Gorge Tillicum Community Association president Rob Wickson has entered the Saanich byelection.
Wickson, 65, an economist, is a former chairman of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, and past-president of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and Bike to Work Victoria.
He said he is impressed by the calibre of the candidates and said it signals “a real interest in renewing council with some new thoughts and ideas.”
Wickson has run for council twice before, finishing ninth in both 2008 and 2011 for the eight-seat council. He is concerned that Saanich is punching below its weight when it comes to sustainable growth and leadership.
“Saanich needs someone to pull it together as a team. It is a very powerful community, it has so much to offer and we’ve never realized our potential. Why don’t we reach for the stars?”
Wickson would also like to see a “new vision” for the Capital Regional District that he calls Metro Victoria, with representatives directly elected, rather than tied to individual municipalities. He advocates a top-to-bottom realignment of governance right down to neighbourhood associations to get rid of walls and encourage more mutual co-operation between Saanich and Victoria. He also favours “a very careful examination” of amalgamation of police and fire services across some municipalities.
Other candidates are Nathalie Chambers, Mike Geoghegan, Karen Harper, Rebecca Mersereau, Shawn Newby, and Ned Taylor.
More information: saanich.ca/elections
