The Township of Esquimalt has a population of over 18,000 and on election day those residents who are eligible will have to choose one Mayor and six Council Members.
There is only going to be one disappointed mayoral candidate as well as one disappointed council member candidate as there are only two running for the mayoral seat and only seven running for council.
The candidates for Mayor are:
- Barb Desjardins: Has been serving Esquimalt Mayor since 2008, and before that she sat on the municipal council. Her priorities for the 2022 election are public safety through policing and infrastructure, the environment, preserving Esquimalt’s culture and heritage, business development and bolstering community partnerships.
- Sonya Gracey: She is a former Victoria city council member who now resides in Esquimalt and is running for mayor. Her platform is all about engaging and investing in the community, cultivating and nurturing relationships and responding/adapting to climate change.
Related:Former Victoria City Councillor Sonya Gracey to run for Mayor of Esquimalt
Three out of the seven candidates for council are returning councillors. The other four candidates have all sat on various community boards or been a part of community organizations.
The candidates for Councillor are:
- Ken Armour: Currently sits on the Esquimalt council. His three priorities are “density done right, climate action and business growth.”
- Andrea Boardman: Says she wants a diverse and thriving community with opportunities for meaningful, local employment that supports health and healing, where families can grow, learn, live and play in an environment that respects history and looks forward to the future.
- Duncan Cavens: His priorities are housing affordability, climate change, safe streets, active transportation, good governance and financial management.
- Jacob Helliwell: Is running for his second term as council member. He says he wants to work to provide diverse housing options for everyone, building more accessible and connected neighbourhoods and investing in a strong, engaged community.
- Tim Morrison: Has been on council for three terms. His priorities are housing affordability, dealing with the climate crisis on a local level, economic development, wants a unified CRD police force where each municipality pays their fair share and safer streets with better infrastructure.
- Chris Munkacsi: Wants to see the development of Esquimalt with the climate crisis in mind, have active transportation for everyone and a regional amalgamated police department under the CRD.
- Darlene Rotchford: Is running on a platform of community support, accountable governance and stronger public services including more family doctors.
This article is subject to change as more information on candidates becomes available. Any additional information regarding the candidates for the positions of Mayor or Councillor in Esquimalt can be sent to tips@victoriabuzz.com with the subject line saying “Election Information.”
The election will take place on Saturday, October 15th.
