As this year draws to a close and 2023 looms, I am reflecting on the past year and on the four-year term. As you know, what suffered most was our ability to engage with our community on a person-to-person level. While the pandemic subsided over time, the ability to meet and work directly with our … Read more
Community
After a hectic municipal election campaign that wound up on October 20, 2018, election day, Oak Bay voters elected a new Mayor and Council. I was gratified to be among the seven candidates elected and am deeply grateful to Oak Bay voters for their support, awarding me over 3,800 votes and giving me the privilege … Read more
I hit the campaign trail today with my sister (official photographer) to attend the Bowker Creek Brush-Up, an annual favourite of mine and such a wonderful event that showcases the immense talent of our local artists and their work. I enjoyed bumping into friends Daphne Goode (formerly of Shaw Cable), Victor Lotto, popular local Oak … Read more
2018 Oak Bay Council Campaign Local government, whether it’s municipal or regional, has the unique advantage of being closest to the people and communities it serves. And the smaller the community, the more everyday opportunities elected representatives have to engage with residents. In Oak Bay, opportunities to meet and share with each other occur through … Read more
A visit to Newfoundland was on our bucket list for some time and in September 2017, a family wedding in Halifax was all the incentive we needed to travel to the Maritimes and then on to Newfoundland, affectionately known as “the Rock.” We enticed another couple, Victoria friends Heather Lund and Alan Breakspear, to … Read more
Rarely are speakers as inspiring and passionate as they were on October 12, 2016, during a public panel discussion on community wellness, well-being and belonging at the Victoria Conference Centre. Hosted by the Victoria Foundation and its sponsors, along with the City of Victoria, and moderated by Mayor Lisa Helps, it was a distinct privilege … Read more
I was a real skeptic about the use of social media ten years ago, until my son, computer whiz and techno enthusiast, helped me out on my 2005 municipal election campaign. He told me in no uncertain terms that I “had to get with the program.” The “program” he was talking about was social media. … Read more
In the last six months, some of the most interesting and complete investigative journalism into local and regional government has occurred in Focus Magazine by editors Leslie Campbell and David Broadland and on-air with journalist and reporter Ian Jessop of CFAX 1070 Radio. SAANICH The ongoing situation in Saanich, reflected by an apparent disconnect between … Read more
Cafe Victoria with Bruce Williams Imagine my surprise and delight when CFAX and Bruce Williams, host, got in touch with me last week and asked if I would participate in their Friday show, ‘Free For All’ – Cafe Victoria. It’s a bit of a political pundit panel format, where local guests weigh in on local … Read more
Neighbours Helping Neighbours Build a Disaster-Resistant Community May 3 to May 9 is Emergency Preparedness Week in British Columbia. As part of that week, the Oak Bay Emergency Program (OBEP) will be holding a FREE information session: May 5 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Windsor Pavilion, 2451 Windsor Road in Oak Bay This interactive … Read more
Today’s local and regional governments are dealing with diverse issues and challenges that are more complex than ever before, often rousing the interests and passions of residents. Local government is now much less about managing “sewers, sidewalks and streetlights,” and much more about addressing the social, economic and environmental health of its residents and communities. … Read more