Wednesday October 2, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC
BC ELECTION CAMPAIGN DAY 12 of 28
Political campaign feature by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Your 28-day voter’s guide for BC Election 2024
It’s a new thing for John Wilson to be out there as a politician. It was a recent experience with the health-care system that has brought him into politics.
After his 97-year-old mother had a fall recently and had to wait 14 hours in the hospital ER before being seen by a health-care professional, Wilson says “it came to light how our system is broken”.
Wilson is no stranger to the business community and is known across the Greater Victoria region as a bus transportation entrepreneur and team sports investor.
It’s the recognition of name and face that is likely part of what could be a strong voter response for Wilson as the BC Conservative candidate in Esquimalt-Colwood.
“It’s a little scary but it’s exciting as ell” to make a career shift like this at age 58, said Wilson in an interview with Island Social Trends this week. “But I’m not happy with how things have been in BC,” said Wilson.
“I’m doing this for the community and for the right reason,” emphasizing that he’s not been a career politician. “I’m quite confident in that,” says Wilson with a mix of excitement and resolve. “I’m honoured to have been asked.”
“It’s an opportunity to use my experience and skill set in a new way,” he said.
The parties on the right:
But there has been some longer-term momentum. “John Rustad and I have been talking about this for about a year, leading up to this,” said Wilson.
Back in mid-June at a Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce event where BC United Leader Kevin Falcon addressed the local business community, Wilson told media afterward that he was a bit confused about how a coalition would work between the BC United and BC Conservatives and said he hoped they could “find some common ground, stop slamming each other, and work together to form government in the next election”.
Then at the end of August everyone had the answer to that when Falcon pulled the plug on the BC United campaign. That streamlined some decision-making for Wilson.
Wilson told Island Social Trends yesterday that he had waited to “see where things landed around the BC United and the BC Conservative talks”.
“I didn’t make up my mind until those talks were completed and a decision was made around that. And then I had the opportunity for the Esquimalt-Colwood riding,” he said.
Last-minute hat into the ring:
It’s been a very busy time for Wilson and his campaign team. “It’s like drinking from a fire hose,” he says about launching into election campaign mode.
“It’s been an all-new experience for me and my volunteers and even my campaign manager, so we’re learning as we go. It’s a race to the finish line.”
“I can see why a lot of people hesitate to run for politics, because it’s a lot of work,” says Wilson. “I’m glad I have a strong family and business support network because otherwise I just wouldn’t be able to do this,” he says.
Wilson comes into the Esquimalt-Colwood race rather late in the game. He has had to put in a leave of absence with all the boards he belongs to.
Wilson announced his candidacy on September 10, after the BC NDP lost their candidate Mitzi Dean on August 31 (she stepped down due to personal challenges); Dean was hastily replaced on September 7 with Darlene Rotchford who has stepped away from being a Township of Esquimalt municipal councillor during the campaign.
Meanwhile, Camille Currie for the BC Greens in Esquimalt-Colwood has been out in the riding as a candidate for months; has the political experience of having run in the Langford-Juan de Fuca by-election in June 2023. Her big issue is health-care system reform but knows the riding on many other levels as well through business and education.
Urban riding with shores:
Wilson’s provincial election campaign in Esquimalt-Colwood was launched just 23 days ago.
Everyone on his campaign team is new to the political game. It’s been a fast and complex process to make sure his business would keep running smoothly as he steps away from that role, and to learn the ropes of the political campaign process including organizing volunteers and collecting donations.
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Esquimalt-Colwood includes voters in Esquimalt, Colwood, View Royal and VicWest. According to the Electoral Boundaries Commission the population is 58,356 within just 53 sq km.
It’s a tight urban are with a full range of household socioeconomics, businesses large and small, the Esquimalt Department of National Defence (DND) base, and portions of two school districts (SD61 – Greater Victoria and SD62 – Sooke/West Shore).
One full side of the electoral area hugs oceanfront (Victoria Harbour, Esquimalt Harbour, and Esquimalt Lagoon). Both Highway 1 (the Trans Canada) and Highway 14 (Island Highway / Sooke Road) run through the riding.
