Vernon Lord
Website: govern2022.ca
Twitter: @govern2018
Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
I am not a part of a slate.
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 the Saanich Panhandle and have lived here for 7 years.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
I am an Electrician/Electrical Technologist for 40 years.
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
I stood for council in 2018 and have been the Camosun Community Association Treasurer for 4 years now. Working with the CCA has been most enjoyable as it allows you to meet with your neighbours and others in your immediate area to discusses local issues.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I feel current councils seemingly exclusive focus on development is not in the best interests of Saanich. There are enough homes either being built, or in the hopper to take care of Saanich’s needs for at least the next term. We have to be sure our amenities, our infrastructure, our greenspace, our Active Transportation is expanding at the same rate. We have to expand our business base, we need to attract business to lessen our dependence on property taxes. Baring the results of the citizens assembly, we need to look at amalgamating the Peninsula. These are big issues and will require a serious commitment of time. Time we need to take to prepare Saanich for the future.
What are your top three issues?
Livability, street parking and an efficient sensible council. As Saanich grows we need to make sure families moving here have parks, shops, transit available, bike network, heathy economy all things needed for a vibrant modern community. We cannot let that slip away for the shiny object. Every housing proposal that goes to council gets pushback with parking often being right at the top. We know we have a problem with street parking so lets do something and fix it. I want a council that doesn’t disrespect you for having the misfortune of owning a home, that respects the taxpayer and looks at every avenue to improve efficiency and cut cost.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
We have taken the concept of a ‘15 min city’ and molded it to fit Saanich. We have integrated micro-plex commercial zones into neighbourhoods, 4 unit apartment w/bike lockers only and it works because we made these changes together. Street parking problems are long in the past and our bike networks are all interconnected and able to take you just about anywhere in the CRD safely. Our business base has continued to expand allowing Saanich the luxury to build a world class Fast Pitch Diamond for local use and to attract tournaments. Our climate plans continue to win awards and other communities visit to get tips on how to run a District. A Saanich where all of us; seniors, students, singles, disabled, retired, working families all of us have a home and a future here.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton is a living village depicting life in the 1700’s. I would like to see that recreated here but rather than British life in the 1700’s, I would like to speak with local First Nations to see if there is any support for recreating that here in Saanich but the park would depict a First Nation Village in the 1700’s through to today. An excellent teaching and learning centre, local employer and pays taxes to Saanich. This would take a lot of work and would have to be financed by the Federal Government but if we could move forward it would be good for the community.
