Saanich confirms election results as ‘Save Our Saanich’ sweeps seats

The District of Saanich has officially confirmed the results of Saturday’s municipal election, marking a significant shift in local leadership and a notable increase in voter participation.

In an information bulletin issued Wednesday, October 21st, the municipality confirmed that Rishi Sharma has been elected mayor, alongside eight councillors who will serve the community for the next four years.

Sharma, who ran under the Save Our Saanich banner, received 17,157 votes, or 45.31% of the mayoral vote.

He defeated Zac de Vries, who received 14,785 votes, while Karen Harper finished third with 5,299 votes and Robin Morton Stanbridge received 624.

The election also marked a major victory for Save Our Saanich, a municipal electoral organization that fielded one mayoral candidate and five council candidates.

All six were successful.

Alongside Sharma, Save Our Saanich candidates Lorne DeLarge, Nancy Di Castri, Laurie Lidstone, Graham Wright and Matt McGeachie secured seats on council.

They will be joined by returning councillors Colin Plant, Nathalie Chambers and Teale Phelps Bondaroff.

The results mean five of Saanich’s eight councillors will be newcomers, while longtime councillors Susan Brice and Judy Brownoff were unsuccessful in their re-election bids.

The election also saw the departure of outgoing Mayor Dean Murdock, who did not seek another term as mayor and had endorsed de Vries in the race.

Voter turnout climbs significantly

One of the more notable developments was the increase in voter participation. According to the District, 38,299 ballots were cast, representing 42.74% of eligible voters.

That compares with 27,975 ballots in the 2022 municipal election, when turnout was just 31.22%.

The increase represents more than 10,300 additional ballots and an 11.52-percentage-point jump in turnout.

Participation was also higher than in 2018, when 38.26% of eligible Saanich voters cast ballots.

“The District of Saanich thanks all candidates who put their names forward and all residents who participated in the election,” said Saanich chief election officer Angila Bains in Wednesday’s bulletin.

“We congratulate the mayor-elect and councillors-elect and look forward to welcoming them as they begin their term of office.”

Saanich voters reject amalgamation with Victoria

Beyond choosing their next mayor and council, Saanich residents also weighed in on the possibility of merging their municipality with neighbouring Victoria.

Voters were asked whether they supported Saanich and Victoria becoming one municipality.

The answer was overwhelmingly no. A total of 24,663 residents, or 67.96%, voted against amalgamation, while 11,626 voters, or 32.04%, supported the proposal.

The non-binding question followed years of discussions about municipal amalgamation, including work by the Victoria-Saanich Citizens’ Assembly, which had recommended bringing the two municipalities together.

While the result does not carry the force of a binding referendum, it provides a clear indication of where participating Saanich voters stand on the proposal.

Saanich residents also elected representatives to two school boards. Trevor Barry and Tracy Humphreys were elected as trustees for School District 61, while Karen MacEwan and Victoria Martin secured the two Saanich trustee positions for School District 63.

An additional informal ballot was held to help guide council’s selection of four representatives to the Capital Regional District board.

Nancy Di Castri, Lorne DeLarge, Colin Plant and Matt McGeachie received the most votes among candidates seeking those appointments.

The new mayor and council will officially be sworn in during Saanich’s inaugural council meeting on Monday, November 2nd.