86 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

I got a 'vote Richard Atwell' card in the mail already on Monday. Is campaigning allowed already?

 

 

 

Campaigning can start 10 years ago, there are no rules.

[lanforod]

Campaigning can start 10 years ago, there are no rules.

I know that isn't true. IE. election campaign signs can only be up during a certain period - so there are definitely some rules...

[lanforod]

I know that isn't true. IE. election campaign signs can only be up during a certain period - so there are definitely some rules...

The signs may be governed by other rules unrelated to campaigning though. Some digging tells me you're correct otherwise.

[AndrewReeve]

The "election proceedings period" began on September 30th. Between then and the election, signs can be placed on public property with the exception of the public areas specifically prohibited by election signage bylaws. In Victoria, it is a fairly extensive list. However, signs can be put up on private property whenever. I saw Fred Haynes running in Central Saanich had signs up as early as September on private property. Riga Godron has had the old banner from her 1990's council campaign hanging outside of her house since at least June. There are no rules about this as long as you have permission from the property owner.

[Better Saanich]

I am not running because I can't. I will be a big part of supporting new candidates for mayor & council in Saanich.

By the way AJR, Fred Haynes is not running in Central Saanich, he is running in Saanich.

Edited by Better Saanich, 04 October 2014 - 02:24 PM.

[HB]

In regard to the farmer on Mt Douglas X rd who has been getting screwed over by Saanich .......what are your thoughts on that?

Do you support rezoning the land BEFORE he applies to have the land removed from ALR ?

[Better Saanich]

I don't know the details of the Mount Douglas X Road farm issue. I do sympathize with the residents and I think there must be a way to resolve this.

By far the biggest issue in Saanich and greater Victoria, is the sewage fiasco. This is the most expensive project ever proposed in the capital region. Flawed regulations, perception and politics have lead CRD politicians to conjure an ineffective plan. The worst part is that most of them (including 4 Saanich politicians and most of all, Frank Leonard - although he rarely attends meetings)  keep pushing it, despite the blatant facts that it makes no sense. If we accept that we must do this by regulation, then we have the opportunity before us to construct the most innovative, energy and resource efficient waste system possible. Politicians are not listening & they have completely missed the mark. It's time to get rid of them. 

[AndrewReeve]

By the way AJR, Fred Haynes is not running in Central Saanich, he is running in Saanich.

 

My mistake. He had signs up on private property in the Central Saanich municipality during the Saanich Fair.

[John M.]

Wait, is "Better Saanich" Richard Atwell?

[Mixed365]

Wait, is "Better Saanich" Richard Atwell?

Seriously been wondering the same thing since the beginning of this thread. 

[LJ]

^He said he/she wasn't, and if Richard is indeed the intelligent guy he was made to be, he wouldn't be masquerading under a pseudonym.

[sebberry]

 They are not listening to the public on a number of issues & we are overdue for change.

 

Which issues are these?

[Off Interurban]

I live in the rural area of Saanich, near Camosun's Interurban Campus.  As a neighbourhood - we are beyond frustrated with the operations at MacNutt's.  While they have been in operation for many years, and I respect that, it seems that they pretty much assume that they can do whatever they like, and no one will bother to enforce by-laws or environmental standards.  And so we are finding that the soil and rock crushing operations have expanded enormously, creating major amounts of compression from ballast on a floodplain adjacent to fish bearing stream.  This week, they are grinding asphalt - sending clouds of asphalt dust across a flood plain and neighbours yards.  They pile scrap along the property and into ravines - and operate from 5:30 am to 8 at night whenever the spirit moves. 

 

We've been to Saanich By-Laws offices, environment offices, fisheries and oceans  -- you name it.  They all empathize, but essentially say unless there is a major spill, fish start dying ---- or we are prepared to take on a major lawsuit, not much can be done.  The By-Laws folks have visited (but gosh, no one was around to talk to them), phoning (and they weren't able to come to the phone), and delivering letters.  But a decades long practice of thumbing their noses at everyone -- and finding that ignoring warnings and reminders of the laws of the area seems to work....has left us completely frustrated. 

 

What do people think is the best way to raise this kind of frustrating issue with the mayoral candidates??

[Mike K.]

Hi Off Interurban. I can sympathize with your situation. Nobody wants to be located near a neighbhour that disrespects adjacent properties. As for Saanich turning a blind eye or acting as though they can't do anything about the situation, welcome to our brave new world. The municipality allowed new residential projects to move ahead, they collect taxes from them, and are therefore bound to ensure that everyone agrees to a middle ground.

 

Issues of this nature plague so many neighbourhoods, whether it's neighbours with noisy dogs, neighbours who like to party, neighbours who defy bylaws (open burning in the urban core, trash, etc.) or whatever else becomes a nuisance. And what's worse is despite having systems in place that should give municipalities the power to enforce bylaws, what we find is bylaw enforcement is about as successful as growing avocados in Sooke -- unless, of course, bylaw officers latch onto a single family dwelling and know they have the upper hand when a jittery home owner realizes their little improvement project was without the proper permits.

 

Would your property be in what is known as "rural Saanich?" If so, you may be interested in this resource: http://www.ruralsaanich.ca. Perhaps those folks can assist?

[Sparky]

Off Interurban. First of all welcome to vibrantvictoria. Secondly email ruralsaanich@gmail.com with your particular concerns. There is a contingent of RSSI folks meeting with the Saanich head bylaw enforcement officer tomorrow so you need to be nimble.

[VicHockeyFan]

Saanich election candidates as of 3:30pm today

Mayor:

Richard Atwell 
Frank Leonard 
David Shebib 

Council:

Susan Brice 
Judy Brownoff 
Vic Derman 
Paul Gerrard 
Fred Haynes 
Marsha Henderson 
Rebecca Mersereau 
Dean Murdock 
Shawn Newby 
Colin Plant 
Vicki Sanders 
Nichola Wade 
Leif Wergeland

[Mike K.]

With the recent allegations against Leonard coming to light perhaps we should recap the major issues thus far.

1) Leonard complains that province won't return his calls over some issue, says silent treatment is inexcusable. Critics point out Leonard's may-way-or-no-way approach to amalgamation is identical (not to mention ironic), and literally shame him into adding some form of question (two, actually) to the November ballot

2) Leonard announces his poor attendance record on sewage committee result of son's involvement with winning bidder of Seaterra contract, meanwhile Leonard continued to vote for sewage expenditures as members of higher level CRD committee

3) word surfaces of Hartland rezoning from solid waste to liquid waste without public feedback which was promised by officialdom. It is unclear who signed off on the rezoning and when it took place, and why the public was not consulted.

4) word is spreading about the Panama Flats purchase totaling far more than it should have cost tax payers. Not many details are available, but this could be an issue worth digging into further.

[Mixed365]

Looking at the list there VHF, I always thought Dean was going to step up this year and go for Mayor. 

[David Bratzer]

I'm going to the Saanich all-candidates meeting at Lochside Elementary tonight. So I will do some tweeting (@davidbratzer) and post my thoughts here later. It's being hosted by several community associations:

 

Broadmead Area Residents' Association

Blenkinsop Valley Community Association

Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs

[Sparky]

^ Thanks David. Can you post a synopsis here later for us non tweet savvy folks?

 

I think I speak for more than a few when I say I am curious about the Mayoralty Race.