No matter the outcome, things will look a whole lot different at Victoria’s City Hall.
Only one active councillor, Ben Isitt, is seeking re-election, while two other current councillors Marianne Alto and Stephen Andrew are running for mayor.
This election the City of Victoria will see one mayor, eight city councillors, nine School District 61 Trustees and three CRD Directors elected on October 15th.
Victoria voters will have to choose between 37 candidates for 8 city council slots, and another eight will be running for mayor.
Here are all the candidates for Mayor of Victoria:
- Stephen Andrew: Is running on a platform of creating a Victoria for everyone, public safety and community wellness and homes for everyone.
- Marianne Alto: Wants to focus on issues of housing, city services, neighbourhood well-being, economy and reconciliation.
- Lyall Atkinson
- Rafael Fuentes
- Rod Graham
- David Arthur Johnston
- Michelle Wiboltt
- Brendan Marshall: States that he’d like to put Victoria first, improve traffic flow, remove tent cities, decrease taxes, make the city more affordable to live in, remove red tape and improve safety.
Of the candidates running for the position of city councillor, seven are running under the Viva Victoria umbrella.
Viva Victoria is an elector organization registered with Elections BC that claims to be a grassroots group whose purpose is to elect principled candidates to Victoria city council and the Greater Victoria School District 61 Board of Education.
These seven candidates running under Viva Victoria for City Councillor:
- Julia Alvarez: Says she wants to bring to the forefront true sustainable living, commencing with food security, to tackle the issue of homelessness and Julia believes we are missing a train. With the growth our island is experiencing, we need mass transport to offset the congestion on our roads.
- Sandy Janzen: She claims to share the same issues as the wider public: Lack of affordable housing, a living wage and stress.
- Jason Jones: Claims that Victorians do not want a city council that votes to defund Remembrance Day ceremonies. Or that takes in the homeless with no regard for the safety of those parties involved.
- Muller Kalala: Thinks that Victoria can afford to house its homeless population and city council can pave the way and wants to engage in more dialogue with their hard-working and tax-paying citizens.
- Jeremy Maddok: Thinks local government puts ideology over citizens’ real-life concerns. He wants to restore Victoria’s ‘triple-A’ credit rating on issues of Accessibility, Affordability, and Accountability.
- Emmanuel Parenteau: Wants a Victoria that is safe, accessible and affordable for my children and grandchildren.
- Brad Siffert: His primary focus is on creating a safer and more accessible Victoria as well as strengthening the local economy.
These are the other 30 candidates running for City Councillor running independently:
- Gary C. Beyer
- Tom Braybrook
- Michael Cameron
- Jeremy Caradonna: Wants to make Victoria a better governed, more accountable, more affordable, more liveable, and more vibrant city.
- Christopher Coleman: Wants to steer Victoria city council toward governance and away from politics.
- Matt Dell: Wants to tackle affordability, strengthen communities and invest in the future.
- Rob Duncan: Believes the foremost issues for the City of Victoria are the housing crisis and climate crisis.
- Jalal Elarid
- Marg Gardiner: Wants Victoria to be a more vibrant, progressive, forward-looking, and healthy city.
- Riga Godron
- Stephen Hammond: Says he wants a safer city for everyone, realistic support for everyone and wants to focus on key city services.
- Christopher Hanna
- James Harasymow: Wants to make Victoria a more safe and vibrant city, help to foster affordable housing in the city and nurture culture and community.
- Ben Isitt: Is the only current Councillor standing for re-election. Wants to take on issues of affordable housing, climate action and food security.
- Susan Kim: Claims to have a plan for building affordable homes, protecting renters, and promoting smart and strategic densification.
- Anna King: Wants to foster inter-neighbourhood connection, deal with housing issues the city faces, create reliable and efficient public transit and integrate communities.
- Brian Klassen: Wants to prohibit overnight shelters in public areas and optimize roads for vehicular flow.
- Krista Loughton: Her priorities are to create a sense of community, reduce the impact of the housing crisis and assist those dealing with mental health issues, addiction and homelessness.
- Janice Nightingale
- Steve Orcherton
- Derek Pinto
- Khadoni Pitt Chambers: Main focuses are general affordability, housing stock increases and overhauls to BC Transit and active transportation networks.
- Jordan Quitzau: Wants to offer better support for renters, make the city a safer place and ensure accessibility for all, support small businesses, improve infrastructure, and fill potholes.
- William Scott
- Susan Simmons: Stands for strong governance, an accessible city and community collaboration.
- Tom Sinclair
- Shea C. Smith
- Dave Thompson: Wants to focus on housing accessibility and affordability, action on climate emergency and creating welcoming healthy and safe neighbourhoods
- Janice Williams: Her priorities are promoting and improving good governance, public safety and crime reduction, enhanced accessibility and inclusiveness, housing and enabling fair growth improving parks and recreation opportunities and lastly fostering affordability for residents
- Tony Yacowar: Would like to focus on housing, livability, arts and culture and amalgamation
In a statement, the City of Victoria said an online “candidate profile guide” containing information provided by each candidate will be available on the city’s website on Monday, September 19th.
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 City Councillor in Victoria can be sent to tips@victoriabuzz.com with the subject line saying “Election Information.”
