Councillor challenges Colwood mayor for top job
Coun. Doug Kobayashi will challenge incumbent Rob Martin for mayor's job
Martin said one of his key priorities is to continue to work on rapid-bus infrastructure as well as his passion project — a West Shore passenger ferry from Royal Bay to Ship Point in downtown Victoria.
“I think we’re really close to getting that full feasibility study done,” he said, noting he has been in constant communication with the province, Royal Bay developers and the Royal Canadian Navy about the possibility.
Martin said one of his frustrations with local governments is not taking on projects that will pay off 10 to 30 years down the line.
He said people will one day ask why Colwood didn’t capture the land to make it possible when it had the chance and it was more affordable. “I see that that’s where we’re going to be in 30 years,” he said. “We will have Royal Beach in Royal Bay completely built out and we’re not going to have the land available to have a ferry system.”
Kobayashi, who was first elected to council in 2018, said that kind of project shows the difference between him and Martin.
“This is about getting back to what we’re supposed to be doing at our core services and making sure we are doing it really well,” said Kobayashi, a self-described fiscal conservative.
“We can vision all we want, but we must bring some realities to some of these what I call ill-conceived vanity projects.
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Kobayashi, a retired lieutenant colonel who spent 20 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force, worked another 27 years as a professional engineer and senior executive in the aerospace industry with a number of firms, including CAE Aviation and Conair Aviation.
He said Colwood needs to dial back the current building pace and ensure council is listening to what the community needs.