needs and priorities facing the city... has made that the basis of his platform.
Shellie Gudgeon: very active in the Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood and a positive force for good (and her Fifth St. Bar & Grill is my neighbourhood hang... when I can get in, good food at good prices.)
Rose Henry: genuine advocate for the disadvantaged; also will be a valuable, long overdue first nations presence on Council (maybe the first ever...)
Ben Isitt: very bright, committed individual who came close in a past mayoral race
Sukhi Lalli: running on the Open Victoria slate, seems genuine, I'm voting for diversity here (victoria is no longer such a white bread place, council should reflect that)
Linda McGrew: also on the Open Victoria slate: Steve Filopovic has endorsed her as well. I like Steve and wish I could vote him onto Council....
John Turner: another Steve F. endorsement. don't know much about him but I'll take his word for it.
Geoff Young: the longest serving member of council and the only incumbent I will vote for this time round. the others lost my vote over treatment of the Johnson street bridge issue. While I rarely share Geoff's political leanings I respect that he has a good mind and exercises independent judgement.
Jon Valentine: I know little about him but he is the only candidate to make prominent mention of the arts in his campaign.
thanks for considering. happy voting,
carol
Subject: I'm voting for change, intelligence and openness.
Please vote saturday, Nov. 19. Turnout for recent municipal elections has been very low... and we are paying the price. Whether you rent or own, property tax increases affect you. Those who care about Victoria, need to keep an eye on city hall. Whose interests are represented? Here's my voting selections... just mine..
if you are interested please consider, if not delete (or let me know you never want to hear from me on such matters in the future). And thanks for voting. Monday magazine has profiles of candidates and their web-site has info on polling stations.
Hi folks ... a few people have asked me for my picks for Victoria mayor and Council. Here they are. I wish I could have gotten out to see these folks in action, but I didn't get that chance. Some I know from the past, others I am going based on endorsements of those I trust.
In my voting I am following three basic principals: I am voting for change. I am voting for intelligence. I am voting for openness (sharing real information, and real listening to what the community wants).
The current Council has acted poorly in listening to citizens, and I will not support them further. They pay lip service to community consultation, but their actions have proven otherwise. The only incumbent I will vote for is Geoff Young - and believe me, that is a first... but he earned my vote for bravely bucking a council refusing to consider the wishes of the citizens regarding the Johnson st. bridge. I have watched Geoff for the past 25 years and I do know you can count on him to give thoughtful consideration to issues and do what he thinks best. That's more than any of the other incumbents have done. I want people who are bright, committed, open, and have experience with either government or community relations.
Mayor: Paul Brown, Open Victoria - a warm intelligent individual, highly qualified (tho not a career politician); experience relating to levels of government, good understanding of economics, committed to openness and authentic communication about needs and priorities facing the city... has made that the basis of his platform.
Shellie Gudgeon: very active in the Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood and a positive force for good (and her Fifth St. Bar & Grill is my neighbourhood hang... when I can get in, good food at good prices.)
Rose Henry: genuine advocate for the disadvantaged; also will be a valuable, long overdue first nations presence on Council (maybe the first ever...)
Ben Isitt: very bright, committed individual who came close in a past mayoral race
Sukhi Lalli: running on the Open Victoria slate, seems genuine, I'm voting for diversity here (victoria is no longer such a white bread place, council should reflect that)
Linda McGrew: also on the Open Victoria slate: Steve Filopovic has endorsed her as well. I like Steve and wish I could vote him onto Council....
John Turner: another Steve F. endorsement. don't know much about him but I'll take his word for it.
Geoff Young: the longest serving member of council and the only incumbent I will vote for this time round. the others lost my vote over treatment of the Johnson street bridge issue. While I rarely share Geoff's political leanings I respect that he has a good mind and exercises independent judgement.
Jon Valentine: I know little about him but he is the only candidate to make prominent mention of the arts in his campaign.
thanks for considering. happy voting,
carol
Election Signs
Just a quick comment on how the signs have survived. I have been involved with campaigns for 28 years now and in most of them signs get trashed or stolen. This year in Victoria this has not been happening. In fact a number of signs that I would have been surprised to last more than a day have last for weeks.
I have seen a few Dean Fortin signs knocked down. a Shellie Gudgeon one defaced, one Geoff Young one destroyed, and about 10 Paul Brown ones destroyed. I am only counting the ones that it looked like vandalism and not weather. You have no idea how many signs we lost in the winds in Fairfield.
I am impressed that the signs made it through the campaign this time. I was really surprised that almost all of them survived Halloween.
I have seen a few Dean Fortin signs knocked down. a Shellie Gudgeon one defaced, one Geoff Young one destroyed, and about 10 Paul Brown ones destroyed. I am only counting the ones that it looked like vandalism and not weather. You have no idea how many signs we lost in the winds in Fairfield.
I am impressed that the signs made it through the campaign this time. I was really surprised that almost all of them survived Halloween.
Saanich Council Candidate Says “No Thanks!” to LRT
Press release I got from Jesse McClinton who is running for Saanich Council
For immediate release – November 17, 2011 – Victoria, BC
Jesse McClinton, Saanich council candidate, is actively supporting an overpass at the McKenzie/Island Highway intersection instead of the more expensive option of Light Rail Transport, recommended to improve
ingress and egress to the downtown core. McClinton feels the LRT option does not have the required population to justify the initial and long-term costs, and would be a gross misuse of the taxes paid by
Saanich residents. Instead of an LRT, the intersection at McKenzie and Island Highway should be restructured to improve traffic flow into and out of the city core. McClinton feels this option will not only be
less expensive initially, but the long-term costs and benefits will be more favourable than the LRT proposal.
The LRT is not a fiscally responsible decision given the current economic crises globally and locally, and will become a massive burden on Saanich residents and businesses without providing any appreciable
benefits. An overpass will enable better traffic flow, accommodate additional bus service to the WestShore, and ensure future technologies (increased adoption of electric vehicles, personal rapid transit, etc) are able to use the existing infrastructure. The assumption that commuters will stop driving en masse when presented
with an LRT option is unrealistic and borderline negligent.
A substantial amount of traffic at the current chokepoint of McKenzie/Island highway is travelling to or from the UVic/Gordon Head area; the decision to install an overpass will provide a reasonably priced option that will benefit all of the communities of Greater Victoria.
Jesse McClinton has lived and worked in Saanich for most of his adult life. In 2009 the BC Liberal Candidate Selection team chose him to run as the BC Liberal candidate for the Victoria-Swan Lake riding. He has
built his platform on putting Saanich taxpayers first, and is doing his part to actively increase the population in Saanich by becoming a father in April 2012. McClinton is the owner of a local marketing company, Alter-Ego Marketing Group, an active member on the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and an integral part of the Victoria Marathon planning committee.
For additional information:
contact Jesse McClinton at 250-415-9745 or jesse@alteregomarketinggroup.com
For immediate release – November 17, 2011 – Victoria, BC
Jesse McClinton, Saanich council candidate, is actively supporting an overpass at the McKenzie/Island Highway intersection instead of the more expensive option of Light Rail Transport, recommended to improve
ingress and egress to the downtown core. McClinton feels the LRT option does not have the required population to justify the initial and long-term costs, and would be a gross misuse of the taxes paid by
Saanich residents. Instead of an LRT, the intersection at McKenzie and Island Highway should be restructured to improve traffic flow into and out of the city core. McClinton feels this option will not only be
less expensive initially, but the long-term costs and benefits will be more favourable than the LRT proposal.
The LRT is not a fiscally responsible decision given the current economic crises globally and locally, and will become a massive burden on Saanich residents and businesses without providing any appreciable
benefits. An overpass will enable better traffic flow, accommodate additional bus service to the WestShore, and ensure future technologies (increased adoption of electric vehicles, personal rapid transit, etc) are able to use the existing infrastructure. The assumption that commuters will stop driving en masse when presented
with an LRT option is unrealistic and borderline negligent.
A substantial amount of traffic at the current chokepoint of McKenzie/Island highway is travelling to or from the UVic/Gordon Head area; the decision to install an overpass will provide a reasonably priced option that will benefit all of the communities of Greater Victoria.
