GVAT turns out to Inaugural Council Meetings

Dave Thompson, a former member of GVAT’s Climate ART, is sworn in as a Victoria councillor

GVAT representatives turned out to inaugural meetings of Victoria, Saanich and Esquimalt Councils in early November to show newly elected mayors and council members our resolve in following up on the successful Housing Assembly.

On the morning of Thursday, November 3rd half a dozen GVAT reps joined the public Swearing-in Ceremony for Victoria City Council.  Mayor Marianne Alto spoke in a thoughtful and deliberate way about her priorities and said she will work with the new council to expand active transportation options, continue the path of reconciliation, improve neighbourhood safety, and build more affordable housing. GVAT reps introduced themselves after the ceremony to the Mayor and to Councillors Matt Dell, Susan Kim and Krista Loughton – all of whom had supported our housing platform.

On November 7, GVAT was also represented at the Swearing-in Ceremony for Saanich Mayor and Council. Unlike in Victoria, many of the councillors in Saanich were re-elected. GVAT reminded Mayor Murdoch, and councillors Zac de Vries and Nathalie Chambers of their commitments to housing affordability. Housing featured prominently in the mayor’s inaugural address, which identified a number of specific initiatives the mayor intends to pursue. On housing, the mayor spoke of creative use of public lands, gentle densification and purpose-built rental. He also emphasized reconciliation, active transportation and public transit, as well as building retrofits to reduce emissions, and a Citizens’ Assembly to explore amalgamation. GVAT also spoke with MP Elizabeth May after the ceremony to explain our housing campaign. She invited us to contact her for assistance in pressing for more financing from the federal government for non-profit housing.

In Esquimalt, GVAT reps met and congratulated Mayor Desjardins, who said she would contact GVAT for follow-up on housing, likely in December. In her inaugural address, Mayor Desjardins named affordable housing as a priority, but reiterated that the impacts of rapid recent growth in rental housing in the community would be monitored by Council. Transportation, climate mitigation and adaptation were all named as priority issues.

Thanks to GVAT volunteers Marina Smith, Bruce Lemire-Elmore, Mary Stocks, Joyce Harris, Susan Layng, Marion Pape, Sonia Theroux, Merle Wall, Joe Calenda, Yvonne Hsieh and Stephen Tyler for their efforts to connect with newly elected councillors. We reminded them they should expect to hear from GVAT in following up on their public commitments to affordable housing because of their support of our Housing for All platform.