Local election guide: Saanich candidates for mayor and council

Saanich voters will have to choose between 31 candidates in the upcoming local election, the most of any Greater Victoria municipality. 

There are four candidates for the position of mayor, and with Dean Murdock not running this year, there will be a new mayor of Saanich no matter what. 

Voters will also have to choose eight out of the 27 candidates running for council. 

This year’s ballot will also include an additional question: “Do you support Saanich and Victoria becoming one municipality?”

The question is not binding, but rather seeking to find out how residents of Saanich and Victoria feel about a possible amalgamation in years to come. 

Who is seeking re-election?

Two candidates for mayor are currently sitting councillors in Saanich: Karen Harper and Zac de Vries. 

Among the council candidates, there are five candidates seeking re-election:

• Susan Brice
• Judy Brownoff
• Nathalie Chambers
• Teale Phelps Bondaroff
• Colin Plant

Candidates for mayor

Zac de Vries 

Zac de Vries is a lifelong Saanich resident and two-term Saanich councillor who is running for mayor this election. 

He says he brings with him eight years of local and regional government experience, energy, new ideas and a record of delivering practical results. 

De Vries has also served as a director for the Capital Regional District (CRD), has worked with neighbouring communities on issues like housing, transportation, regional planning and water. 

As chair of the Capital Region Housing Corporation he has guided efforts to expand affordable rental housing in Saanich and across the region.

Outside of local government, de Vries works full-time at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food supporting BC’s food and beverage processing sector and food security across the province. 

See more about de Vries on his website here. 

Karen Harper

Karen Harper says she has spent her career improving public organizations through leadership in innovation, accountability and service. 

For the last ten years of her working life, she has aimed to create and manage an effective, efficient and accountable service-based crown corporation. 

Harper says her experience and dedication demonstrates what can be accomplished in the public sector when there is a willingness to look at things differently. It is that experience that has led her to run for mayor after serving nine years on council. 

If elected, she would work collaboratively with the public, businesses, staff and council to improve service delivery and costs. 

Affordability is one of her main priorities. 

For more on Harper’s platform visit her website online here.

Rishi Sharma

Rishi Sharma was born in Port Alberni and has called Saanich home for the last 47 years. 

Sharma is running on the Save Our Saanich slate, and says he would bring nearly three decades of public, private and non-profit experience to the role of mayor. 

He has worked in both BC public service and legislative roles. Currently Sharma is executive director of strategic partnerships with the Construction Foundation of BC and a leadership instructor with UVic Continuing Studies. 

Sharma has served as a director of the Gordon Head Residents Association and volunteers on a Saanich committee focused on accessibility. 

He holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University. 

See more about Sharma’s platform online here.

Robin Morton Stanbridge

Robin Morton Stanbridge is a newcomer this election. 

He says that if elected, he will remove all the cement bike lane separators and restore speed limits, make Blanshard Street a freeway, turn bus lanes into high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and he would prioritize making McKenzie Avenue a lightless freeway connector.

Furthermore, he says he would “designate all persons of European descent ‘First Nation.’”

Stanbridge opposes municipal amalgamation until a CRD-wide police force amalgamation has been completed.

He also noted that he would like to relax height restrictions on single family dwellings whose lots have a mature forest canopy.

Stanbridge does not have a candidate website. 

Colette Baty

Colette Baty has called Saanich home for 27 years. 

She says she has extensive experience in leading community and arts organizations through change, building consensus and making responsible financial decisions. 

She is president of Dance Victoria and has previously served as president of the Victoria Arts Council, Vancouver Island School of Art and chair of the Cadboro Bay Residents Association. 

Baty has also worked as a nurse in demanding areas of hospital care, including intensive care, cardiac care and bone marrow transplant. 

She says she believes Saanich needs more housing and must evolve to meet changing needs. Her priorities include responsible municipal finances, a stronger local economy, more housing choices and balanced transportation investments that work for everyone. 

