Good morning, Westshore readers! Now that election is over and the new councils are counting down the days to their first meeting, I want to know what you're expecting from your new elected leaders. Let me know by replying to this email.
Reporter, The Westshore
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Inaugural meetings set for Nov. 7, with three new mayors and 16 new councillors
Clockwise from top left: Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson, View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias, Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi, Metchosin Mayor Marie-Térèse Little, Highlands Mayor Ken Williams, Sooke Mayor Maja Tait
While View Royal got a head start, every other Westshore council will have their inaugural meetings on Monday, Nov. 7. This is when the rubber (gradually) hits the road and we start to find out what kind of councils we’ve just elected.
I want to hear about what you’re looking for from your local governments! A lot of promises and commitments were made during the election and voters overwhelmingly chose change for the Westshore. Let me know what changes you’re counting on—email me at zoe@thewestshore.ca.
In Highlands and Sooke, there was minimal change—just one new councillor in Sooke, Kevin Pearson, who was a councillor in a previous term, and no change in Highlands where many of the six councillors and Mayor Ken Williams are going on to their third terms.
But in Langford, Colwood, and Metchosin the majority of the people at the tables are new politicians.
**In Langford,**mayor-elect Scott Goodmanson’s first order of business was to change the regular meeting time from 5:30pm to 7pm, saying the later hour will allow more people to participate. And, expecting a lot more participation, he’s moved the location of the inaugural meeting to the Belmont Secondary School theatre, which has over five times the capacity of Langford City Hall’s council chambers.
“I think just that in itself is a good statement, because that's commenting on the number of people who we've been told want to come,” Goodmanson said. “And you know what, if we can get those numbers coming out to regular meetings, then we'll host regular meetings someplace that's not City Hall where we can fit everyone.”
Metchosin’s first meeting will address a code of conduct for council, something mayor-elect Marie-Térèse Little has advocated for, following an increase in “vitriol” around the table. She and outgoing mayor John Ranns did not always get along, and tension between them rose to a point where she called the RCMP on him during a particularly combative meeting in the summer.
Colwood’s mayor-elect, Doug Kobayashi, is planning to repeal the newly adopted pay increase for council and renew a committee structure. The committees are part of his commitment to deepen regular consultation with the community.
If you’re interested to follow along, you can watch each of the council meetings live or attend in person. And of course, keep an eye out for this newsletter because I will be watching councils closely.
ENVIRONMENT
The Goldstream River salmon run
Not all salmon survive the journey up the river. (📸 Joscilyn Jupp, submitted)
Images of suffocated salmon piled up in dry stream beds in late September raised the alarm that the latent summer heat and abnormally dry fall could decimate the population of this year’s spawning salmon.
With insufficient water in the streams, salmon were piling up and dying by the hundreds in some areas of BC, like in Heiltsuk First Nation territory on the Central Coast. William Housty, the conservation manager for the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department, told Capital Daily they were harder hit because they have dozens of small creeks that are more vulnerable to drought than large rivers.
Then the rains came.
Now, chum salmon that had been waiting in the estuary at the mouth of the Goldstream River are making their way back up to spawning grounds in what’s shaping up to be a larger salmon run than normal.
Read the full story on Capital Daily.
METCHOSIN
Marie-Térèse Little ready to take on Metchosin
Mayor-elect Marie-Térèse Little is about to take the helm in Metchosin, stepping in for retired mayor John Ranns. There has been a “seismic shift” across Westshore political leadership, Little observed, adding that she sees the transition from Ranns to herself as part of it—not so much for the policy they promote (both are committed to a rural Metchosin) but for their differing leadership styles.
Little’s primary campaign promise was for accountable governance. She pledged to only use in-camera meetings when necessary, saying she felt Ranns relied on them too much.
Her new council will meet Monday for the first time, and includes one re-elected councillor Sharie Epp, and three new councillors: Shelly Donaldson, Steve Gray, and Jay Shukin. The agenda consists mostly of the swearing-in, but will also include a motion to implement a code of conduct.
“All of us have committed to move forward with transparency, openness, and accountability,” she said. “Most of all, I am asking the council to come to the table with humility.”
Setting the stage for a council that debates respectfully and understands diversity could help Little guide the upcoming debate around housing capacity in Metchosin in a more peaceful way. Previous councils navigated a debate around secondary suites, and implemented a bylaw to allow them about 10 years ago. That debate nearly tore Metchosin in two.
Earlier this year, a proposal to allow mobile tiny homes on properties was raised as a potential solution to the dire lack of housing. Just the first mention of it in council brought a dozen speakers to the next meeting, all with passionate views. That discussion was tabled for this council to pick up.
