Local election guide: Sooke candidates for mayor and council

Voters in Sooke will have 18 candidates total to consider in the upcoming election for mayor and council. 

On Saturday, October 17th, voters will be tasked with electing six councillors and a new mayor. 

There are two political slates in Sooke with several candidates from both electoral organizations that will be on the ballot. 

Sooke Together is one,with the organization saying it prioritizes four things: planning for the public, not private interest; public health and safety; development of the local economy; and connected neighbourhoods and transportation.

The other is Sooke First, who have seven priorities: clearer decisions, respect for taxpayers and the cost of living, fair rules and clearer rights, practical planning and sensible growth, respect for differing views, better alignment before major decisions and better community alignment. 

Who is seeking re-election?

With current Mayor Maja Tait not running in the upcoming election, District of Sooke voters will have to pick a new mayor with two candidates in the running, Al Beddows and Kevin Pearson, who are both finishing terms on Sooke’s council. 

There are 16 candidates for council, of which there are only two incumbents: 

• Herb Haldane
• Tony St-Pierre

Candidates for mayor

Al Beddows

Al Beddows is finishing up his second term on Sooke’s council and is now seeking the mayor’s office. 

He is running independently. 

Beddows was born in Ontario before moving to Chemanius at a young age. He attended Vancouver Island Vocational Institute to obtain his electronic technician certification. 

He then worked in the electronics industry for 30 years, retiring as the manager of electronic communications for the Department of National Defence in Esquimalt.

He has volunteered for local service organizations including Sooke Hospice, Sooke Food Bank and Sooke Lions.

Beddows also had council appointments for Sooke & Electoral Area Parks and Recreation Commission (SEAPARC), the Official Community Plan Advisory Committee and the Sooke Community Association. 

Beddows does not have a candidate website detailing his platform or priorities. 

Kevin Pearson

Kevin Pearson was voted to Sooke’s council in 2011, 2014 and again in 2022, and is now running for mayor. 

Pearson is running with the Sooke First electoral organization. 

He was born and raised in Sooke, has worked for Canada Post in the region for over 35 years and has spent many years actively coaching and volunteering in various sports and other local organizations. 

His council appointments have included the Juan de Fuca Water Distribution Commission and SEAPARC.

Pearson’s priorities include improving affordability and fiscal accountability, creating fair rules and clear rights for residents to understand how council works for the community, focusing on public safety and being ready for emergencies. 

Find more on Pearson online here. 

Candidates for Sooke council

Susan Belford

Susan Belford is a newcomer this election and is part of the Sooke Together electoral organization. 

She says she is running because she believes in Sooke’s future as a thriving coastal town with a robust local economy. 

Belford is a retired mediator and group facilitator who has volunteered in the various Greater Victoria municipalities she has lived in, including a toy library in Vic West, pest management in View Royal and neighbourhood visioning in Saanich. 

Since moving to Sooke, Belford has served on the Land Use and Development Committee and has been involved with Transition Sooke, Sooke Arts Council, Zero Waste Sooke, Sooke Harbour Players and Friends of Eagle Bluffs Forest Society.

She says that as a senior on a low fixed income, she is motivated to find ways to reduce the District’s dependence on residential property taxes, while ensuring that the service and infrastructure needs of the growing community are adequately met. 

Her priorities include making decisions in the public’s interest over private lobbyists, building up the local economy and improving infrastructure in the interest of emergency preparedness. 

Find out more about Belford online here. 

Nick Dickson-Wilde

Nick is running independently for the first time to become a Sooke councillor. 

He has strong family ties to the Sooke area, has lived in the district since his teen years and, together with his wife, has built a home and business in the region.

Dickson-Wilde has worked in web development while also owning and operating Sooke Shukokai Karate alongside his wife. 

As a young professional, business owner and father, he believes he can bring a valuable perspective to Sooke council and represent the needs and priorities of families and the next generation. 

His priorities include improving council productivity, investing in infrastructure and long-term planning, creating more opportunities for local small businesses and protecting the environment. 

Find out more about Dickson-Wilde and his priorities online here. 

Noah Dowhy

Noah Dowhy is another newcomer this election who is also running independently. 

He was born and raised in Sooke, and is now raising his own family in the Saseenos neighborhood where he grew up.  

Dowhy has worked as a journeyman carpenter working in the West Shore for over 20 years, and says this has helped him to become aware of the pressures rapid development can put on a community. 

He is also involved in community theatre as an actor and has seen how an arts scene can thrive when supported by local leadership.

Dowhy has served as a district representative with the Edward Milne Community School Parent Advisory Council, volunteered to build sets for local youth theatre and supported Sooke Minor Hockey as a scorekeeper.

His priorities this election include delivering a safe design for the Throup Road connector, funding community-led sports venues, supporting policy that leads to a diverse housing stock, ensuring proper funding for RCMP and firefighters, continuing support for local arts and finalizing a plan for Lot A. 