Find more about Baty’s platform here. 

Candidates for Saanich council

Erin Elizabeth Booth

Erin Elizabeth Booth is a chartered professional accountant and longtime Saanich resident with experience in municipal and non-profit finance.

She has spent six years working for the District of Saanich, giving her firsthand knowledge of municipal budgets, capital planning and the financial pressures facing local taxpayers. 

Booth says she is running for council to bring a practical, financially responsible and independent voice to the table. 

She says she believes Saanich needs transparent decision-making, responsible spending, thoughtful infrastructure planning and a stronger focus on housing affordability. 

Booth wants to help build a municipality where young people and families can afford to stay, housing choices reflect residents’ needs and growth is managed responsibly, while protecting what makes Saanich a great place to live. 

Booth does not have a candidate website. 

Susan Brice, incumbent

Susan Brice is a fourth generation Victorian, mother and grandmother. 

After attending UVic, she taught elementary school in the community and after having children, was elected as a school trustee and board chair for SD61. 

She has also served as councilor and mayor in the District of Oak Bay, as a talk show host on CFAX radio and as executive director of the Better Business Bureau. 

In 2001 she was elected to the legislature as MLA for Saanich South. 

Brice has served on the Saanich council and CRD board since 2005.

Her priorities include financial sustainability, environmental sustainability and neighbourhood sustainability. 

For more on Brice’s platform visit her website here.  

Judy Brownoff, incumbent

Judy Brownoff is a current Saanich councillor and CRD director. 

If re-elected, she says she would be focused on making sure Saanich remains financially responsible, environmentally responsible and prepared for the future. 

She would continue investing in the infrastructure that residents depend on every day, strengthening the District’s resilience to climate change impacts and planning carefully for a growing community where residents feel supported at every stage of life. 

Her priorities include balanced leadership, transparent governance, accessibility, housing, parks and creating a sustainable and vibrant economy. 

She also hopes to invest in infrastructure and enhance environmental protections. 

Read more about Brownoff online here. 

Kathleen Burton

Kathleen Burton is running as an independent candidate for Saanich council and the CRD board. 

Burton says she wants to strengthen Saanich and protect what makes it special. 

Her priorities include liveable neighbourhoods, responsible growth and environmental stewardship and listening to the community. 

In order to achieve these priorities, she would work with the community to create safe, affordable and welcoming communities and to protect what residents love, while planning responsibly for growth. 

Burton says she is committed to housing affordability, environmental stewardship, supporting local businesses and building strong partnerships with neighbouring municipalities and community organizations. 

More information on Burton is available online here. 

Don Cameron

Cameron is a fourth-generation Victorian and retiree, Having worked 50 years in civil and municipal infrastructure construction, estimating and project management. 

He has lived in Saanich for over 40 years and has been involved in the community as a youth soccer and baseball coach for 15 consecutive years. 

Cameron has board experience with BC Aggregate Producers, Victoria Harbour Divestiture Committee, Island Equipment Owners Association, Vancouver Island Construction Association. He also says he helped in creating the GVHA. 

He believes his extensive experience in civil construction, project management, board service and a lifelong connection to Saanich qualify him to serve the community as a councillor. 

Cameron does not have a candidate website. 

Nathalie Chambers, incumbent

Nathalie Chambers is running as an independent candidate and has served two terms as councillor in Saanich.

She is a businesswoman, organic farmer, published author and experienced Saanich councillor running for a third term and election to the CRD board. 

Chambers says she prioritizes protecting people and the planet over profit. 

Her core vision for Saanich includes a sustainable community where a healthy natural environment aids in ensuring social well-being and economic vibrancy. 

Aside from her role on council, Chambers’ background lies in the land trust movement, major-gift fundraising and community organization. 

More information on Chambers’ is available online here. 

Mauricio Curbelo

Mauricio Curbelo is a civil engineer who is building a life in Saanich. 

