VICTORIA COUNCIL
Gary Alberts, 62, Realtor garyalbertsvictoria citycouncil.com Top three issues:
1. Taxes -There are 86,000 residents and 6,200 businesses in the City — their voices need to be heard. Politicians should represent all of them, not just specific groups. 2. Homeless — We need programs aimed at giving our less fortunate residents a chance to break the cycle and become contributing members of the city. 3. Transportation Bicycle lanes should not interfere with buses, vehicles or pedestrians. We all share the roads. The current designs on Pandora Ave and Fort St need changes.
One big idea:
Shorten the Thursday Night Council meetings. Remove superfluous items from the Agenda. Citizens should not have to stay up until Midnight to have their opinions heard by the Mayor and Council.
Marianne Alto*, facilitator mariannealto.ca Top three issues:
Housing: diversity, accessibility, affordability, balancing future and current needs. Transportation planning and operation: untangling the region’s gridlock. Community and business prosperity: strengthening our economic engine to pay for community services. Social justice: struggling Victorians need compassion, while we increase economic parity, public safety and effective social service delivery. Reconciliation: reconstructing relationships with First Nations will be a legacy of our age.
One big idea:
There are many — all of which need conversation with residents before we get going!
Stephen Andrew, 60, executive director of national charity stephenandrew.ca Top three issues:
Affordability –increase our affordable housing stock, establish supportive emergency shelters to eliminate the need people without a home to live on the street. Accountability –not repeat issues such as the botched investigation of the former Police Chief. We need elected officials to be responsible, transparent and own their mistakes. Fiscal Responsibility – spend our money carefully and not waste it through mismanagement of major projects, pet projects and unnecessary expenditures
One big idea:
Addiction is a challenge we struggle to overcome every day. I will work to establish a Recovery Centre. Recovery is peer-led recovery support that helps individuals build recovery capital at the community level. ?Modelled after similar centres throughout the world, this centre will provide recovery information and training, offer support services, connect people to employment and social services and much needed space for meetings.
Darlene Archibald, 51, business owner DarleneArchibald.ca Top three issues:
1. Supporting businesses by responsible infrastructure upgrades and limiting impacts by concentrating construction so that people are eager to spend their money in Victoria. 2. Expedient Transit working with other municipalities for a complete plan. Road use that works for all with safety and efficiency in mind. 3. Restructuring zoning and permits to support more housing being added to the rental stock. Making suites legal makes it safer for renters and landlords.
One big idea:
Designing a city that encourages us to support each other. Some people are here without their family, missing the support and connection that they provide. If each neighbourhood had its own community centre and buildings were designed with communal spaces this gap could be filled. We could design the city to encourage this as well as supporting families with childcare and eldercare in the same buildings. To alleviate feelings of social isolation, these are more important now than ever.
Laurel Collins, 34, UVic lecturer togethervictoria.ca Top three issues:
My top three issues for building a more affordable, inclusive, and thriving city are: 1) The housing crisis: Just building more luxury condos is not going to fix the problem. On Together Victoria’s website you can read our plan to address the housing crisis. 2) Our consultation process: I want to dramatically improve consultations to ensure we are hearing a diversity of voices. 3) The climate crisis: Building a thriving city means supporting both economic and environmental sustainability.
One big idea:
We need to develop in a way that makes sense for our residents and ensure affordability. I would like to see the city increase nonmarket housing and take a more proactive role in development, instead of instead of simply responding to proposals from developers. Other cities have their own development corporations, and I would like city staff to look at the possibility of creating a Victoria development corporation or a dedicated department within city hall to see what would make sense for us.
Sharmarke Dubow, 34, community organizer togethervictoria.ca Top three issues:
1. Tackling the homelessness and opioid crisis, 2. Affordable housing across all income levels and for people of diverse backgrounds, and 3. Improving city and regional infrastructure (for example, transportation and major projects like sewage treatment), ensuring the business community plays an important role.
One big idea:
I am a renter, like 59% of Victorians. I have advocated for renters’ issues with the Victoria Tenant Action Group as a steering committee member. My big idea is to create a Victoria rental advisory committee that ensures renters’ perspectives are heard at city hall, like in the City of Vancouver.