Sunday March 23, 2025 | ESQUIMALT, BC [Posted 8:53 am | Updated 9:25 am]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Eight people are taking part as candidates in the Township of Esquimalt by-election this month, to fill one vacant council seat.
The election date is Saturday April 5, 2025.
New seat for 18 months:
The council vacancy opened up a result of former Councillor Darlene Rotchford’s resignation when she was elected to the provincial legislature in the October 2024 provincial election as MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood.
Whoever wins on April 5 will serve for about 18 months until the next municipal election in October 2026 — enough time to learn the ropes if they decide to run for a full four-year term after that.
Esquimalt profile:
The Township of Esquimalt is situated between the downtown area of Victoria and the western communities of Colwood, Langford and beyond.
Issues have naturally emerged as related to demands of population growth, including housing and services. In recent years a greater sense of Esquimalt identity has developed including the new town center with a new library. Community development and planning continue. There is attention being paid to building, business and economy.
Esquimalt is home to the Esquimalt DND base and also a major tertiary water treatment plant for treating wastewater from the wider region (Victoria, Esquimalt, Saanich, Oak Bay, View Royal, Langford, and Colwood and the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations).
Schools in Esquimalt are part of School District 61 where policing in schools has been an issue.
The current Esquimalt Council is led by long-time Mayor Barb Desjardins (elected 2008, 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2022).
Quick candidate overview:
An All Candidates Meeting is coming up on Tuesday March 25 at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre, starting at 5:30 pm.
- Ed Avery – information not yet avaliable
- Cornelius Daniel Bouman – Cornelius Bouman has lived in Esquimalt for 20 years, saying the township has seen a strong growth spurt in the last 10 years. He sees increased congestion as a problem as well as increased use of available resources as side effects related to urban renewal/development but no need for urgent change. He would like to see an ongoing focus on traffic, recreational needs, and other services. He would looking at adapting what he describes as the policing model.
- Meagan Brame – A former Esquimalt councillor, Meagan Brame tried her hand at running for a provincial legislature seat in 2024. She was a BC United candidate but when that party collapsed last summer her provincial campaign was abruptly ended. Brame now hopes to return to municipal council after having already served 14 years over four terms on Esquimalt council (2014 to 2022). Her career background is in child care management. She takes a business approach to getting things done and feels her long experience on council will be an asset at this time. She says she likes “the people aspects: of walking the riding during a campaign — more of that in a municipal campaign compared to provincial. “I like being part of it, to shape it,” says Brame about municipal elected office. She sees her role on council as a ‘collaborator’. “I tended to be the mediator, a calm voice in the storm,” she told Island Social Trends.
- Holly Courtright – Holly Courtright is a certified executive coach with a specialized education in Human Rights and what she describes as “a solid understanding of the importance of inclusivity and a supportive corporate culture”. She has a campaign website where she says she believes in “common sense solutions”. She feels that rising costs for services and infrastructure maintenance are outpacing the municipality’s revenue growth and that Esquimalt should focus on attracting development and businesses that would support economic growth, reducing reliance on property taxes and providing more flexibility. On council she would prioritze strategic, long-term investments.
- Marcus McCullough – Marcus is a youth support worker with a background in disaster recovery and economic development. He has a background in inter-governmental relations where collaboration is key with governments and non-governmental organizations. He sees the biggest issue in Esquimalt as the need to navigate the complex challenges of housing affordability and infrastructure development. He would like to see Esquimalt secure resources for affordable housing projects, improving transportation infrastructure, and enhancing public services.
- James Thomas Myers – An engineer with business skills, James Myers has stated that he is running on a platform of strategic community development, community building, and controlling costs, with the goal of supporting seniors, providing accessible and affordable housing to new and established residents as well as maintaining parks and community venues. He wants to see Esquimalt open its doors to young families.
- Shawn Stewart – With a technology background with a focus on using data and long-term forecasts, Shawn Stewart says that a current “small-picture, short-term thinking” results in “a lack of proper planning”. He would hope to see more use of data modelling for council decision-making and to see where a community is heading including aspects of traffic, business, rent and demographics.
- Kody Thomson – One of the candidates who is new to politics is Kody Thomson, a 29-year-old construction engineer with the Canadian Armed Forces. He has spent some time following council meetings and issues of the town and sees how much can get done at the local level. He likes how Esquimalt has a small community feel but is within the larger Greater Victoria core area with all the urban benefits of that. He sees more room for developing affordable housing in Esquimalt. He has just completed a Masters’s Degree in Disaster and Emergency Management at Royal Roads University. Thomson has been out door-knocking and has launched a campaign website. “It’s a vastly different Esquimalt now compared to 10 years ago,” Thomson told Island Social Trends. In this for the long haul, Thomson says he will run again in the full election in October 2026.
Voting in advance / voting day:
- Mail Ballots – Applications have been accepted starting February 18 and must be submitted by 8 p.m. on Saturday April 5, 2025. The Vote by Mail form can be downloaded from the Township of Esquimalt website.
- Advanced Voting 1 – Wednesday March 26, 2025 – 1070 Tillicum Road, Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
- Advanced Voting 2 – Wednesday April 2, 2025 – 1151 Esquimalt Road, Archie Browning Sports Centre Curling Arena (entrance at back parking lot) from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
- General Voting Day – Saturday April 5, 2025 – 527 Fraser St, Esquimalt Recreation Centre Gym from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Next municipal election:
The next full municipal election for BC towns and cities comes up on October 17, 2026.
===== RELATED:
Eight candidates vying for council seat in April 5 Esquimalt by-election (March 19, 2025)
NEWS SECTIONS: ESQUIMALT | BC MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2026