He says that his experiences have helped him understand the balance needed to ensure affordability at every stage of life while preserving our community’s character. 

Curbelo says he believes council needs more representation from people actively working full-time, paying a mortgage at today’s prices and living our economic realities firsthand. 

He has experience on the Gorge Tillicum Community Association and Saanich Heritage Foundation. 

Curbelo’s priorities include ending taxation without implementation by refocusing budgets on core services, not more plans and strategies; fast-tracking family homes with 10-day permits for preapproved designs selected with public input; improving road safety by fixing the district’s top 20 crash zones; and restoring fair, consumption-based water billing. 

Find more information on Curbelo online here. 

Alli Deelstra

Alli Deelstra is a lifelong Saanich resident, mother of two and a candidate for Saanich council and CRD director. 

Deelstra says she is running because she wants to serve the community that raised her. 

She has a background in accounting, board governance and volunteering that she says has taught her to ask questions, listen, scrutinize the details and consider the long-term impact of decisions. 

Deelstra says she believes Saanich needs pragmatic leadership that respects taxpayers, supports families and seniors, protects the community’s natural environment and plans responsibly for growth. 

Her priorities include a community-first approach on taxes, responsible spending and public safety. 

Find more information on Deelstra online here. 

Lorne DeLarge

Lorne DeLarge is a lifelong Saanich resident who is running for council with the Save Our Saanich slate.

He says he aims to bring practical, accountable leadership to the municipal hall. 

DeLarge is a former provincial government and business executive, and has experience managing complex operations, budgets, real estate and leading large teams. 

He holds an MBA, a degree in economics and political science, and the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation. 

His priorities include holding the line on taxes by reviewing internal spending, prioritizing core services and ensuring value for tax dollars; putting neighbourhoods and residents at the centre of planning to ensure development respects the local context while enhancing green space; and championing transparent decision-making, reducing unnecessary vehicle congestion and prioritizing first responders and key infrastructure. 

Find out more about DeLarge and the Save Our Saanich slate online here. 

Nancy Di Castri

Nancy Di Castri has called Saanich home for more than 22 years. 

She says she chose Saanich for her family for its beautiful neighbourhoods, parks, trails and strong sense of community. 

Di Castri has three-decades of experience in Greater Victoria real estate and has community service experience with the Real Estate Standard Practices Committee, the Run For the Cure organizing committee and the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Kidney Foundation. 

She has also served the North Quadra Community Association. 

Di Castri is a co-founder of Save Our Saanich and says she helped lead the campaign that reduced the density of the Quadra McKenzie Plan. 

She says that if elected, she will champion responsible spending, environmental stewardship, thoughtful planning and meaningful public engagement. 

Find out more about Di Castri and the Save Our Saanich slate online here. 

Finn Fairbairn

Finn Fairbairn is a UVic student, resident of the Maplewood area of Saanich, a volunteer and a passionate advocate for the community of Saanich. 

As a young worker, Fairbairn says he understands the challenges facing young people and will work to balance those needs with those of families and seniors in Saanich. 

He wants to bring a fresh perspective, while respecting community history, Indigenous ways of knowing and the wisdom of long-term Saanich residents. 

Fairbairn says his priorities include supporting bringing down the cost of living, including affordable housing and other initiatives that support working people. 

He would also prioritize retaining young people who will staff hospitals, be doctors and teach children in the community.

More information on Fairbairn is available online here. 

Noah Fruttarol

Noah Fruttarol is a final-year computer science student at UVic and a long-time Saanich resident. 

He seeks to offer a fresh, forward-thinking perspective grounded in lived experience. 

Fruttarol says he has navigated regional housing challenges, transit systems and daily financial pressures, which has inspired a deep commitment to pragmatic public service. 

If elected, his focus would include expanding affordable and livable housing, protecting vital green spaces and building an accessible, thriving community for every generation.

More information on Fruttarol is available online here. 

Hollis Hodson

Hollis Hodson is running as an independent candidate for Saanich council. 

