Good morning, Westshore! For those of us who don’t work in politics, it’s easy to get muddled about what politicians_actually_ do. So in order to make an informed decision on Oct. 15 about who to vote for, we have an explainer article today that outlines what the job roles are that politicians are campaigning for.
Let me know what else you want to know before you make your choice by replying to this email.
Reporter, The Westshore
MUNICIPAL ELECTION
What are they running for? A local government explainer
(📸 James MacDonald/Capital Daily)
How much do you know about the roles you’re being asked to vote for on Oct. 15? The municipal election will determine who the next mayors and councillors will be, who will make up the three Greater Victoria school boards, and who will direct the Capital Regional District.
Beyond deciding which candidate to vote for, it's helpful to understand what role they’ll be asked to fill if elected—what they will and won’t have a chance to influence.
Can municipal councillors actually address homelessness? Does a school trustee have the power to alter the education curriculum? And what role does the Capital Regional District play?
We’ve compiled the details on what each of the three main elected bodies do—and don’t do—to help you decide who will best fill the positions.
Read the full story that I and Capital Daily's Shannon Waters wrote.
METCHOSIN
One-term councillor now a mayoral hopeful in Metchosin
Metchosin councillor Marie-Térèse Little is running for mayor. (Metchosin)
Mayor John Ranns will vacate his seat after 30 years at the head of the table, and two current councillors are vying to take over. In September, The Westshore interviewed Coun. Kyara Kahakauwila, who has served on council for 17 years and tried once unsuccessfully to oust Ranns, and will try again in his absence. Coun. Marie-Térèse Little is also running for mayor of Metchosin. The Westshore caught up with Little to find out what her vision for the community is.
Why do you want to be the mayor?
I see that we are going in a trajectory that I don't like to see. What we need is good governance. And we need to focus on our priorities. I have the leadership skills. I've got the education. I've got experience at boards in various organizations, both nationally and internationally, and now four years on council. And Metchosin is so special, it's worth fighting for, it's worth saving.
When you say ‘a trajectory you don't like,’ what are you referring to?
I’m referring to the loss of trust that we have had within the community regarding our governance structure. What we really need is to work towards respectful debate and tolerance, and understanding of diversity and differing perspectives. We need to focus on transparency, openness, and accountability, and we need to adhere to those municipal governing rules and the law.
Are you suggesting that the Local Government Act or Community Charter has been violated?
I'm suggesting that we hold way too many in-camera [closed-door] meetings. There's only very specific instances where we must hold in-camera meetings; there’s other instances where we may, but that is definitely abused in Metchosin. I understand that it's easier to do it in camera because you don't have anybody watching, but it breaks trust. And then anything else you say, people are dubious. My commitment to the community is that we will only hold in-camera meetings when we must.
What would you say are the main issues facing Metchosin right now?
We're surrounded by development on all sides. We are a rural community and we must remain a rural farming, small business, low-density community. That's one of the challenges. Another challenge that we've had was bylaw enforcement, and then what has come up in the last few months is affordable housing and asking if it’s suitable for there to be affordable housing in Metchosin.
Probably the biggest issue everybody's worried about is our finances. We need to shift our priorities because we have a certain amount in surplus, but we have policing costs now because we are 5,076 people instead of below 5,000. So we are responsible for 70% of the policing costs, and that's probably to the tune of about $1.1 million per year.
Around the 'Shore
**🔥 Finlayson Arm wildfire:**Water bombers and ground crew responded quickly to a brush fire in the District of the Highlands on Tuesday, and were able to stop the fire from growing more than a hectare. It’s now considered “held,” according to BC Wildfire Service’s classification system, but is still burning. The fire is suspected to be caused by a human, since there’s been no recent lightning. There’s also been next to no rain since June, which means the forest along Finlayson Arm is dry and has burned easily.
🎣 The cost of the extended summer weather: The brush fire on Finlayson Arm this week is a symptom of a dry streak that’s also affecting Western Red Cedars and this year’s salmon run. Capital Daily’s Jolene Rudisuela looked into what this late summer weather is costing us. [Capital Daily]
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🚔 A car thief was foiled by the vehicle's owner, who was dragged 30 metres from a View Royal gas station as the would-be thief tried to drive off. Police surrounded the stolen vehicle and arrested the suspect. The owner of the vehicle sustained injuries, but has been released from hospital. [Westshore RCMP]
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TOGETHER WITH DANCE VICTORIA
Live jazz and libations at Luxe
Join the fun on October 14, 7-10pm, for a night of unique libations, tempting food, and great conversation, in support of Dance Victoria!
Adam Bradshaw will introduce a premium trilogy of rare single malt scotch whiskies curated by the Dram Association Whisky Club at The Strath, or choose three Unsworth Vineyards wines, and/or a prosecco by Storied Wines and Spirits. Mocktails available or mix and match! Tempting meats and cheese, irresistible chocolates, and the dynamic jazz duo Tony Genge and Joey Smith—all hosted in Luxe Home Interiors’ gorgeous showroom. Mystery boxes are available stocked with fantastic goodies from local businesses; pre-purchase yours with your ticket or buy a box or two at the event.
Community Events
**🗳 Advanced voting options started yesterday.**Each Westshore community has one more option next week: View Royal is on Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 8am to 8pm; the rest are on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 8am to 8pm.
🎃 Pumpkin Fest at Lohbrunner Community Farmfor the next three weekends, 11am-4pm Saturdays and Sundays. Pick a pumpkin and enjoy warm drinks by donation, 1152 Lippincott Rd.
🚒 Come for the pancake breakfast, stay for the fire truck rides: Langford Fire Rescue is hosting an open house Sunday, Oct. 16, 10am-2pm at Station 1, 2625 Peatt Rd. Bring a donation for the Goldstream Food Bank to help “Fill the Boat.”
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Oct. 3, 2022 (📸 Tom Gierasimczuk)
🛳️ #1 The FPMC B Foreveris a Bulk Carrier built in 2010 and is sailing under the flag of Liberia. It is sailing from 🇹🇼 Mailiao, Taiwan ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive two weeks ago.
⛴ #2 The Atmosphereis a Bulk Carrier built in 2009 and is sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. It seems to be sailing from 🇨🇦 Vancouver ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver? It was supposed to "arrive" last week but seems to be delayed (or caught in some sort of inter-dimensional hamster wheel). Keep watching this space!
🚢 #3 The SeaSpan Adonis is a Container Ship built in 2010 and is sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. It is sailing from from 🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive on Sunday but seems to be delayed.
🛳️ #4The Polymniais a Bulk Carrier built in 2012 and is sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. It is sailing from 🇯🇵 Nagoya, Japan ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive last week but seems to be delayed.
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TODAY’S PARTNER: MP ALISTAIR MACGREGOR
Proudly representing the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding since 2015
As your Member of Parliament, Alistair MacGregor understands that life for Canada’s workers should be getting easier; not harder. If you need assistance with federal agencies, contact him.
Westshore Snaps
(📸 James MacDonald/Capital Daily)
(📸 James MacDonald/Capital Daily)
Capital Daily's photographer James MacDonald happened to be at the right place and time to capture these images of firefighters getting the wildfire at Finlayson Arm under control on Tuesday. The fire is less than a hectare in size on the east side of Finlayson Arm in the District of Highlands, and is now considered held, though not yet out.
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.