Jesse McClinton has lived and worked in Saanich for most of his adult life. In 2009 the BC Liberal Candidate Selection team chose him to run as the BC Liberal candidate for the Victoria-Swan Lake riding. He has
built his platform on putting Saanich taxpayers first, and is doing his part to actively increase the population in Saanich by becoming a father in April 2012. McClinton is the owner of a local marketing company, Alter-Ego Marketing Group, an active member on the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and an integral part of the Victoria Marathon planning committee.
For additional information:
contact Jesse McClinton at 250-415-9745 or jesse@alteregomarketinggroup.com
Victoria Needs to Elect the Open Victoria Slate
As you can see in the top corner, I am very much involved with the Open Victoria campaign. I also write this blog because I like to and it is an expression of my opinion.
So why Open Victoria?
Lack of Consultation with the Public
Much of my professional work is connected to consultation between government and the public/First Nations/communities/business. I know from experience that most municipal governments are not good at consulting with the public but I have rarely seen anything quite as bad as the last three years of City of Victoria. I have no end of examples but I will only quickly focus on two.
First is the Johnson Street Bridge. I am someone that is not a fan of the existing bridge and should have been supportive of the move to a new bridge, but the process involved in the decision making was not open and transparent. There was also no attempt early on to find out what the public thinks and if it is possible to integrate that input.
Second is the Official Community Plan. I have seen good OCP processes, they tend to be rare in BC. What Victoria has done gives me no impression that the input they did get in the process was used. Even then, the way the process was created, the results of the OCP were entirely predictable. I could write reams about this.
From what I know of the four candidates from Open Victoria. they are driven by an interest in really hearing the public.
Lack of Priorities
The last three years has seen the City of Victoria suddenly have new priorities on a regular basis. Two of these were the Johnson Street Bridge and the Traveller's Inns. There is a lack of a consistent plan or vision from council.
Dean Fortin in his election material very much reflects that. I do not get the sense of a vision for the future. I actually get no idea why Dean Fortin wants to be elected other than to keep the "Momentum Going", which is the one thing this council does not have. It does all sorts of things, but there is no plan behind it.
City Finances
Almost three years ago Simon Nattrass pointed out to me how bad the City finances were. I had not honestly paid that much attention and let it stay off of my radar till this year. Open Victoria has a lot about this.
I look at the existing budget and the projections into the future and all I see is an unsustainable future. Costs can not keep rising significantly faster than the rate inflation forever, it has to stop and can either done thoughtfully or done via crisis. Based on the last three years of the council, the re-election of Dean Fortin and "Keeping the Momentum Going" is headed to the crisis.
The operational budget is bad enough, the capital budget is simply catastrophic. The City of Victoria has not been putting enough aside for many years, this goes back to before Dean Fortin being elected mayor. The capital projects the City has to do over the next five years is staggering and there is not the money nor ability to borrow enough to pay for the projects.
Finally, the City could be on the verge of a major property tax problem. If the commercial lease rates fall in the City, the assessed value of the commercial properties will fall. Any shortfall will have to made up by residential properties. I do not think there will be a major fall in the 2012 values that come out on January 1st, but unless many more vacant store fronts are not filled by July 1st, there will be a significant drop in commercial values.
The Candidates
The final reason I like Open Victoria is because of the candidates.
Paul Brown brings more experience of the type we need for the City than ever before. For years he has been advising and training senior civil servants in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington other Pacific Northwest states on financial management, governance and risk management. When we are headed towards a fiscal wall, this is the guy you need.
As you all should know, I am very political person. Paul is not a political person. The people who knows are not MLAs or MPs but the most senior government bureaucrats. If anyone is going to be able to provincial help of Victoria, it is Paul.
Aaron Hall is this interesting combination of real estate agent, geek and foodie. He is also passionate about this City in a way few other people are. His generations long family roots in the City of Victoria means he has a longer civic memory to call on than almost anyone I know.
Aaron is also thoughtful and realistic about what is possible.
Linda McGrew is young but it would take too many much time to explain everything about her. Just a few points, she started two successful business, learned to speak Mandarin, and is a Green. Linda thinks outside the box and does not accept that something is not possible. She will challenge the status quo of how things work in City Hall.
Sukhi Lalli is someone who has been active day in and day out in his community. The list of boards and such is too long to list. He has done this for thirty or more years because it was what needed to be done and not because he wanted recognition. He also seems to have the best understanding of the situation of the business community downtown of anyone running. Sukhi wants to address the root issue of the problem, poverty.
So why Open Victoria?
Lack of Consultation with the Public
Much of my professional work is connected to consultation between government and the public/First Nations/communities/business. I know from experience that most municipal governments are not good at consulting with the public but I have rarely seen anything quite as bad as the last three years of City of Victoria. I have no end of examples but I will only quickly focus on two.
First is the Johnson Street Bridge. I am someone that is not a fan of the existing bridge and should have been supportive of the move to a new bridge, but the process involved in the decision making was not open and transparent. There was also no attempt early on to find out what the public thinks and if it is possible to integrate that input.
Second is the Official Community Plan. I have seen good OCP processes, they tend to be rare in BC. What Victoria has done gives me no impression that the input they did get in the process was used. Even then, the way the process was created, the results of the OCP were entirely predictable. I could write reams about this.
From what I know of the four candidates from Open Victoria. they are driven by an interest in really hearing the public.
Lack of Priorities
The last three years has seen the City of Victoria suddenly have new priorities on a regular basis. Two of these were the Johnson Street Bridge and the Traveller's Inns. There is a lack of a consistent plan or vision from council.
Dean Fortin in his election material very much reflects that. I do not get the sense of a vision for the future. I actually get no idea why Dean Fortin wants to be elected other than to keep the "Momentum Going", which is the one thing this council does not have. It does all sorts of things, but there is no plan behind it.
City Finances
Almost three years ago Simon Nattrass pointed out to me how bad the City finances were. I had not honestly paid that much attention and let it stay off of my radar till this year. Open Victoria has a lot about this.
I look at the existing budget and the projections into the future and all I see is an unsustainable future. Costs can not keep rising significantly faster than the rate inflation forever, it has to stop and can either done thoughtfully or done via crisis. Based on the last three years of the council, the re-election of Dean Fortin and "Keeping the Momentum Going" is headed to the crisis.
The operational budget is bad enough, the capital budget is simply catastrophic. The City of Victoria has not been putting enough aside for many years, this goes back to before Dean Fortin being elected mayor. The capital projects the City has to do over the next five years is staggering and there is not the money nor ability to borrow enough to pay for the projects.
Finally, the City could be on the verge of a major property tax problem. If the commercial lease rates fall in the City, the assessed value of the commercial properties will fall. Any shortfall will have to made up by residential properties. I do not think there will be a major fall in the 2012 values that come out on January 1st, but unless many more vacant store fronts are not filled by July 1st, there will be a significant drop in commercial values.
The Candidates
The final reason I like Open Victoria is because of the candidates.
Paul Brown brings more experience of the type we need for the City than ever before. For years he has been advising and training senior civil servants in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington other Pacific Northwest states on financial management, governance and risk management. When we are headed towards a fiscal wall, this is the guy you need.
As you all should know, I am very political person. Paul is not a political person. The people who knows are not MLAs or MPs but the most senior government bureaucrats. If anyone is going to be able to provincial help of Victoria, it is Paul.
Aaron Hall is this interesting combination of real estate agent, geek and foodie. He is also passionate about this City in a way few other people are. His generations long family roots in the City of Victoria means he has a longer civic memory to call on than almost anyone I know.
Aaron is also thoughtful and realistic about what is possible.
Linda McGrew is young but it would take too many much time to explain everything about her. Just a few points, she started two successful business, learned to speak Mandarin, and is a Green. Linda thinks outside the box and does not accept that something is not possible. She will challenge the status quo of how things work in City Hall.
Sukhi Lalli is someone who has been active day in and day out in his community. The list of boards and such is too long to list. He has done this for thirty or more years because it was what needed to be done and not because he wanted recognition. He also seems to have the best understanding of the situation of the business community downtown of anyone running. Sukhi wants to address the root issue of the problem, poverty.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sean Bellamy McNulty
For Immediate Release November 18, 2011
James McNulty, Central Saanich Council Candidate, will be hosting two opportunities to meet with him prior to Election Day this November 19th.
