Balance on the Ballot

Our city is going to change over time. All cities change over time, all cities grow, and our city isn't an exception. It will change and grow - we've seen that, rather dramatically over the last 20 years, with our downtown core morphing from a place with few buildings more than 10 stories, to one where larger buildings are the norm.  Generally speaking, that is not a bad thing in and of itself, particularly as those who reside in the core tend not to need to drive as most of their day to day needs can be met on foot. That said many may decide to partake in car shares, or own a car and have it mostly parked for use on further afield outings on weekends. The local residents who call downtown home support a vibrant downtown and prevent the core of the city from feeling dead on evenings and weekends. What isn't so great is the degree to which the larger downtown core with small units have been used more for investment rather than as housing. The degree to which those units are ...

If I lived in any other city, I'd probably forego even thinking about stepping into the political ring at the municipal level. I'd be content if my city felt like it was being well managed, if it felt like on the whole things were improving for the vast majority of people. I'd pay my taxes and keep my focus on the many other areas of my life that demand attention. Or perhaps I'd wait a few more years until my kids were mostly grown. Maybe I'd even forego running if I thought council was better balanced, if I thought that everyone's voice was being heard and represented at that table. But I don't live in another city, I live in Victoria. I live in Victoria, and the city needs people to step up, more importantly, it needs people to step up for the right reasons - out of a love for the city and a sense that we could be doing a much better job for everyone. Out of a sense that we cannot let the problems our city is facing get worse - we have to do better. Furthe...