Find more information on Dowhy online here. 

Janet Evans

Janet Evans has previously served 12 consecutive years on Sooke’s council, including nine years as mayor. 

She decided not to run again in 2011, instead returning to work in the business community. 

Now, she is running once again for a council seat, and is affiliated with the Sooke First slate. 

Aside from her roles in Sooke’s municipal government, she has worked at Wood Travel, Silver Streak, Sooke Chamber of Commerce and Keycorp Consulting. 

After retiring, she has been involved in the community via Sooke Fine Arts and has been volunteering with the Sooke Harbourside Lions for the past 29 years. 

Evans’ priorities include improving affordability and respect for taxpayers’ dollars, revisiting the Official Community Plan (OCP) to ensure growth is proportional and creating more housing, jobs and services that match the pace of Sooke’s growth. 

Find out more about Evans online here. 

Landon Kenneth Grams

Landon Kenneth Grams is a newcomer this election and is running independently of political slates. 

The 30-year-old candidate says he is running because this feels like an important moment to step forward and serve his community. 

He moved to Sooke in an effort to become more self-reliant and engage with food production, which led him to an organic farming apprenticeship and starting a hobby farm near the Sooke River. 

Grams says his background in food rescue and distribution also connected him to local non-profit organizations such as Sooke Food CHI and the Sooke Region Food Systems Network. 

His priorities include addressing Sooke’s tax pressure through responsible budgeting, creating a forward-looking transportation strategy, increasing the municipality’s role in providing healthcare and protecting Sooke’s parks, trails, water, food systems and natural areas. 

Find out more about Grams online here. 

Heb Haldane, incumbent

Herb Haldane is one of two incumbent candidates running for council in this election and is running with the Sooke First political slate. 

He has previously served as a council member from 2008 to 2014 when he made an unsuccessful bid for mayor. He then tried to run for council in both 2018 and 2022, but was defeated both times. 

Haldane says he is once again running for council because he believes Sooke needs experienced, practical leadership at the council table.

On top of his terms as councillor, he has worked for decades as a Sooke-based building contractor, community volunteer and local advocate. 

He has been involved with the Victoria Home Builders Association, the Sooke Home Builders Association, the Sooke Community Association, the Sooke Legion and has done volunteer construction work at the Jack Brooks Hatchery.

Haldane’s priorities in this election include protecting the Chinook Enhancement Initiative, addressing Sooke’s development policies, developing an affordable plan for the Throup Road connector, reducing property taxes, protecting property rights and improving infrastructure. 

Find more information on Haldane and his priorities online here. 

Kyra Juliana Lazzar

Kyra Juliana Lazzar is a first time candidate in this election for Sooke council and is running independently. 

Lazzar is a member of the T’sou-ke Nation and if elected, she will become the very first T’sou-ke Nation member to serve as a councillor for the District of Sooke. 

Outside of politics, she has been involved in local community governance, and has served as a director for the Sooke Region Museum board. 

Lazzar does not have a candidate website. 

Elliott Lifton

Elliott Lifton is running for the first time to be a Sooke councillor and is affiliated with the Sooke First slate. 

The 37-year-old candidate has worked in the tree care industry since 2010, and in 2018 started Alligator Creek Falling, a local tree service and firewood business. 

From 2017 to 2023, he also worked in the forest industry as a contract faller on Vancouver Island and in the coastal inlets.

He says that running his own company has given him firsthand experience with the realities local business owners face: rising costs, regulations, scheduling, equipment, staffing, customer expectations and the pressure to make sound decisions every day. 

Through his business, he has donated firewood to local fundraisers including Saseenos Elementary’s firewood raffle, the Sooke Museum and other local causes. 

His priorities include improving affordability and taxpayer respect through responsible budgeting, revisiting the OCP to reduce cost pressures, responsible growth and improving services. 

Find out more about Lifton online here. 

Brian James McHattie

McHattie is a newcomer to Sooke elections and is running alongside candidates who are a part of the Sooke Together elector organization. 

Though he is a newcomer to the Sooke political arena, he has previously served three terms as councillor in Hamilton, Ontario. 

While new to Sooke, McHattie says he has visited Vancouver Island many times over the years. 

He has worked selling health and safety equipment and earned a Mohawk College diploma in occupational hygiene. 

McHattie also holds a degree for environmental studies from the University of Waterloo and went on to study the northern resident orca population at Orcalab on Hansen Island in Johnstone Strait. 

He has also worked for Environment Canada, started an ecotourism business, the Green Planet Tour Company and earned a master of science in rural planning and development from the University of Guelph.

In Sooke, McHattie volunteers at ALM Organic Farm, Friends of Eagle Bluffs Forest Society, Sooke Streamkeepers and Jack Brooks Salmon Hatchery. 

McHattie’s candidate website specified no platform outside of Sooke Together’s four principle priorities. 

Find more about McHattie online here. 

Rob Pearce

Rob Pearce is running for Sooke council for the first time this election, and is affiliated with the Sooke First slate. 

