My Priorities

Did you know that Oak Bay’s population is roughly the same as it was in the 1960s? Perhaps, if Oak Bay had been allowed to grow at even a moderate pace over the last 75 years, our tax burden would be lower and our infrastructure better maintained. Instead, we’re facing high taxes and a massive infrastructure debt, even as too much of our public spending fails to yield appreciable improvements in quality of life for Oak Bay residents.

As a councillor, I will:

• prioritize public spending that directly improves quality of life in Oak Bay, from core infrastructure quality to recreation access to sense of community.

• speak against the practice of hiring private-sector consultants to produce plans and reports that then languish with no deliverables.

• support expanding our District tax base by incentivizing housing where we want it, and smart commercial development that provides a net benefit to residents.

Investment in public arts, festivals, and events feeds our souls. Investment in libraries, recreational spaces and programs strengthens our minds and bodies. Provision of safe spaces for children, youth, and seniors helps families thrive.

As a councillor, I will:

• champion existing community programming, while seeking creative ways to use our existing recreational spaces and buildings to provide more opportunities for underserved groups (particularly youth and teens).

• support the redevelopment of the former Oak Bay Lodge site as a campus of care, and seek out opportunities to partner with community groups, the BC government and/or Island Health in pursuit of this goal.

• identify ways that Oak Bay can promote the provision of additional childcare spaces in Oak Bay, particularly for infants and toddlers and after-school care.

With the passage of BC’s Bill 44, the potential impacts of triplexes and fourplexes on neighbourhood character shot to the top of many citizen’s concerns. I agree that this form of housing is not meeting Oak Bay’s greatest need, and think that Council should focus on trying to make it more attractive to build the types of housing we say we want.

In the next Council term we should focus on how to manage both new and existing housing stock for the good of our community. For example, I am troubled by the plight of older residents who have no realistic options for downsizing in Oak Bay and must choose between staying in a home that is too much to manage, or moving away from their established social networks. I also think we have a responsibility to try to support the housing needs of students and other young people in our community.

A neighbourhood’s character is not only determined by built form, but also (and, I would argue more importantly) about the people who live there. Oak Bay used to be a place where schoolteachers and nurses could afford a home; now it is not. This, to me, is what most threatens the character of our community.

As a councillor, I will:

• advocate for building smart, well-designed housing in areas where it will be beneficial to residents, support local businesses, and reduce local traffic by encouraging short trips on foot, bike, or transit.

• support diverse housing types that meet the needs of seniors, students, young families, and other groups that have few options in our current housing market. This means taking steps to encourage more co-op housing, supporting strata conversions for larger heritage homes, and revising infill and secondary suites bylaws to encourage greater uptake.

• look for additional opportunities to streamline the permitting process, saving staff time and reducing building-cost creep.

• acknowledge that 25% of Oak Bay households rent, and promote options for tenant protections (such as a renoviction bylaw and a right to cool).

I treasure our precious Garry Oak ecosystem, our local parks, and our waterfront spaces. To preserve this bounty we must invest in stewardship, while also doing whatever we can to reduce our contributions to global climate change and mitigate its effects on Oak Bay residents. I support the retention and expansion of our urban forest, and Oak Bay’s ongoing efforts in this regard. This effort must continue, and be part of a coordinated response to the climate emergency that also includes reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

As a councillor, I will:

• support continued funding for urban forest management and canopy expansion.

• work to identify new possibilities for tree planting on public land (for example, using street bulbouts) through Oak Bay’s existing “complete streets” policy.

• explore the use of development incentives to encourage tree retention and site permeability.

• propose changes to the boulevard planting bylaw that will encourage alternatives to monoculture grass.

• promote opportunities for reducing Oak Bay’s municipal carbon emissions from buildings and vehicles.

• advocate for no- and lower-carbon transportation—walking, cycling, and mass transit—by seeking ways to make these modes of transportation more convenient, more enjoyable, and more safe.

• encourage efforts to further develop community capacity to respond to emergencies including extreme heat events.

We all know that our streets aren’t the same as they used to be: many more cars, much larger vehicles, and the raging epidemic of distracted driving all make roads much more dangerous. The status quo is no longer working. I applaud recent installation of new signalized crossings around Oak Bay and the addition of a crosswalk to Windsor Park, and urge further improvements.

As a councillor, I will:

• focus on providing safe routes to school for kids who walk and bike, and safe routes for everyone who wants to access our essential commercial services, use key community amenities, or connect to regional active transportation routes.

• support improvements to pedestrian safety through implementation of the Pedestrian and Sidewalk Master Plan. I believe this should prioritize zones and routes used by our most vulnerable pedestrians—around assisted living buildings, schools, parks, and rec centres.

• prioritize quick-build solutions that are responsive to community concerns, such as daylighting intersections, on-street planters, curb extensions at trouble intersections, etc.

• promote a common-sense approach to the development of Oak Bay’s planned cycling network so our active transportation network is fit for purpose without additional cost and timeline overruns.

Oak Bay Council has the opportunity and the obligation to advance truth & reconciliation in a way that is transparent to all parties. I respect the work done to strengthen government-to-government relationships with the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm (Kosapsum, also known as Esquimalt) Nations. The renegotiation of the Marina lease and potential development of the land known as Spewhung and Turkey Head is a rare chance for meaningful reconciliation in our community; however, many Oak Bay residents have noted a lack of transparency or a lack of information that is contrary to the goal of reconciliation.

As a councillor, I will:

• advocate for open, creative and thoughtful approaches to truth & reconciliation.

• seek ways to promote transparency, communication, and engagement to bring Oak Bay residents into the conversation.

• support continued development of Oak Bay’s government-to-government relationships with local First Nations and other provisions in the Draft Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Framework presented in March 2026.

Input from community members is vital for setting Council priorities and helping to build consensus about policy approaches. Taking consultation seriously means proactive, data-driven outreach efforts to ensure that feedback is representative of Oak Bay’s entire population. Additionally, it is important to clearly communicate how public consultation will inform the final product. Consultation for consultation’s sake wastes our time and public funds.

As a councillor, I will:

• embrace broad public consultation for prioritizing goals and working toward consensus.

• be a voice for developing approaches that provide more meaningful opportunities for public participation, and yield more representative feedback.