Victoria News Election Coverage Begins

From Victoria News, Jul 19 2011

Interest grows for city council seats
By Roszan Holmen

With a municipal election four months away, a few new council hopefuls are making their intentions known.

Former mayoral candidate Benjamin Isitt formally decided to run for council this week.  He joins Lisa Helps, Saul Andersen and Rose Henry, who have all decided to seek a seat on Victoria city council.

The outlook for newbies is dim, however, as all incumbents on council are expected to to seek another term.

If the last municipal election is any indication, expect dozens more candidates to file nomination papers. In 2008, there were 35 council candidates and eight mayoral candidates.

Some names you may also see on the ballot list include John Turner and Bernard von Shulmann. Both have both publicly mused about the possibility.

Not running again is Barry Hobbis.

After spending $29,170 to come in second place during a 2010 by-election, Hobbis won't be giving municipal politics another go this time around.

Neither will Rob Reid, who came in second place in the race for mayor in 2008. Between running his business and family life, Reid said he's too busy for politics at this time.

So far, only Mayor Dean Fortin and Paul Brown are vying for the top spot on council.

Once again, Monday Magazine columnist and former council candidate Simon Nattrass is reviving his website, dedicated to municipal election coverage.

"Victoria Votes will be more active again shortly in light of people gearing up for November," said Nattrass, via email. The site, he said, aims to include interviews with every candidate some issue-based articles.

Check it out, at www.victoriavotes.ca

General voting day for municipal elections in B.C. is Nov. 19. Candidates will have 10 days to file nomination papers and officially declare their candidacy between from 9 a.m. Oct. 4 to 4 p.m. Oct. 14.

Council hopefuls, at a glance

• Lisa Helps is executive director of Community Micro Lending, former chair of the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group board, an advisor during the city's official community plan review.

• Benjamin Isitt previously taught history at UVic and UBC, and is now pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Victoria. In 2002, and 2005 the now 33-year-old ran for mayor achieving 32 and 44 per cent of the vote, respectively.

• Saul Andersen has become a well-known name on the ballot list at all levels. He ran for mayor in 2008, and for council in the 2010 byelection. He's also previously run for MLA and MP.

• Rose Henry is a long-time advocate for the homeless in Victoria. She's currently in Scotland for the International Network of Street newspapers conference, where she is being recognized for her writing in the Victoria Street Newz. 

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Ben Isitt Running for Council

News! Ben Isitt is running for City Council in Victoria! In the past, Isitt has run for Mayor, and came very close to winning his last race, though narrowly defeated by Alan Lowe.

The following is taken from his website, which is here.

I am standing for election as City Councillor in the November 19th municipal election to contribute to this great city — working with city staff and citizens like you to make Victoria a fair, safe and green place to live and work.

I am excited to apply my professional expertise and a decade and a half of community service to the challenges at City Hall, building long-lasting, cost-effective solutions that work for our neighbourhoods, our downtown and the broader region.

As a parent, homeowner and small-business operator living and working near the downtown core,  I understand the impact of social problems in our neighbourhoods. This ground-level view has strengthened my commitment to building a city where everyone has a place and the support they need.

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Gearing Up

So things are picking up. Articles are being written, campaigns are being announced (to recap: Paul Brown and Dean Fortin for Mayor, Lisa Helps for City Council), and... actually, that's about it. Let's fix that.

Just like last year Victoria Votes will be interviewing any and all candidates for Council, Mayor, or CRD representative in the Municipality of Victoria. In the interest of fairness, we will be asking each candidate the same three questions - in order to keep these questions relevant to you, we'd like to get to know you a little better.

So send us an email or comment on this post and let us know what we should find out about this year's candidates.

VV

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Whoa, updates!

So to recap - Paul Brown is running for Mayor, Lisa Helps is running for City Council, and now Dean Fortin is running for re-election as Mayor of Victoria.

Things are heating up, and as such Victoria Votes will soon be something to watch, with regular updates as they happen (as opposed to several weeks late like this one).

FYI, here is some info about Lisa Helps:

On Monday the 16th at Cabin 12, community activist Lisa Helps announced she will run for Victoria City Council. Her meeting focussed on what Helps called building community wealth, saying she would help build "A strong, resilient, interdependent local economy; well-being, connectedness, and security in community; a healthy environment we respect, use with love, and protect; and a city where citizens lead."

Helps was the chair of the board at Fernwood NRG, the organization responsible for a number of Fernwood's affordable housing units as well as the Cornerstone Cafe. She sat on the Advisory Committee for the City's recent Official Community Plan review, and is currently the executive director of Community Micro Lending, a local non-profit which provides small loans and mentoring to aspiring entrepreneurs.

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