The McNulty for Council campaign is excited to announce two opportunities for residents of Central Saanich to meet James and discuss the issues facing the municipality. The dates and times are as follows:
6pm – 7:30pm Thursday, November 18th at JJ’s Coffee Shop in Brentwood Bay
6pm – 7:30pm Friday, November 19th at Prairie Inn in Saanichton
Collaboration with the community is important to James and he wants to ensure he is always accessible, both as a candidate and as a councilor if elected.
“I strongly believe that openness and transparency is critical to local government and look forward to creating that type of environment if honoured with the privilege to represent Central Saanich on November 19th.”
James is the only Keating Industrial Park business owner running for council, as well as being a ALR Land Owner and resident of Central Saanich. He is proud to support the community by donating to important projects such as the Boulders Climbing Gym at Stelly’s School, and by involving himself in initiatives such as his personal “Fight Against Hunger” in 2008, where he spearheaded a campaign to feed Victoria’s homeless. With his deep ties to the community, large vested interest in local land issues and ability to take initiative, he can ensure the community makes the right choice in the moment but never loses sight of the future.
Learn more about the campaign at McNultyForCouncil.com and follow James on Twitter @McNulty2011 for updates on the campaign trail.
Media Inquiries
McNulty for Council Campaign Team
mcnultyforcouncil@gmail.com
For Immediate Release November 18, 2011
James McNulty, Central Saanich Council Candidate, will be hosting two opportunities to meet with him prior to Election Day this November 19th.
The McNulty for Council campaign is excited to announce two opportunities for residents of Central Saanich to meet James and discuss the issues facing the municipality. The dates and times are as follows:
6pm – 7:30pm Thursday, November 18th at JJ’s Coffee Shop in Brentwood Bay
6pm – 7:30pm Friday, November 19th at Prairie Inn in Saanichton
Collaboration with the community is important to James and he wants to ensure he is always accessible, both as a candidate and as a councilor if elected.
“I strongly believe that openness and transparency is critical to local government and look forward to creating that type of environment if honoured with the privilege to represent Central Saanich on November 19th.”
James is the only Keating Industrial Park business owner running for council, as well as being a ALR Land Owner and resident of Central Saanich. He is proud to support the community by donating to important projects such as the Boulders Climbing Gym at Stelly’s School, and by involving himself in initiatives such as his personal “Fight Against Hunger” in 2008, where he spearheaded a campaign to feed Victoria’s homeless. With his deep ties to the community, large vested interest in local land issues and ability to take initiative, he can ensure the community makes the right choice in the moment but never loses sight of the future.
Learn more about the campaign at McNultyForCouncil.com and follow James on Twitter @McNulty2011 for updates on the campaign trail.
Media Inquiries
McNulty for Council Campaign Team
mcnultyforcouncil@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Metro Victoria Community Economy Group: One-third of Victoria candidates support significant economic change
November 16, 2011
*********************************************************
Metro Victoria Community Economy Group: One-third of Victoria
candidates support significant economic change
*********************************************************
Seven candidates in the Victoria municipal election (including one mayoral candidate, five council candidates, and one school trustee candidate) have signed an endorsement of the Metro Victoria Community Economy Group's Consensus Statement on Victoria's Economic Strategy. In addition, four from Saanich have signed, three from Central Saanich, and one from each of Langford and North Saanich.
Eight local experts wrote the Consensus Statement, calling for a greater focus on community engagement and more support for small, locally owned enterprises.
"The most important sentence in the City's strategy is: 'Victoria needs to think about ways to foster local economic opportunity using local capacity,'" says Lisa Helps, council candidate and executive director of Victoria Community Micro Lending. "The authors of the Consensus Statement took this as our beginning point. Our push is to re-ignite the local."
"Victoria could stand out as a unique, authentic, locally powered hotbed of social and innovation entrepreneurship and green jobs," says Donna Morton of the Centre for Integral Economics. "Anything less would be a disservice to present residents and future generations."
"I'm heartened to see other candidates in other municipalities showing support for this initiative, which I think needs to be regional," says Rob Wickson, a candidate in Saanich and also one of the authors of the Consensus Statement. "If we continue 'business as usual,' we will find ourselves unable to focus on the serious regional issues that face us."
All Victoria and Saanich candidates were emailed a copy of the Consensus Statement and asked to sign on. The list of candidates who have signed the statement is below. The full Consensus Statement and its authors, and the list of endorsing candidates, businesses and citizens who have signed it, can be found at www.communityeconomy.ca
************************************************************
Endorsing Candidates:
Steve Filipovic (Victoria)
Shellie Gudgeon (Victoria)
Lisa Helps (Victoria) (original signatory)
Ben Isitt (Victoria)
Philippe Lucas (Victoria)
Linda McGrew (Victoria)
Diane McNally (Victoria)
Judy Brownoff (Saanich)
Dean Murdock (Saanich)
Rob Wickson (Saanich) (original signatory)
Harald Wolf (Saanich)
Alastair Bryson (Central Saanich)
Christopher Graham (Central Saanich)
Wayne Spencer (Central Saanich)
Chris Johnson (Langford)
Elsie McMurphy (North Saanich)
*********************************************************
Metro Victoria Community Economy Group: One-third of Victoria
candidates support significant economic change
*********************************************************
Seven candidates in the Victoria municipal election (including one mayoral candidate, five council candidates, and one school trustee candidate) have signed an endorsement of the Metro Victoria Community Economy Group's Consensus Statement on Victoria's Economic Strategy. In addition, four from Saanich have signed, three from Central Saanich, and one from each of Langford and North Saanich.
Eight local experts wrote the Consensus Statement, calling for a greater focus on community engagement and more support for small, locally owned enterprises.
"The most important sentence in the City's strategy is: 'Victoria needs to think about ways to foster local economic opportunity using local capacity,'" says Lisa Helps, council candidate and executive director of Victoria Community Micro Lending. "The authors of the Consensus Statement took this as our beginning point. Our push is to re-ignite the local."
"Victoria could stand out as a unique, authentic, locally powered hotbed of social and innovation entrepreneurship and green jobs," says Donna Morton of the Centre for Integral Economics. "Anything less would be a disservice to present residents and future generations."
"I'm heartened to see other candidates in other municipalities showing support for this initiative, which I think needs to be regional," says Rob Wickson, a candidate in Saanich and also one of the authors of the Consensus Statement. "If we continue 'business as usual,' we will find ourselves unable to focus on the serious regional issues that face us."
All Victoria and Saanich candidates were emailed a copy of the Consensus Statement and asked to sign on. The list of candidates who have signed the statement is below. The full Consensus Statement and its authors, and the list of endorsing candidates, businesses and citizens who have signed it, can be found at www.communityeconomy.ca
************************************************************
Endorsing Candidates:
Steve Filipovic (Victoria)
Shellie Gudgeon (Victoria)
Lisa Helps (Victoria) (original signatory)
Ben Isitt (Victoria)
Philippe Lucas (Victoria)
Linda McGrew (Victoria)
Diane McNally (Victoria)
Judy Brownoff (Saanich)
Dean Murdock (Saanich)
Rob Wickson (Saanich) (original signatory)
Harald Wolf (Saanich)
Alastair Bryson (Central Saanich)
Christopher Graham (Central Saanich)
Wayne Spencer (Central Saanich)
Chris Johnson (Langford)
Elsie McMurphy (North Saanich)
Saanich Candidate proposes new governance for Greater Victoria Region
I thought I had posted this the other day, but life is busy and I missed it. I find this a very interesting idea and would love to have some beers with Rob to talk about it.
MEDIA RELEASE
14 November 2011
For Immediate Release
Saanich Candidate proposes new governance for Greater Victoria Region
Saanich candidate Rob Wickson has made an important announcement today which could lead the way to a new governance model for the greater Victoria region.
“Over the past few months it has become increasingly evident that our present system of regional government is fractured and I know there is growing discontent out there. Whether we are talking about police, fire and transportation services or land development it appears that we are failing at the fundamental level to deliver efficient well planned services that benefit the overall quality of life in the region.” said Wickson. “After the 2008 municipal election my campaign team and I began to look at how the present system of governance could be improved. We came to the conclusion that a discussion was needed that looked at a different model which was more inclusive, accountable, transparent and less bureaucratic. “Metro Victoria” or “Metro Vic” was born. In the weeks that followed I crafted the following draft mission statement for Metro Victoria.”
