My Values

Thinking about the many challenges facing us as a community, a region, a country, and a species is overwhelming. By focusing on what we can control, though, we can make things better. On an individual level: plant a native pollinator garden. Spend an hour helping a neighbour. Serve on the board of an organization that means something to you. It adds up. On the municipal level: be prepared and willing to act decisively when presented with an opportunity to make our community more welcoming, more beautiful, more safe, or more prosperous.

I’m a co-founder of Oak Bay For All and a founding member of the Clover Point Picnic Club, two groups that emphasize community-building through joyful gatherings. Focusing our energy on what we love and sharing enjoyment is healthy for the individual and the community.

When something needs to be done, I tend to step in and do it. I spent several weeks working to recruit friends and neighbours who I would want to elect to Oak Bay Council, until I realized that I should take my own advice and put myself forward to serve my community. As a person who does not love being the center of attention, this isn’t easy for me. However, I see a need for a more proactive, responsive, and courageous Council, and I see my candidacy as a chance for other Oak Bay residents to weigh in on whether they feel the same.

When we pay taxes to support municipal provision of robust public services, we all benefit. The use of public money to pay private service providers or private consultancy firms tends to impoverish our community and reduce our capacity over time.

We need governance based on evidence and established best practices, not governance based on vibes or fear. We need to make clear plans to meet observed needs, solicit broad and meaningful feedback on those plans, and implement them with courage.

Community engagement is vital for determining municipal priorities and policy directions. Open surveys, workshops, and appearances before council tend to be our only options; however, we know that these modes of engagement are not representative. It is important to ensure that consultation is more than performative, and that there is a genuine attempt to achieve consensus in our community.

It is both inevitable and healthy that different people have different opinions. I reject any assertion that we can—or should—identify “real” Oak Bayers based on a set of beliefs or opinions. Municipal politics is increasingly contentious, due to a variety of factors: increasing pressures on scarce resources, disinformation from outside agitators, the distancing effect of social media, and so on. However, someone who has different opinions is not my enemy, and I will not dehumanize them. I expect the same in return.

I’m not going to tell you what you want to hear to get elected. I fully expect to learn a lot from community members with different experiences and perspectives; however, my positions won’t change solely based on who I’m talking to at the time. I value authenticity above all.