Tuesday July 11, 2023 | NORTH SAANICH, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The District of North Saanich held a by-election July 8, 2023 to fill a vacant seat on the 7-member council (mayor plus six councillors). The campaign period ran May 23 to July 8.
By-election results:
- Kristine MARSHALL 1,210 (resident of North Saanich, BC)
- Ryan LAY 471 (resident of North Saanich, BC)
- Raymon FARMERE 50 (resident of Victoria, BC)
As announced by the Chief Election Officer Rachel Dumas (North Saanich Corporate Orficer) on July 10:
- Total Votes Cast – 1,731
- Voter Turnout – 16.14%
District of North Saanich:
The District of North Saanich with a population of over 12,000 people works hard to maintain its rural character and function as a food-growing area on South Vancouver Island. There is a strong municipal mission statement about Agriculture and Food Security.
North Saanich is one of 13 municipalities in the Greater Victoria area (Capital Regional District / CRD). North Saanich is home to the Victoria International Airport and the BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay.
The District is surrounded on three sides by 40 kilometres of ocean shoreline.
This area historically emerged from several coastal focal points inward to the interior of the Peninsula. Today, the community-like neighbourhoods, which include Ardmore, Deep Cove, Curteis Point, Cloake Hill/Green Park, Dean Park, and the South East Quadrant, are on the periphery of a rich agricultural interior which is protected by the Provincial Agricultural Land Reserve. Agriculture is very important to the municipality, as evidenced in the number of farms, and road side produce and flower stands.
The Mayor is Peter Jones. The other five councillors are Phil DiBattista, Jack McClintok, Irene McConkey, and Sanjiv Shrivastava and Celia Stock.
The by-election was called due to Brett Smyth (elected in the October 2022 general election, and previous to that in 2018) resigning in March 2023. Smyth and the mayor clashed over the review process for the district’s official community plan. The general election voter turnout was 35.4%.
About Marshall:
Marshall got 70% of the vote in this by-election. She calls herself a parliamentarian, strategic thinker and consensus builder, who brings 20 years of experience working with boards, effective governance models and leading community engagement to Council.
She feels that North Saanich plays a unique role in the Southern Vancouver Island region. Informed by the regional growth strategy and the urban containment boundary, local policies should carefully consider our forests, green spaces, farmland, marine areas and appropriate housing. With global pressures of climate change, local agricultural viability and food sustainability are essential now, and for our shared future.
“I believe that community members have a wealth of expertise, experience, and traditional knowledge. Strong, resilient communities are created through collaborative and transparent public engagement by providing residents and our First Nations meaningful opportunities to engage on issues.” said Marshall in her campaign materials.
She says that North Saanich is “the land where it is good to be” (using the municipality’s slogan). A councillor’s job is to provide stewardship to ensure this remains so for generations to come, the councillor-elect says.