Experience on a big scale:
Wilson has run his family-owned company Wilson’s Group of Companies for over 35 years, becoming a leader in bus service to many parts of the province and serving as Chair of Motor Coach Canada and the Canadian Representative for the United Motorcoach Association.
He participated in the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and the City of Victoria’s Economic Development Downtown Prosperity Task Force, as well as sitting on the Destination Greater Victoria’s Destination Management and Transportation Committee.
He was also Chair of the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society.
Wilson was on the board of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce for 13 years. During the pandemic he was board chair (2020-2023) including hiring a new CEO. Under his leadership the Chamber advocated “for all levels of business to all levels of government” during the pandemic. He learned about the challenges for “government, community, province and country” during that time as well as for individuals “and the tough times that we’ve gone through and that lie ahead if we continue down the path we’re going”, said Wilson this week.
During the pandemic Wilson appreciated the break-even grant that the BC NDP government provided to the transportation sector across BC in order to keep scheduled rural bus line connections rolling. He helped on the negotiations with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure toward that outcome.
His experience running a large company and overseeing the Chamber’s business voice has demonstrated his decision-making ability, his capacity to work with big budgets, and working in large groups. He says he wants to make society and the Greater Victoria area better for all.
He was also Chair of the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society.
Wilson is part of the Victoria HarbourCats baseball team ownership group along with Rich Harder, Ken Swanson, Jim Swanson, Helen Edwards, Michael Macdonell, John Schnaderbeck, Victor Vendetti, and one unnamed partner.
Broader regional vision for Greater Victoria:
Wilson doesn’t live in the Esquimalt-Colwood riding. But he sees the whole Greater Victoria region as one interactive region. His daughter and son-in-law live in Esquimalt. His son and daughter-law live in the Royal Bay area of Colwood. John and his wife Valerie — now married nearly 40 years — now have three grandchildren.
“I was born and raised in Victoria. Greater Victoria is one big community,” says Wilson who has developed strong working relationships with sports teams and also the Esquimalt DND base through his bus transportation company.
Wilson stated in his September 10 campaign announcement news release that “his deep commitment to the Greater Victoria region is reflected in his active involvement in numerous local initiatives, his support for community development, and his passion for fostering a vibrant and sustainable future for Vancouver Island”.
In 2019, The Wilson’s Group was recognized as the first Green Certified Fleet Transportation business on Vancouver Island.
Affordability:
Wilson wants to see life be more affordable in BC. He says that the carbon tax is hard for the average person. Though the BC NDP government has already ensured that about 80% of low and moderately-low income households get more money back than they pay out in carbon tax.
Public safety:
If elected on October 19, Wilson wants to prioritize public safety. “People are afraid. The number one role of any government is to provide safety and security,” Wilson said this week.
Wilson says the government needs to “stop funding hard drugs” and should do a better job of “supporting first responders”. Better mental health supports are part of solutions there, he says.
Role of government:
Voters have become complacent. But safety needs and health-care needs must be dealt with. “The people in the health-care system are fantastic but the system is broken,” said Wilson. Probably both of his competitors would agree with that viewpoint (one being a health-care advocate and the other a health-care worker).
“The number one role of any government is to provide safety and security for their citizens and that’s not being done at any level right now.”
Accountability and common sense:
He wants to be part of a BC Legislative Assembly that demonstrates “government accountability, reduces the use of taxpayer dollars, spends better — wisely and more efficiently, and is guided by common sense”.
He emphasizes that “spending wisely” is not the same as spending cuts; he suggests that the BC NDP might equate the two, but he does not.
“I don’t know how one can think that staying with the same government will make changes happen,” said Wilson, He said a BC Conservative government would “be innovative to make things better for the people of Esquimalt-Colwood”.
If the BC Conservatives don’t win “it will be more of the same,” says Wilson. He wants to see life be “more affordable for the average period” through lowering taxes. He wants to make decisions that “help the south island and British Columbia as a whole, not just my riding”, he says about how he would approach things if his wins as the MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood.
He quotes former City of Langford Mayor Stew Young who ‘back in the day’ said that “government should own stuff and not run stuff”, which is indicative of a business mentality for government and how the BC Conservatives might approach things if they form government after the October 19 election.