Metro Victoria Draft Mission Statement
Wickson said,” I am dedicated to work with the community and across municipal boundaries to build out from this mission statement to create a better governance model because I believe we are now at a crossroads that will define the economic and sustainable future of the region. If we continue “business as usual” we will find ourselves unable to focus on the serious regional issues that face us and deliver only piecemeal solutions without any real democratic decision making and without real leadership.”
MEDIA RELEASE
14 November 2011
For Immediate Release
Saanich Candidate proposes new governance for Greater Victoria Region
Saanich candidate Rob Wickson has made an important announcement today which could lead the way to a new governance model for the greater Victoria region.
“Over the past few months it has become increasingly evident that our present system of regional government is fractured and I know there is growing discontent out there. Whether we are talking about police, fire and transportation services or land development it appears that we are failing at the fundamental level to deliver efficient well planned services that benefit the overall quality of life in the region.” said Wickson. “After the 2008 municipal election my campaign team and I began to look at how the present system of governance could be improved. We came to the conclusion that a discussion was needed that looked at a different model which was more inclusive, accountable, transparent and less bureaucratic. “Metro Victoria” or “Metro Vic” was born. In the weeks that followed I crafted the following draft mission statement for Metro Victoria.”
Metro Victoria Draft Mission Statement
- Metro Victoria is a new emerging group of people who are looking at defining processes that will move Metro Victoria away from the narrow confines of our existing political culture.
- Metro Victoria wants to engage everyone in developing community shared values. Now is the time to ask questions that make the connection between today and tomorrow.
- The region faces important issues that require unified, forward-thinking, innovative and focused solutions.
- Metro Victoria’s underlying principles are governed by sustainability. Sustainability is not simply an environmental proposition. Until now, decision makers have not understood the social and economic dimension. Sustainable development must take into account environmental, social and economic factors.
- Metro Victoria believes that sustainable communities are vital to the future of our regional development. The region is perfectly positioned to allow for what could be described as a ‘model’ for the Province and perhaps the rest of Canada.
- We are confident that we can develop, change and lead the way in clean energy, low carbon emissions, affordable housing, transportation and land use.
- Metro Victoria is about ‘thinking outside the box.’ New ideas about how our communities can work without borders for common benefits will be the foundation for Metro Victoria.This is the potential of change and Metro Victoria is a community where change is possible.
- “ Metro problems need Metro solutions”
Wickson said,” I am dedicated to work with the community and across municipal boundaries to build out from this mission statement to create a better governance model because I believe we are now at a crossroads that will define the economic and sustainable future of the region. If we continue “business as usual” we will find ourselves unable to focus on the serious regional issues that face us and deliver only piecemeal solutions without any real democratic decision making and without real leadership.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW CANDIDATES SAY CAMPAIGNING ON SIDEWALKS IS PART OF DEMOCRACY
Group will give brochures to parents outside George Jay Elementary on Wednesday
Victoria, British Columbia - November 16, 2011
Several trustee candidates for school board in District 61 are respectfully declining a request from the Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils to avoid campaigning on public sidewalks.
The candidates will stand on the sidewalk outside George Jay Elementary (1118 Princess Ave) on Wednesday, November 16th at 8:15am and again at 2:30pm to speak with parents. Rob Paynter, Edith
Loring-Kuhanga, Deborah Nohr and David Bratzer will also be available for media interviews.
VCPAC first made the request in a November 8th letter sent to all candidates. The letter asked candidates to respect the district policy against campaigning in schools and at school events. However, it then went a step further by asking candidates to respect the “spirit of the policy” and avoid campaigning on the public property adjacent to school grounds.
The BC Civil Liberties Association has now taken an interest in the situation. The candidates believe their ability to speak with parents on public sidewalks is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Deborah Nohr, a teacher who is on leave as she seeks election, stated, “The comments from parents have been very positive. When we visit parents outside a school, it provides us with an opportunity to learn
about their concerns. It lets them know that we care about their school and their neighbourhood.”
Media Contacts:
David Bratzer
(250) 813-2117
www.bratzer.net
Deborah Nohr
(250) 380-0888
www.deborahnohr.ca
Edith Loring-Kuhanga
(250) 213-8761
www.electedith.ca
Rob Paynter
(250) 386-0896
www.robpaynter.ca
NEW CANDIDATES SAY CAMPAIGNING ON SIDEWALKS IS PART OF DEMOCRACY
Group will give brochures to parents outside George Jay Elementary on Wednesday
Victoria, British Columbia - November 16, 2011
Several trustee candidates for school board in District 61 are respectfully declining a request from the Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils to avoid campaigning on public sidewalks.
The candidates will stand on the sidewalk outside George Jay Elementary (1118 Princess Ave) on Wednesday, November 16th at 8:15am and again at 2:30pm to speak with parents. Rob Paynter, Edith
Loring-Kuhanga, Deborah Nohr and David Bratzer will also be available for media interviews.
VCPAC first made the request in a November 8th letter sent to all candidates. The letter asked candidates to respect the district policy against campaigning in schools and at school events. However, it then went a step further by asking candidates to respect the “spirit of the policy” and avoid campaigning on the public property adjacent to school grounds.
The BC Civil Liberties Association has now taken an interest in the situation. The candidates believe their ability to speak with parents on public sidewalks is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Deborah Nohr, a teacher who is on leave as she seeks election, stated, “The comments from parents have been very positive. When we visit parents outside a school, it provides us with an opportunity to learn
about their concerns. It lets them know that we care about their school and their neighbourhood.”
Media Contacts:
David Bratzer
(250) 813-2117
www.bratzer.net
Deborah Nohr
(250) 380-0888
www.deborahnohr.ca
Edith Loring-Kuhanga
(250) 213-8761
www.electedith.ca
Rob Paynter
(250) 386-0896
www.robpaynter.ca
UVIC REPORT ON BUSINESS CLIMATE IN DOWNTOWN VICTORIA RELEASED TODAY
REPORT REVEALS CRUCIAL FLAWS IN CITY DATA MANAGEMENT AND DVBA, SAYS PAUL BROWN
November 15, 2011
Victoria Mayoral candidate Paul Brown today released a scathing new report on the City’s downtown business climate and the way the City tracks business conditions and trends.
The 221-page report was based on a detailed survey of 66 downtown business operators by three graduate students from UVic’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business. Among its findings, the report says that:
· 45% rated the health of the downtown economy as either “poor” or “very poor”
· The three most critical issues facing downtown business owners are: parking restrictions and enforcement, homelessness and panhandling, increasing rents
· Asked to rate the City’s handling of these issues, 50% were unsatisfied with City parking rules and enforcement; 47% said panhandling/homeless people had a “high” or “very high” impact on their business; and 50% said increasing or already high rents were a serious problem
· Asked whether they had seriously considered moving their business out of downtown because of these issues, 17% replied “yes”
The survey was conducted over several months earlier this year. Other findings included the following (page references are indicated in boldface):
Page 9 - Business owners believe the Victoria business climate is currently weak, and weaker than in previous years.
Page 11- The City fails to gather sufficient data from its business licences to be able to track business trends and should be conducting exit surveys
to know why businesses are leaving
Page 11 - The Downtown Victoria Business Assn. needs to expand its membership, its communication methods and develop an online membership payment method
Page 36- 20% of respondents are considering moving their business out of the City of Victoria in the next three years
Page 66 - 81% of respondents are “unsatisfied” or “very unsatisfied” with street parking and enforcement policies
"From my standpoint," says Paul Brown, "the following points are obvious in the report:
· The City did a lousy job communicating to the public the changes, policies and best practices regarding parking in the downtown area
· The Downtown Victoria Business Assoc has much to improve upon in their communication with the public and their potential members
· The UVic study is much more representative of the downtown retail sector than the City’s own study
· The City has no statistical database with which to encourage retailers to locate downtown
· The retail community feels they get lousy service from the City."
The entire UVic survey has been uploaded to: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/11/2092947//UVicDowntownBusinessClimateSurvey.pdf
Paul Brown is available to comment: (250) 727-8798
REPORT REVEALS CRUCIAL FLAWS IN CITY DATA MANAGEMENT AND DVBA, SAYS PAUL BROWN
November 15, 2011
Victoria Mayoral candidate Paul Brown today released a scathing new report on the City’s downtown business climate and the way the City tracks business conditions and trends.
