Dean Murdock
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Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
No
Do you live in the municipality where you are running, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to that community?
I live in Saanich. I moved to Saanich in 1993. I grew up and went to school here.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
Provincial Lead, Healthy Communities at the Ministry of Health (17-year government employee) and Instructor (Political Science) at Camosun (3 years)
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
Former three-term Saanich Councillor (2008-2018) and CRD Director (2017-18).
As a councillor, I worked hard to bring people together to solve problems. I worked with council colleagues, community members and staff to create an active transportation plan, legalize secondary suites, create a food security strategy, and implement Saanich’s urban forest strategy.
I was chair of Saanich’s Environment Committee as well as chair of the Healthy Saanich committee and Parks, Trails and Recreation committee. I was a member of Greater Victoria Public Library Board and Vice Chair of the Regional Water Supply Commission.
I am founder and spokesperson of Better Mobility Saanich - a road safety advocacy group.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
The challenges we face are serious and urgent. We can’t afford four more years of talking. People expect their leaders to work together to solve these challenges. Saanich needs a leader with the experience to bring people together and deliver results. A leader who can find common ground. As your Mayor, unity will be my priority. We will restore trust in decision-making and find solutions that make life better for everyone. We will build a stronger Saanich, together.
What are your top three issues?
People in Saanich are telling me they expect Mayor and Council to tackle housing affordability, create accessible and walkable neighbourhoods, and protect against climate change
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
I want a Saanich where everyone who wants to live here, can afford to live here. A thriving Saanich with accessible, walkable neighbourhoods that offer homes for all incomes and stages of life. People in Saanich enjoy well-paid jobs and access to local businesses like coffee shops, corner stores and doctor’s offices in their neighbourhoods. We are protected from a changing climate with tree-lined streets and parks and natural spaces in walking distance from our homes. We have restored trust in local government leaders with greater transparency from our elected officials.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
Saanich must be affordable for everyone. We need to create affordable, family-suitable homes. Places for working professionals and their families can put down roots, and homes where older adults can age in place.
There are three things we can do to create more attainable housing, much more quickly:
1. Update our neighbourhood zones to make it easier to build duplexes, triplexes and townhouses. Places that are less expensive than a single family home and attainable for families.
2. Zone our centres and corridors for purpose-built rental. Making it easier to build rental homes for people that are close to shopping, transit and local services.
3. Work with non-profit housing providers and senior governments to build non-market, affordable rental and co-operative housing.