She has over 22 years of community advocacy, leadership and public engagement, and has been a Saanich homeowner since 1992. 

Hodson has experience working with residents, community associations, municipal staff, elected officials and other levels of government to advance solutions on neighbourhood safety, environmental protection and community planning.

Her advocacy brought multiple partners together to complete the Burnside Road Streetscape and Panama Flats Concept Plan projects, and she has served as president of the Carey Area Residents Association, chair of the Saanich Community Association Network and Saanich’s Natural Areas, Trails, Parks Committee. 

Her campaign focuses on fiscal responsibility, attainable housing, environmental stewardship, safe neighbourhoods and accountable local government. 

Find more information on Hodson online here. 

Garnett Humenick

Garnett Humenick was born and raised in Saanich and wants everyone to have a home where families can build a comfortable, affordable life. 

She says her priorities are to make recreation more accessible to families, create safe routes to school and find practical solutions for rural roads and traffic. 

Humenick also says she believes families should be able to house aging parents or growing kids, and Saanich infrastructure needs to be able to support this vision. 

Find more information on Humenick online here. 

Sasha Izard

Sasha Izard is an independent and locally focused candidate. 

He says that if elected to Saanich council and the CRD board, he will do everything he can to ensure local government autonomy, environmental protection and local democracy. 

Izard’s focus will be to restore Saanich’s Local Area Plans, which were removed from the Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw this term. 

Other priorities include reining in runaway spending, debt, taxes and utilities increases; restoring open subject public input at council meetings; saving the ecology of Saanich; putting an end to overdevelopment; demanding that the Province end forced blanket upzoning on municipalities ; and ending the closed meetings between Saanich staff and lobbyist organizations. 

Find more information on Izard online here. 

Laurie Lidstone

Having grown up in Cadboro Bay, Royal Oak and Braefoot, Laurie Lidstone has called Saanich home for over 60 years. 

Lidstone is running as part of the Save Our Saanich slate. 

As a professional in real estate and former chair of the Victoria Real Estate Board, she has dedicated her career to strengthening professional standards and supporting practical housing solutions. 

Listone says that she understands the challenges facing Saanich. 

Her priorities include managing municipal spending wisely and prioritizing core infrastructure, building safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians without creating unnecessary congestion or slowing emergency responders and guiding density responsibly while supporting local businesses and safe neighbourhoods.

Find more information on Lidstone and the Save Our Saanich slate online here. 

Matt McGeachie

Matt McGeachie has lived in Saanich for most of his life and has lived with his wife in the Braefoot area for the past 25 years. 

His career began at Victoria Press, the precursor to the Times Colonist, where he was actively involved in the union before moving into a management position. 

He left the Times Colonist to become a software developer for a multinational firm while also creating a charity fundraising platform to help local charities raise funds. 

McGeachie is a member of the Save Our Saanich slate.

Find out more about McGeachie online here. 

Teale Phelps Bondaroff, incumbent

Teale Phelps Bondaroff is an independent researcher and community organizer primarily working with the BC Humanist Association and OceansAsia. 

He also co-founded and serves as the chair of AccessBC, a reproductive justice advocacy organization that successfully campaigned for free prescription contraception here in BC. 

Phelps Bondaroff is a volunteer with Greater Victoria Placemaking Network where he channels his passion for literacy, community and libraries into mapping and supporting the region’s growing little free library network. 

He is completing his first term on Saanich council, where he has been a strong voice for housing affordability, road safety, access to primary care, climate action, environmental protection and accessibility. 

He is seeking re-election to Saanich council, and to represent the community on the CRD board.

Find out more about Phelps Bondaroff online here.

Colin Plant, incumbent

Colin Plant has been a Saanich councillor since 2014 and is seeking re-election as a councillor and CRD director. 

He has worked as a secondary school teacher in the Saanich school district for over 25 years, and prior to serving on council, he was president of the Royal Oak Community Association. 