The 221-page report was based on a detailed survey of 66 downtown business operators by three graduate students from UVic’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business. Among its findings, the report says that:
· 45% rated the health of the downtown economy as either “poor” or “very poor”
· The three most critical issues facing downtown business owners are: parking restrictions and enforcement, homelessness and panhandling, increasing rents
· Asked to rate the City’s handling of these issues, 50% were unsatisfied with City parking rules and enforcement; 47% said panhandling/homeless people had a “high” or “very high” impact on their business; and 50% said increasing or already high rents were a serious problem
· Asked whether they had seriously considered moving their business out of downtown because of these issues, 17% replied “yes”
The survey was conducted over several months earlier this year. Other findings included the following (page references are indicated in boldface):
Page 9 - Business owners believe the Victoria business climate is currently weak, and weaker than in previous years.
Page 11- The City fails to gather sufficient data from its business licences to be able to track business trends and should be conducting exit surveys
to know why businesses are leaving
Page 11 - The Downtown Victoria Business Assn. needs to expand its membership, its communication methods and develop an online membership payment method
Page 36- 20% of respondents are considering moving their business out of the City of Victoria in the next three years
Page 66 - 81% of respondents are “unsatisfied” or “very unsatisfied” with street parking and enforcement policies
"From my standpoint," says Paul Brown, "the following points are obvious in the report:
· The City did a lousy job communicating to the public the changes, policies and best practices regarding parking in the downtown area
· The Downtown Victoria Business Assoc has much to improve upon in their communication with the public and their potential members
· The UVic study is much more representative of the downtown retail sector than the City’s own study
· The City has no statistical database with which to encourage retailers to locate downtown
· The retail community feels they get lousy service from the City."
The entire UVic survey has been uploaded to: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/11/2092947//UVicDowntownBusinessClimateSurvey.pdf
Paul Brown is available to comment: (250) 727-8798
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Victoria Mayor's Debate in Fernwood
These videos are possible due to the hard work of Jason Ross of Modern Democracy.
Colwood All Candidate's Meeting
The intro is VERY long, scroll through to 12 minutes to start to hear the candidates
Esquimalt All Candidate's Meeting
I will be posting some videos of all candidate's meetings in the region as I find them:
MEDIA RELEASE - PAUL BROWN REVEALS NEW 3-YEAR CIVIC WORKERS AGREEMENT SIGNED OCTOBER 17; WHY NO ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MAYOR FORTIN?
ictoria Mayoral candidate Paul Brown today publicly challenged Mayor Dean Fortin to explain why he has been withholding details of the new civic workers agreement at City Hall, even though it was signed three and a half weeks ago.
"CUPE itself announced that a tentative agreement had been reached with the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Board on Oct 13 (see link below) ," said Brown, "and I have confirmed the contract was ratified by the union on Oct. 17. Why hasn't the City of Victoria made this deal public yet?"
"I contacted the GVLRA and confirmed that it is up to the Mayor of Victoria to make the announcement on behalf of the City." said Brown. "The mayor sits on the GVLRA board; but so far he has said nothing about it."
"This is another glaring example of the secrecy and manipulation of key public information by this city administration," said Brown. "Could it be the Mayor is simply trying to hide the new wage agreement until after the election? If so, that would be a disgraceful misuse of vital public information."
Brown said the new contract gives civic workers in Victoria a 6% wage increase over the next three years. The previous agreement, which expired Dec. 31, 2010, raised union wages 12% over four years.
"I want to make it clear I have no complaint with the civic workers getting a new wage agreement that matches inflation," said Brown. "The real problem has been the outrageous increase in senior management salaries over the past three years. Those increases have consistently been in the double-digit range--from 25% to as much as 54%--far more than civic workers received during the same period."
NOTE TO MEDIA:
Key examples of senior management salary increases can be found on the Open Victoria website at: http://openvictoria.ca/council-qa/#QDAY
Key links to CUPE agreement details:
2007 agreement, 3% per year for four years, expired December 31, 2010:
http://50.cupe.ca/Collective Agreements/City of Vic/City of Victoria 2007-2010 Final.htm#_Toc189543776
CUPE confirms reaching deal with City, October 13, 2011:
http://cupe.ca/communications/victoria-municipal-workers-reach
Paul Brown is available to comment: (250) 727-8798
www.paulforvictoria.ca
www.openvictoria.ca
"CUPE itself announced that a tentative agreement had been reached with the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Board on Oct 13 (see link below) ," said Brown, "and I have confirmed the contract was ratified by the union on Oct. 17. Why hasn't the City of Victoria made this deal public yet?"
"I contacted the GVLRA and confirmed that it is up to the Mayor of Victoria to make the announcement on behalf of the City." said Brown. "The mayor sits on the GVLRA board; but so far he has said nothing about it."
"This is another glaring example of the secrecy and manipulation of key public information by this city administration," said Brown. "Could it be the Mayor is simply trying to hide the new wage agreement until after the election? If so, that would be a disgraceful misuse of vital public information."
Brown said the new contract gives civic workers in Victoria a 6% wage increase over the next three years. The previous agreement, which expired Dec. 31, 2010, raised union wages 12% over four years.
"I want to make it clear I have no complaint with the civic workers getting a new wage agreement that matches inflation," said Brown. "The real problem has been the outrageous increase in senior management salaries over the past three years. Those increases have consistently been in the double-digit range--from 25% to as much as 54%--far more than civic workers received during the same period."
NOTE TO MEDIA:
Key examples of senior management salary increases can be found on the Open Victoria website at: http://openvictoria.ca/council-qa/#QDAY
Key links to CUPE agreement details:
2007 agreement, 3% per year for four years, expired December 31, 2010:
http://50.cupe.ca/Collective Agreements/City of Vic/City of Victoria 2007-2010 Final.htm#_Toc189543776
CUPE confirms reaching deal with City, October 13, 2011:
http://cupe.ca/communications/victoria-municipal-workers-reach
Paul Brown is available to comment: (250) 727-8798
www.paulforvictoria.ca
www.openvictoria.ca
MEDIA RELEASE - Murdock wants Saanich’s green roofs for urban farming
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release November 15, 2011
Murdock wants Saanich’s green roofs for urban farming
Victoria – Saanich Councillor Dean Murdock thinks one of the best places to grow crops in Saanich could be up on the roof.
Murdock wants to see Saanich Council introduce rooftop gardens as a suggested amenity for large-scale developments in major centre development permit guidelines.
“We can turn acres of asphalt into green space and vegetable gardens,” he said. “Green roofs allow urban residents to grow their own food, and help reduce our carbon footprint.”
Port Coqutilam and Richmond are the only BC municipalities with green roof bylaws. Saanich has a community allotment garden policy for public lands. The policy does not include rooftop gardens.
“It’s a great way to provide food security, to ensure we can grow enough food for ourselves,” Murdock said. “It’s a great place for neighbours to meet neighbours. Green spaces and open spaces are increasingly rare in urban settings. Why not put them up on the roof?”
The Capital Region Food & Agricultural Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR) estimates that 5 to 10 percent of the food consumed in our region is grown locally.
The first-term Councillor is seeking re-election to Saanich Council and a seat on the CRD Board.
Municipal elections are November 19.
-30-
Media Contact:
Dean Murdock
Phone: 250.889.0242
Email: dean.murdock@telus.net
For Immediate Release November 15, 2011
Murdock wants Saanich’s green roofs for urban farming
Victoria – Saanich Councillor Dean Murdock thinks one of the best places to grow crops in Saanich could be up on the roof.
Murdock wants to see Saanich Council introduce rooftop gardens as a suggested amenity for large-scale developments in major centre development permit guidelines.
“We can turn acres of asphalt into green space and vegetable gardens,” he said. “Green roofs allow urban residents to grow their own food, and help reduce our carbon footprint.”
Port Coqutilam and Richmond are the only BC municipalities with green roof bylaws. Saanich has a community allotment garden policy for public lands. The policy does not include rooftop gardens.
“It’s a great way to provide food security, to ensure we can grow enough food for ourselves,” Murdock said. “It’s a great place for neighbours to meet neighbours. Green spaces and open spaces are increasingly rare in urban settings. Why not put them up on the roof?”