Child care scenario:
On the child care issue he says there doesn’t seem to be enough staffing and that it’s probably due to low pay, Wilson told Island Social Trends back in June.
Of his 155 employees at Wilson’s Group of Companies the child care situation is an issue. Both his son and his daughter have small children so he “understands the challenges”.
“It’s a significant cost for a young family to pay for child care, says Wilson.
This applies to child care. Wilson recommends “setting up a structure where the private sector can succeed and individuals who need the support — subsidization if you will because they have children — can get the support direct from the government rather than through a subsidized government day care,” says Wilson.
West shore focus:
For the west shore Wilson hopes to re-examine the opportunity for a west shore ferry from Colwood to the Victoria harbour. That could help with the Colwood crawl traffic congestion.
Continued housing growth adds to traffic congestion, says Wilson. he wants to improve transportation links which could also improve rail (reactivating and upgrading the E&N Rail Corridor has stalled due to land issues with First Nations along the line). “I would open and look at that right away if elected.”
Wilson’s Group already runs a BC Ferry Connector bus service out to the Swartz Bay terminal past Sidney. That could work hand-in-hand with BC Transit, he told Island Social Trends earlier this year.
“We’re somewhat disappointed with BC Transit as being promoted as the only option out to BC Ferries, for sure,” he said in June. Direct coach service from downtown Victoria out to the BC Ferries terminal is good for tourists and seniors, he said.
Wilson said this summer that internally within his company he has been working on the possibility of a direct BC Connector coach from Langford (instead of from downtown Victoria), out to the ferry.
And for Wilson, burgeoning housing growth in the west shore also behooves a look at how fast the new schools are being built and staffed.
Signage challenges:
“It’s a democratic right for people to know who they can vote for,” said Wilson, in his concerns around local signage policies which differ in the four municipalities within Esquimalt-Colwood. “That’s been a real frustration.”
For example, View Royal does not allow campaign signage on municipal property which includes boulevards along main roads. “It’s a four-week period once every four years. It’s a democractic right for people to know who they vote for,” said Wilson yesterday. In particular, View Royal has banned campaign signs on municipal property (including around concerns about traffic sightlines), which means along major roads and transit routes where people would see them.
Signage of all candidates unfortunately gets damaged during election campaigns, but Wilson finds that “disheartening” given the time and expense (with donor dollars) to produce and erect those signs.
Some people don’t use social media so outdoor signage in the community is important for those voters, says Wilson.
He feels that signage bylaws should be mandated more broadly by the Capital Regional District or the provincial government where elections (such as provincial and federal) cross one or more municipal boundaries.
Door-knocking & fundraising:
The Wilson campaign team started door-knocking on the Saturday right after his September 10 campaign announcement, even though the campaign flyers didn’t arrive until Friday the 13th. Door-knocking and getting out the vote for BC Conservative will be his team’s constant focus for the next two-and-a-half weeks.
He held a fundraiser at Max Furniture on September 23. On September 25 he joined fellow BC Conservative candidate Mike Harris at a meet-and-greet.
“We live in the greatest place in the country and we need to start looking at it better,” says Wilson.
So looking back, none of this career trajectory for Wilson seems like a last-minute decision. It’s been an active possibility for a while. “We’re quite excited, we have as good a shot as anybody to win,” said Wilson this week.
If Wilson gets elected as the next MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood, few will be surprised to see hi rise up fast within the BC Conservative MLAs — whether in Official Opposition or as government. He is aligned with the Rustad rendition on how government should be run, but seems to have an even smoother way of presenting it.
===== RELATED:
- BC party leaders clash in radio debate Oct 2 (October 2, 2024)
- Mike Harris campaign office opening in Langford (September 25, 2024)
- Camille Currie on why she’d be the right MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood (September 21, 2024)
- John Wilson could achieve an upset in Esquimalt-Colwood (September 12, 2024)
- BC NDP chooses Darlene Rotchford as candidate for Esquimalt-Colwood (September 7, 2024)
- Mitzi Dean pulls out of election 2024 (August 31, 2024)
- BC election ‘already in the history books’, says Rustad (June 19, 2024)
- NEWS SECTIONS: POLITICS | BC ELECTION 2024