Finances and connectivity key issues
As a small community that’s determined to stay rural, Metchosin has limited municipal income. But since its population crested 5,000, there’s a major bill coming due: Metchosin is now responsible to pay for 70% of its policing costs, estimated at $1.1 million annually. Little hasn’t proposed a concrete solution to cover that expense, but indicated during the election campaign she would look toward cutting some contracted expenses she felt weren’t necessary. Metchosin has more than enough in reserve to pay the first few years, but the police budget is likely to be one of the first major topics the new council tackles.
One of Little’s three platform focuses is sustainable agriculture and supporting Metchosin’s farmers. But while door-knocking throughout the campaign, she learned she was missing a key segment: small business owners. The first thing she knows they need is better connectivity.
Metchosin has a lot of dead zones for cell phone service, and areas where even the internet is slow. Some small business owners, she learned, have Canadian and American phone plans, because there isn’t a strong enough signal to conduct business on Canadian networks alone. Instead of connecting to cell towers on the South Island, some Metchosinites have stronger signals from across the water in Port Angeles. A cell tower is partially under construction on Garibaldi Hill. It was supposed to be completed this summer, but has been delayed.
Around the 'Shore
🚨 Stabbing on the Galloping Goose included some of the same teenagers from a gas station fight in mid-October, RCMP say. On Oct. 28, a fight broke out among a group of teens; one person was stabbed and another had their nose broken. As they interviewed witnesses, Westshore RCMP identified some of the same people who had been involved in an altercation at a 7-Eleven and an Esso two weeks before, when the teenagers allegedly attacked customers. Suspects have been identified, and have court dates set for January. [Times Colonist]
💻 Now hiring: .NET Framework Developer at Megabyte Programming Services.
⚽ Bars, pubs, and restaurants will be allowed to stay open till the wee hours during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which runs from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18. The hours of liquor sales, however, won’t change. This year is the first time Canada’s soccer team has qualified for the World Cup since 1986. There’s a 10-hour time difference, so many matches will be in the early morning.
🚌 Ravi Parmar acclaimed as chair of the SD62’s Board of Education. The Belmont grad was first elected as a trustee in 2014 when he was 20 years old, and two years later was elected by his fellow trustees to be their chair—the youngest in BC. With him on the board is re-elected trustee Allison Watson, and new trustees Cendra Beaton, Russ Chipps, Amanda Dowhy, Ebony Logins, and Trudy Spiller. Dowhy was acclaimed as vice-chair.
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✏️ Correction: Jim Hartshorne is no longer associated with Westhills Land Corp. He does own Keycorp Developments, and is still on the board of variance.
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TOGETHER WITH CENTENNIAL COURT
Live in style at Centennial Court
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Sales start soon—don’t miss out on your new home—register today at CentennialCourt.ca.
Community Events
🎃 Pumpkin smash in Langford. Bring your leftover jack-o'-lanterns to the Westshore Town Centre Cineplex parking lot this Saturday to have your creation dropped from a fire engine ladder. Drops are by donation, raising funds for the International Association of Fire Fighters charity division. Nov. 5, 10am-2pm.
**🧩 Metchosin’s annual puzzle swap meet:**prepare for the coming colder months by stocking up on jigsaw puzzles. Buy, sell, or trade from your trunk. You set the price. “No one is the President of the Puzzle People.” Meet at Old Barn Books, Nov. 6, 1:30pm.
🎁 Gifts & Wishes Christmas art showcase hosted by Arts and Culture Colwood. Every piece in this showcase was handcrafted by a local artist. Many artists will be present to talk about their unique works of art. Nov 12-13, 10am-4pm, Juan de Fuca 55+ Seniors Activity Center (1767 Island Highway).
🎤 The Snotty Nose Rez Kids are hosting a songwriting and music production workshop through the Vancouver Island Regional Library. The workshop will be virtual, and will include a performance from the rappers. The workshop is free for people 30 years and under, with special consideration for Indigenous youth. Register for free with a VIRL library card. Nov. 17, 5-6:30pm.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Nov. 2, 2022 (📸 Tom Gierasimczuk)
🚢**#1**The SM Tiger is a Bulk Carrier built in 2015 and is sailing under the flag of Panama. It is sailing from 🇰🇷 Gwangyang, South Korea ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and is currently at anchor awaiting its berth.
🚢 #2****The Susanoo Harmony is a Bulk Carrier built in 2020 and is sailing under the flag of Liberia. It is sailing from 🇨🇳 Tianjin Xingang, China ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive yesterday.
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TODAY’S PARTNER: RISING ECONOMY 2022
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Westshore Snaps
Wee babe in our red maple today with mom close by and feeding. — Barb Sawatzky, Metchosin.
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.