He says he is running for council because people are feeling real pressure of rising costs and taxes. 

Pearce’s work background was primarily with Canada Post, but also in fields such as trades, infrastructure and local business. 

His priorities are similar to the other Sooke First candidates: affordability and taxpayer respect, revising the OCP, responsible growth and improving services. 

Find out more about Pearce online here. 

Curtis Peterec

Curtis Peterec is also a part of the Sooke First slate and is running for council for the first time.

The 29-year-old candidate was born and raised in Sooke, and says he wants to follow in his grandfather Don Rittaler’s footsteps, as he served as a CRD Director and was involved with the Sooke River Hotel. 

He graduated from high school at EMCS in 2014 and entered the workforce in construction and infrastructure, including pipe-laying and heavy equipment support. 

Peterec has also worked in local businesses and ran his own food truck, Sooke River Roadhouse. 

Additionally, for the past seven years, he has worked in his family business at Castle Liquor Store alongside his grandmother, mother, aunt and extended family. 

His priorities are the same as the rest of the Sooke First candidates: affordability and taxpayer respect, revising the OCP, responsible growth and improving services. 

Find more information on Peterec online here. 

Helen Ritts

Helen Ritts is running for Sooke council for the second time as part of the Sooke Together slate after losing a 2025 byelection by 25 votes. 

She says that she has attended council meetings for years, volunteered with local organizations, served on community committees and has worked alongside residents who care about Sooke’s future.

Ritts believes that the community already has a clear vision of where to go after the previous council created the most recent OCP, a Transportation Master Plan, a Parks and Trails Master Plan, climate action strategies and many other community-led initiatives. 

She says she wants to respect that work rather than revise it, which is what the Sooke First slate wants to do. 

Professionally, Ritts has worked for over 20 years in marketing and communications in architecture and urban planning. 

Ritts’ candidate website specified no platform outside of Sooke Together’s four principle priorities. 

See more on Ritts online here.

Steven Sorenson

Steven Sorenson is running for Sooke council for the first time as part of Sooke Together. 

Sorenson has been a volunteer firefighter with the Sooke Fire Department since 1980 and has served for 36 years, including as Sooke’s fire chief.

For his work in firefighting, he has earned a BC Community Achievement Award and seen Sooke Fire Hall No. 2 renamed Sorensen Station in his honour. 

He says he is running to keep pace with infrastructure, to be fiscally responsible with taxpayers’ money and because he believes his experience will help the next council navigate challenges. 

Sorenson’ candidate website featured no specific platform outside of Sooke Together’s four principle priorities. 

Find more information on Sorenson online here.

Tony St-Pierre, incumbent

Tony St-Pierre was elected to Sooke council first in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. He is now running as an independent and seeking his third term at Sooke’s council table. 

He is a small business owner and has experience in rural planning and development, community development, organizational development, systems analysis and participatory planning. 

St-Pierre has a master’s degree in both planning and adult education and community development. 

His past Sooke council appointments include Capital Regional District Climate Action Inter-Municipal Task Force, CRD-Regional Housing Trust Fund Commission, Te’Mexw Treaty Advisory Committee, Capital Regional District Water Supply Commission, Climate Caucus and Edward Milne Community School liaison.

He has previously stated he cares about affordable housing, local economic development, good design, efficiency that elevates quality and participatory planning.

St-Pierre has no candidate website with his current priorities heading into this election. 

Katherine Strongwind

Katherine Strongwind is a first-time candidate for Sooke council and is running as an independent. 

She has worked in numerous capacities for indigenous communities in Manitoba and British Columbia, including as a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder mentor for the InterTribal Health Authority, policy analyst with the First Nations Family Advocate Office and executive director of Songhees Nation.

Strongwind also co-founded the 60s Scoop Legacy of Canada—a national nonprofit aimed at healing and wellness for survivors and their families. 

More recently, she founded Strongwind Solutions in 2020, a marketing and communications consulting business. 

Strongwind has served on the board of directors for several organizations, including the Edward Milne Community School Society and the Sea to Tree Foundation. 

Her priorities in this election include enhancing public transit, prioritizing road safety, launching a mobile crisis unit for those with mental health and addictions challenges, innovating crisis support, establishing a community safety network, investing in local talent and training, elevating local businesses, protecting natural areas and expanding opportunities for youth entrepreneurs and artists. 

Find more information about Strongwind online here. 

Christine Thomas

Christine Thomas is running for council for the first time and is affiliated with Sooke First.

She has lived in Sooke for 24 years alongside her spouse who has lived in the community his whole life. 

Thomas is a retired correctional supervisor, and currently works as a custodian at EMCS. 

She says she is running because she wants to see change for the better in the community where her family, friends and neighbours live.

Her priorities are the same as the rest of the Sooke First candidates: affordability and taxpayer respect, revising the OCP, responsible growth and improving services. 

Find more information on Thomas online here.