The Capital Region Food & Agricultural Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR) estimates that 5 to 10 percent of the food consumed in our region is grown locally.
The first-term Councillor is seeking re-election to Saanich Council and a seat on the CRD Board.
Municipal elections are November 19.
-30-
Media Contact:
Dean Murdock
Phone: 250.889.0242
Email: dean.murdock@telus.net
Monday, November 14, 2011
An interesting email
This came over my desk today
Date: November 14, 2011 4:31:29 PM PST
Subject: Municipal politics
Caution: political musings re. Victoria Civic election ahead. Please forgive if this is not of interest (or if you are not in this municipality). I feel strongly on the subject and am prompted to do what I can.
Dear friends,
We are a week away from a municipal election. Of all the levels of government, municipal government affects most people, most often. Here in Victoria I have been very disturbed for a long time about the direction our Council has taken us. In my opinion there has been little genuine support for issues I car about: poverty, heritage conservation, vibrant arts and culture, the environment, wise spending and citizen participation. The last three years have been the worst. We have had a council that pretended to consult on important decisions, but had to be forced to give citizen's any say on massive spending on a new bridge and squandered tax-payer dollars (and plenty of them) hiring a communications team to 'manufacture consent.' They succeeded in manufacturing that consent, through every trick they could dream of... from a confusing referendum question to ubiquitous signs (all paid for by us.) I resent that. They also lied about a determination to preserve an important rail link on the bridge.
We now have a mess. In my opinion the ghastly sight of the raised Johnson's street railway bridge these past several months is nothing but an 'elect me' sign for the present city council - desperate to demonstrate the wisdom of their leadership on this issue. That rail bridge was determined unsafe for trains only - it is viable for pedestrians and cyclists and should be lowered. When this council used the safety and comfort of cyclists to press for a new bridge... and then forces them to navigate the scary car bridge deck. Sorry - that's plain hypocrisy. And then, again without public discussion, commits to an LRT system costing nearly a billion, designed to make Wal-mart the central hub of Victoria? Why should Victoria pay for that, when it completely jeopardizes our own prosperity? Come on. How bad can this get? Probably much worse.
Many decisions by this council have been made in secret without public disclosure or information. Citizens have had to go to the frustration and expense of filing Freedom of Information requests in order to stay informed. The Open Victoria campaign documents that 31 of the past 32 Council meetings have entered into 'closed session' where the public is excluded. This should be only a very rare event, as with most nearby municipalities.
This is supposed to be a progressive Council. That is not the kind of progress I seek.
We have a chance to send a message, to stop this disastrous and costly approach, to move towards a vision arrived at through genuine input and consensus. Personally I 'd like to see a Council that presses all levels of government for genuine action to end poverty and homelessness so that the families, addicts and the mentally ill receive the attention and assistance they need; that invests in a badly-needed arts centre; that recognizes and protects heritage structures, bridges, trees and environments; that makes genuine citizen participation a priority; that declares Victoria a smart-meter free zone; that works with large and small business, development and communities in a balanced approach.
I like the questions mayoral candidate Paul Brown and his Open Victoria team have posed and answered on their website: www.openvictoria.ca. Check it out (under City Questions and answers).
There are also other good candidates running for Council. Let's retire the majority of this current council and bring in some folks with new energy, who aren't afraid to have their own opinions, who are prepared to ask questions and think for themselves, who will stand up to the bureaucracy and staff if need be - and act on behalf of residents, tax-payers, citizens. Things have gotten out of whack, I'm afraid. As others have noted, now we have Council using tax-payer's money to sell the bureaucracy's vision to the residents. It's supposed to be the other way round... that the Councillor's are our representatives, representing our interest at City Hall.
It's time to put party allegiance aside, at least until the party in question demonstrates loyalty to its purported ethics and values.
Those are my thoughts... Thanks for reading. Please vote and consider how you will vote. There is so little genuine democracy left in our world. More and more decisions are made by those who represent private rather than public interest. We need to fight for democracy - for wise decisions that benefit the electorate made by elected representatives that genuinely represent us. The municipal level is a good place to start.
blessings,
carol s.
Date: November 14, 2011 4:31:29 PM PST
Subject: Municipal politics
Caution: political musings re. Victoria Civic election ahead. Please forgive if this is not of interest (or if you are not in this municipality). I feel strongly on the subject and am prompted to do what I can.
Dear friends,
We are a week away from a municipal election. Of all the levels of government, municipal government affects most people, most often. Here in Victoria I have been very disturbed for a long time about the direction our Council has taken us. In my opinion there has been little genuine support for issues I car about: poverty, heritage conservation, vibrant arts and culture, the environment, wise spending and citizen participation. The last three years have been the worst. We have had a council that pretended to consult on important decisions, but had to be forced to give citizen's any say on massive spending on a new bridge and squandered tax-payer dollars (and plenty of them) hiring a communications team to 'manufacture consent.' They succeeded in manufacturing that consent, through every trick they could dream of... from a confusing referendum question to ubiquitous signs (all paid for by us.) I resent that. They also lied about a determination to preserve an important rail link on the bridge.
We now have a mess. In my opinion the ghastly sight of the raised Johnson's street railway bridge these past several months is nothing but an 'elect me' sign for the present city council - desperate to demonstrate the wisdom of their leadership on this issue. That rail bridge was determined unsafe for trains only - it is viable for pedestrians and cyclists and should be lowered. When this council used the safety and comfort of cyclists to press for a new bridge... and then forces them to navigate the scary car bridge deck. Sorry - that's plain hypocrisy. And then, again without public discussion, commits to an LRT system costing nearly a billion, designed to make Wal-mart the central hub of Victoria? Why should Victoria pay for that, when it completely jeopardizes our own prosperity? Come on. How bad can this get? Probably much worse.
Many decisions by this council have been made in secret without public disclosure or information. Citizens have had to go to the frustration and expense of filing Freedom of Information requests in order to stay informed. The Open Victoria campaign documents that 31 of the past 32 Council meetings have entered into 'closed session' where the public is excluded. This should be only a very rare event, as with most nearby municipalities.
This is supposed to be a progressive Council. That is not the kind of progress I seek.
We have a chance to send a message, to stop this disastrous and costly approach, to move towards a vision arrived at through genuine input and consensus. Personally I 'd like to see a Council that presses all levels of government for genuine action to end poverty and homelessness so that the families, addicts and the mentally ill receive the attention and assistance they need; that invests in a badly-needed arts centre; that recognizes and protects heritage structures, bridges, trees and environments; that makes genuine citizen participation a priority; that declares Victoria a smart-meter free zone; that works with large and small business, development and communities in a balanced approach.
I like the questions mayoral candidate Paul Brown and his Open Victoria team have posed and answered on their website: www.openvictoria.ca. Check it out (under City Questions and answers).
There are also other good candidates running for Council. Let's retire the majority of this current council and bring in some folks with new energy, who aren't afraid to have their own opinions, who are prepared to ask questions and think for themselves, who will stand up to the bureaucracy and staff if need be - and act on behalf of residents, tax-payers, citizens. Things have gotten out of whack, I'm afraid. As others have noted, now we have Council using tax-payer's money to sell the bureaucracy's vision to the residents. It's supposed to be the other way round... that the Councillor's are our representatives, representing our interest at City Hall.
It's time to put party allegiance aside, at least until the party in question demonstrates loyalty to its purported ethics and values.
Those are my thoughts... Thanks for reading. Please vote and consider how you will vote. There is so little genuine democracy left in our world. More and more decisions are made by those who represent private rather than public interest. We need to fight for democracy - for wise decisions that benefit the electorate made by elected representatives that genuinely represent us. The municipal level is a good place to start.
blessings,
carol s.
Paul Brown's Vision For Victoria
We have a chance in Victoria to elect the person that is likely the most qualified person to ever be mayor of any municipality in this region.
If I am elected Mayor of Victoria, my key pledge is to deliver a Council and City Hall that is open, accountable and transparent to the public. Here’s what I mean by that:
• Victoria will have a realistic and public plan for restoring or replacing its crumbling infrastructure, including its sewers, roads and public recreational facilities.
•Future city budget plans and financial forecasts will share with the public all the assumptions they are based on, not just those that make the numbers look better than they are.