This election, Plant’s focus will be on responsible leadership, strong communities and a positive vision for Saanich’s future. 

Find more information on Plant online here. 

Harjas Singh Popli

Harjas Singh Popli is a Saanich resident, community builder and founding director of Fateh Care Charity. 

His work has focused on helping seniors, families, newcomers, people with disabilities and others facing financial or mobility challenges with dignity and without unnecessary barriers. 

Singh Popli says he wants to bring practical, compassionate and accountable leadership to local government. 

His priorities include improving housing affordability, preventing displacement, protecting farmland, strengthening food security, supporting youth and seniors, maintaining accessible and resilient infrastructure and ensuring responsible, transparent use of public funds. 

He believes residents should have a stronger voice in how Saanich grows and how public money is spent. 

Find more information on Singh Popli online here. 

Brendan Ralfs

Brendan Ralfs is a lifelong resident of rural Saanich and UVic graduate. 

He has had a 30-year career as a public servant, forest firefighter and emergency manager.  

Ralfs is also a community volunteer who recently completed six years of service on the Prospect Lake District Community Association and currently serves on the Dance Victoria Board of Directors. 

He was a BC Green Party candidate in the 2017 provincial election, but was unsuccessful in winning a seat. 

Ralphs says he is passionate about preserving Saanich’s character and charm while helping the community grow and adapt to meet future challenges. 

He wants to serve and represent all of Saanich, while ensuring that the needs and perspectives of rural residents are reflected in council’s decisions and actions. 

Find more information about Ralfs online here. 

Nic Renaud

Nic Renaud says he is running for Saanich council because he wants to support the community that has been his home for his entire life. 

Currently, he works with the provincial government through a local non-profit providing fitness and wellness programs. Prior to this, he worked in data management and implementation.

His priorities include improving traffic flow, planning infrastructure and strengthening community services. 

As a younger candidate, he believes that his voice on council matters.

Renaud does not have a candidate website. 

Tia Sibbald

Tia Sibbald says her platform focuses on strengthening the economy by offering incentives to industries to invest. 

She would like to grow industrial parks in the region in underutilized areas and without encroaching farmlands.

Sibbald believes that by expanding industry, reliance on property taxes to deliver services would be reduced. 

For Saanich’s healthcare situation, she would propose a team-based model.

Sibbald does not have a candidate website. 

Jordan Weaver

Jordan Weaver is a translator, author and former university lecturer who has a doctorate, two postgraduate law degrees and decades of international professional and charitable experience.

The Gordon Head resident volunteers with Saanich Police in crime prevention and is a mentor through the John Howard Society. 

Weaver is running as an independent candidate for Saanich council.

She says that if elected, she will support housing people can afford, infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, safer transportation and protections for trees, waterways and farmland. 

Find out more about Weaver online here. 

Sierra Wicks-Irving

Sierra Wicks-Irving is a 24-year-old independent candidate running for Saanich council. 

She currently works as a licensed practical nurse while in school to complete my bachelor of science in nursing. 

Wicks-Irving is also a volunteer at the BC SPCA and has been for eight years. 

She says she is running for council because she wants to make it a more inclusive and accessible community for all. 

Furthermore, she wants to address matters such as gaps in the healthcare system and the rising cost of living in Saanich. 

Find more information on Wicks-Irving online here. 

Graham Wright

Graham has been a Saanich resident for 17 years. 

He says he is running for council because Saanich needs a more practical approach to spending, density, transportation, environmental protection and municipal priorities. 

Wright believes that property taxes have risen dramatically and that residents are paying for costly projects and policies that make it harder to get around the community. 

He says he supports safe roads, but safety and mobility must work together without creating congestion, removing vital vehicle capacity or slowing everyday travel. 

As a business owner, Wright says he will ask tough questions, challenge unnecessary spending, listen to residents and focus on efficient core services, responsible taxation and practical solutions.

Wright does not have a candidate website.