•When taxpayers are told their rates will increase by only 3.9%, they will not get a tax bill later saying 7%.
•When city projects are budgeted, that is the amount taxpayers can expect to pay, not double or triple that amount due to a lack of financial controls at City Hall.
•City Council will devote itself to creating realistic and measurable targets and monitoring results, not micro-managing every issue and project that comes along.
•City Hall will be seen by the public as a collaborative partner in the development of proposals, plans and initiatives that address the stated objectives of the City Council and the community at large.
•City Hall staff will be non-partisan, free of political influence and perform to the universal standard of a professional public service.
•Council and City Hall will operate to a publicly-recognized standard for open government transparency and the timely sharing of information. By default, all information will be made public unless there is a sound and defensible legal reason for not doing so.
•City Council will not conduct in camera meetings without a legally sound reason. And if Council goes in camera, the specific reason will be shared with the public.
My Vision for Victoria
Here are 13 actions I will take to achieve this result:
•I will have an independent review conducted of the City’s financial affairs and position.
•I will eliminate the City’s Corporate Communications Office.
•I will order a review of the City’s executive, management and administrative functions and implement changes.
•I will re-examine and re-structure the City’s public advisory committees as required.
•I will develop and publish a list of the City’s infrastructure needs and conduct a public consultation to prioritize and build them into the City’s annual budget plans.
•I will order the public disclosure of the financial status of the Johnson Street Bridge replacement and the prioritized list of risks associated with it.
•I will open an immediate discussion with Esquimalt to determine possibility of renewing the Policing Agreement.
•I will open discussions with Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Saanich to determine the feasibility of sharing garbage and organic waste collection services.
•I will request the CRD consider funding the Johnson Street Bridge replacement on the same basis as the replacement of Craigflower Bridge (92%).
•I will fund the implementation of the Official Community Plan and the Downtown Core Area Plan
•I will ensure that Local Area Plans are updated and adhered to.
•I will order a review and public report on the City’s efforts to mitigate homelessness and the results to date and open negotiations with higher levels of government to place the burden of responsibility in their hands where it belongs.
•I will initiate revision of the Economic Develop Strategy to focus it on the City of Victoria as opposed to Greater Victoria, make it action oriented in nature and allocate a budget to it.
In his professional life, Paul is a partner in a consulting firm that provides advice on governance issues to governments in B.C., Alberta, Yukon and the State of Washington. This role gives him a unique perspective on making government work smarter and with greater transparency.Here is his vision of how to fix the problem we find ourselves in:
If I am elected Mayor of Victoria, my key pledge is to deliver a Council and City Hall that is open, accountable and transparent to the public. Here’s what I mean by that:
• Victoria will have a realistic and public plan for restoring or replacing its crumbling infrastructure, including its sewers, roads and public recreational facilities.
•Future city budget plans and financial forecasts will share with the public all the assumptions they are based on, not just those that make the numbers look better than they are.
•When taxpayers are told their rates will increase by only 3.9%, they will not get a tax bill later saying 7%.
•When city projects are budgeted, that is the amount taxpayers can expect to pay, not double or triple that amount due to a lack of financial controls at City Hall.
•City Council will devote itself to creating realistic and measurable targets and monitoring results, not micro-managing every issue and project that comes along.
•City Hall will be seen by the public as a collaborative partner in the development of proposals, plans and initiatives that address the stated objectives of the City Council and the community at large.
•City Hall staff will be non-partisan, free of political influence and perform to the universal standard of a professional public service.
•Council and City Hall will operate to a publicly-recognized standard for open government transparency and the timely sharing of information. By default, all information will be made public unless there is a sound and defensible legal reason for not doing so.
•City Council will not conduct in camera meetings without a legally sound reason. And if Council goes in camera, the specific reason will be shared with the public.
My Vision for Victoria
Here are 13 actions I will take to achieve this result:
•I will have an independent review conducted of the City’s financial affairs and position.
•I will eliminate the City’s Corporate Communications Office.
•I will order a review of the City’s executive, management and administrative functions and implement changes.
•I will re-examine and re-structure the City’s public advisory committees as required.
•I will develop and publish a list of the City’s infrastructure needs and conduct a public consultation to prioritize and build them into the City’s annual budget plans.
•I will order the public disclosure of the financial status of the Johnson Street Bridge replacement and the prioritized list of risks associated with it.
•I will open an immediate discussion with Esquimalt to determine possibility of renewing the Policing Agreement.
•I will open discussions with Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Saanich to determine the feasibility of sharing garbage and organic waste collection services.
•I will request the CRD consider funding the Johnson Street Bridge replacement on the same basis as the replacement of Craigflower Bridge (92%).
•I will fund the implementation of the Official Community Plan and the Downtown Core Area Plan
•I will ensure that Local Area Plans are updated and adhered to.
•I will order a review and public report on the City’s efforts to mitigate homelessness and the results to date and open negotiations with higher levels of government to place the burden of responsibility in their hands where it belongs.
•I will initiate revision of the Economic Develop Strategy to focus it on the City of Victoria as opposed to Greater Victoria, make it action oriented in nature and allocate a budget to it.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
City of Victoria and debts
I thought I would look at debts and financing costs for different municipalities in this region. I am doing this because I want to point out the awful job the City of Victoria has been doing and how completely out of sync it is with other municipalities in this region. With a $500,000,000+ infrastructure deficit and a bad balance sheet, the City of Victoria is in serious financial problems.
The data is from 2009 and you can find it as this link.
Total Debt
The data is from 2009 and you can find it as this link.
Total Debt
- Victoria $49,386,444
- Langford $23,002,407
- Saanich $17,421,794
- Esquimalt $11,421,457
- North Saanich $10,872,967
- Sooke $9,352,534
- Colwood $7,761,211
- Oak Bay $3,911,358
- Sidney $1,971,251
- View Royal $840,520
- Highlands $530,057
- Metchosin $0
- Central Saanich $0
- Total - $136,472,000 - City of Victoria had 36.2% of the that debt. With the addition of the Johnson Street Bridge project, the City will take on at least $41 million more in debt.
- Victoria $4,272,741
- Saanich $1,396,831
- Esquimalt $680,706
- North Saanich $655,114
- Langford $617,276
- Colwood $480,620
- Sooke $389,840
- Oak Bay $226,477
- Sidney $187,445
- View Royal $60,765
- Highlands $35,348
- Central Saanich $0
- Methchosin $0
- Total - $9,003,163 - City of Victoria paid 47.5% of the interest on debt in this region.
- Victoria $7,726,247
- Saanich $2,820,545
- Colwood $1,219,870
- Esquimalt $1,185,297
- North Saanich $1,151,466
- Langford $1,083,632
- Sooke $863,708
- Sidney $501,974
- Oak Bay $381,772
- View Royal $286,950
- Highlands $73,710
- Central Saanich $0
- Metchosin $0
- Total - $17,295,171 - City of Victoria represents 44.7% of this.
The City of Victoria is already carrying more debt than others in this region while at the same time not having put money aside for capital improvements that are needed now.
Email from the Greater Victoria Teachers Association
From: Susan Salvati
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:42:42 -0800
To: Susan Salvati
Subject: IMPORTANT: SCHOOL TRUSTEE ELECTIONS, NOVEMBER 19, 2011
Dear All,
Victoria teachers are appealing for your vote in the upcoming municipal election, November 19th.
I don't normally reach out to my network for political causes, but the education of kids is an issue about which I feel very strongly. I hope you will consider voting for school trustees in the upcoming municipal election on November 19th. Did you know that school trustees are the caretakers of the public educational system? They are your voice to government on issues relating to management of schools. There are nine trustees who meet regularly to make policy, plan and evaluate the overall operation of the school district.
The Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association has endorsed five trustee candidates who care deeply, and are willing to stand up and advocate on behalf of the interests of the children in our schools. We want trustees who are passionate and willing to question decisions, instead of blindly agreeing to drastic underfunding. We are endorsing candidates who are willing to be visible, who will visit and be informed about schools, and who will actively advocate for smaller classes and more resources. The endorsed candidates are:
Catherine Alpha
David Bratzer (www.bratzer.net)
Edith Loring-Kuhanga (www.electedith.ca)
Diane McNally (www.lined-paper.com)
Deborah Nohr (www.deborahnohr.ca)
(I am also personally canvassing for Rob Paynter (www.robpaynter.ca), another progressive candidate who has been working with the candidates above but who was not officially endorsed by the Greater Victoria Teacher's Association due to time constraints).
This year there are fifteen candidates, and nine positions to be filled. Each of these five endorsed candidates has committed to work for smaller classes, more specialist teachers, and more resources for students to be successful, especially special needs students. They will not accept the status quo. We believe these candidates will be strong advocates for the needs of our children, and we are appealing to you to give them your vote.
‘Plumping’ your vote
Often voters think that because there are nine positions for Trustees, they need to pick nine names from the list of candidates. This is not true and can ultimately cause those you want to see elected to lose. Rather than voting for all nine trustee positions, a voter can choose to vote for simply one, two or five if they wish. When we target a small number of candidates to focus our vote on, we maximize the power of our vote.
Let’s work together to elect trustees who will stand up for the better learning environment that our children deserve.
The education system in BC is at a turning point, and you can help direct which way it will go. If you are in support of fully funded public education, please examine the platforms of candidates who will work toward ensuring an excellent educational system, one that puts the needs of kids first. If you feel so inclined, please share the list of candidates.
Thank you for your time,
Susan Salvati
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:42:42 -0800
To: Susan Salvati
Subject: IMPORTANT: SCHOOL TRUSTEE ELECTIONS, NOVEMBER 19, 2011
Dear All,
Victoria teachers are appealing for your vote in the upcoming municipal election, November 19th.
I don't normally reach out to my network for political causes, but the education of kids is an issue about which I feel very strongly. I hope you will consider voting for school trustees in the upcoming municipal election on November 19th. Did you know that school trustees are the caretakers of the public educational system? They are your voice to government on issues relating to management of schools. There are nine trustees who meet regularly to make policy, plan and evaluate the overall operation of the school district.
The Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association has endorsed five trustee candidates who care deeply, and are willing to stand up and advocate on behalf of the interests of the children in our schools. We want trustees who are passionate and willing to question decisions, instead of blindly agreeing to drastic underfunding. We are endorsing candidates who are willing to be visible, who will visit and be informed about schools, and who will actively advocate for smaller classes and more resources. The endorsed candidates are:
Catherine Alpha
David Bratzer (www.bratzer.net)
Edith Loring-Kuhanga (www.electedith.ca)
Diane McNally (www.lined-paper.com)
Deborah Nohr (www.deborahnohr.ca)
(I am also personally canvassing for Rob Paynter (www.robpaynter.ca), another progressive candidate who has been working with the candidates above but who was not officially endorsed by the Greater Victoria Teacher's Association due to time constraints).
This year there are fifteen candidates, and nine positions to be filled. Each of these five endorsed candidates has committed to work for smaller classes, more specialist teachers, and more resources for students to be successful, especially special needs students. They will not accept the status quo. We believe these candidates will be strong advocates for the needs of our children, and we are appealing to you to give them your vote.
‘Plumping’ your vote
Often voters think that because there are nine positions for Trustees, they need to pick nine names from the list of candidates. This is not true and can ultimately cause those you want to see elected to lose. Rather than voting for all nine trustee positions, a voter can choose to vote for simply one, two or five if they wish. When we target a small number of candidates to focus our vote on, we maximize the power of our vote.
Let’s work together to elect trustees who will stand up for the better learning environment that our children deserve.
The education system in BC is at a turning point, and you can help direct which way it will go. If you are in support of fully funded public education, please examine the platforms of candidates who will work toward ensuring an excellent educational system, one that puts the needs of kids first. If you feel so inclined, please share the list of candidates.
Thank you for your time,
Susan Salvati
Wednesday's SD#61 All Candidates Meeting - Another view
After I posted the take on the meeting by David Bratzer last Wednesday, I got the following email from one of the people that attended the meeting:
Hi Bernard,
I was one of the few people (maybe 30?) at the all candidates meeting at Spectrum. I went in knowing very little about any of the candidates, incumbents included, and I came away with a feeling that regardless of how this particular election went, there were 15 candidates (one was absent) that really cared about our public education system. They may have different politics, but it was clear that all were good people who really cared. I was also impressed with just how much experience was on the board and how civil the whole evening was. No mud was flung, there was very little verbal sparring, and most of the candidates were very well spoken. It will be difficult for me to vote any of the returning trustees out, but I will have to find a way to include Edith Loring-Kuhanga and David Bratzer on the ballot. That said, the most impressive candidates in my mind were Bev Horsman, Jim Holland, and Michael MceVoy, who really seem to understand the tough road ahead for public education, not just from a funding standpoint, but also from a top level of what can and needs to be done to protect the existing programs. This was my 1st experience with John Young, but what a force of nature he is... amazing how much experience one person can bring to the table.
That said, in the question period, there were some non answers from several candidates. One of the questions went something like this... "In a time of budgetary pressure what would be your 2 priorities going forward... and asking for more money doesn't count". This to me was a chance for them to really highlight what was important to them, but instead 2 of the candidates defaulted to... asking/lobbying/begging/threatening for more money.
The other question that was avoided by a couple of candidates was the question of whether they would respect the spirit and obey the rule that candidates can not campaign on school grounds. One of the incumbents apologized for inadvertently campaigning by having a sign in the back of his truck when he was on school grounds (it seemed earnest enough and he said he would not do it again). One of the new candidates had the same question and rather then answer it, he deflected and said that incumbents should not be allowed to call themselves incumbents and that he should be allowed to campaign at school PAC's because of all the "soft campaigning" of the incumbents. I'm guessing that means his answer was no.
Just thought I would share my view, from a parent with no political bias.
Thanks for having a forum that I can actually read.
All the best,
Jason
I have three kids in SD#61 (last year it was two in SD#61 and one in SD#63). My oldest is in his last year this year but I also have a three year old that will enter the schools in September 2013. I will have a direct personal interest in the school system for many more years.
These two posts, and some other conversations I have had, have provided me with more information so that I can make a decision, but I still feel less prepared for this vote than almost any others I have been part of.
Hi Bernard,
I was one of the few people (maybe 30?) at the all candidates meeting at Spectrum. I went in knowing very little about any of the candidates, incumbents included, and I came away with a feeling that regardless of how this particular election went, there were 15 candidates (one was absent) that really cared about our public education system. They may have different politics, but it was clear that all were good people who really cared. I was also impressed with just how much experience was on the board and how civil the whole evening was. No mud was flung, there was very little verbal sparring, and most of the candidates were very well spoken. It will be difficult for me to vote any of the returning trustees out, but I will have to find a way to include Edith Loring-Kuhanga and David Bratzer on the ballot. That said, the most impressive candidates in my mind were Bev Horsman, Jim Holland, and Michael MceVoy, who really seem to understand the tough road ahead for public education, not just from a funding standpoint, but also from a top level of what can and needs to be done to protect the existing programs. This was my 1st experience with John Young, but what a force of nature he is... amazing how much experience one person can bring to the table.
That said, in the question period, there were some non answers from several candidates. One of the questions went something like this... "In a time of budgetary pressure what would be your 2 priorities going forward... and asking for more money doesn't count". This to me was a chance for them to really highlight what was important to them, but instead 2 of the candidates defaulted to... asking/lobbying/begging/threatening for more money.
The other question that was avoided by a couple of candidates was the question of whether they would respect the spirit and obey the rule that candidates can not campaign on school grounds. One of the incumbents apologized for inadvertently campaigning by having a sign in the back of his truck when he was on school grounds (it seemed earnest enough and he said he would not do it again). One of the new candidates had the same question and rather then answer it, he deflected and said that incumbents should not be allowed to call themselves incumbents and that he should be allowed to campaign at school PAC's because of all the "soft campaigning" of the incumbents. I'm guessing that means his answer was no.
Just thought I would share my view, from a parent with no political bias.
Thanks for having a forum that I can actually read.
All the best,
Jason
I have three kids in SD#61 (last year it was two in SD#61 and one in SD#63). My oldest is in his last year this year but I also have a three year old that will enter the schools in September 2013. I will have a direct personal interest in the school system for many more years.
These two posts, and some other conversations I have had, have provided me with more information so that I can make a decision, but I still feel less prepared for this vote than almost any others I have been part of.
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