2023-election-lcc

2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission official election results

Update May 31, 2023, at 11:54: The Capital Regional District (CRD) is pleased to announce the final results for the Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission (LCC) elections, which identify the following four commissioners who will join Gary Holman, Salt Spring Island Electoral Area Director, to form the LCC: Gayle Baker, Brian Webster, Earl Rook and Benjamin Corno Voter turnout statistics for the Salt Spring Island LCC Commissioner race (includes resident and non-resident): Salt Spring Island: 32% (3,262 out of 10,219 registered electors) As part of the official determination of results, the CRD confirmed and verified the accuracy of all ballot accounts, confirmed the calculation of vote tallies from the electronic tabulators and ensured the correct consolidation of total results from across all polling locations including mail ballots. The Salt Spring Island LCC will oversee and advise on economic development, liquid waste disposal, community parks and recreation…

Opinion: Jenny McClean for Local Community Commission

Community members created and built the Market, Centennial Park, the gazebo and boardwalk, Mouat's Park, Tsunami Circus, the former school which is now SIMS, the Pool, the library which was donated to the CRD and torn down and replaced, and the water districts. As community members built these items for the community, public input is a necessary part of the Salt Spring model. I advocated for continued and increases ability of the public to participate in town halls, and input into all aspects of CRD functions on Salt Spring Island. Citizens of Salt Spring must have the chance to get to the microphone and speak to the LCC and the CRD. https://youtu.be/Qy5E-M2yAqU

District Parent Advocacy Committee explore education with 2023 Local Community Commission candidates

The District Parent Advocacy Committee represents the parents of School District 64 to support, encourage and improve the quality of education and the well-being of students. As we approach the Salt Spring Local Community Commission (LCC) elections on May 27th, 2023, in an effort to increase thoughtful voting we have engaged the candidates to answer five questions on topics relevant to our school district families. Please review these and then VOTE! Learn more about where, how and why you should vote in the 2023 Local Community Commission elections. QUESTION #1 How do you think the LCC can affect life for families and therefore improve the family population on SSI? Kylie Coates Create stable, housing and activities for children and for adults Jennifer "Jenny" McClean I would like to learn about the use of SIMS, the use of the pool, and the use of the childcare facilities and programs run by CRD and be a connection between the CRD and the school community. …

Opinion: Today, tomorrow and into the future - Candidate David Courtney for Local Community Commission Commissioner

We are cleared for take off without delay! Well, we are currently Day 26 on the Election Campaign Trail. In 4 short days it will all be wrapped up. The true work begins on May 29th for the inaugural 4 Commissioners elected for next 3 1/2 years. For me this has been a very interesting and pleasant experience. Just listening to the electorate, the different agencies and my fellow candidates has been extremely thought provoking. All 15 Candidates have their own subtle differences in attacking the issues but there’s a common theme - “Workforce Housing”, is a top priority! I’ve chosen 6 areas when it comes to Public Safety which may not capture the attention of some but I think they are very important to our Community. Some within the purview of the LCC Commissioners, others by simply turning up the volume in Advocating and Encouraging other Agencies to resolve an issue. 1. Lady Minto - The lack of Workforce Housing is starting to have a serious impact on our local health c…

Opinion: Local Community Commission campaign culmination

I began writing about this campaign back in February, when our local newspaper ran an opinion piece that I wrote about the task ahead for the Local Community Commission (LCC). And I’ve kept doing so as I decided to put my name forward for one of the four commissioner spots due to be filled on May 27. I’ve been writing about the LCC because I really care about it. I started working toward this election back in 2017, when islanders voted again to remain an unincorporated community. I said many times during conversations about the referendum that – regardless of the outcome of that vote – there were ways we could significantly improve decision-making about local government services here on Salt Spring. For an unincorporated area, that’s what an LCC can provide. And in a few days, we will know who will be sitting in those commissioner chairs to start making that happen. Regardless of who gets elected on May 27, we will broaden elected representation, with our local government…

Opinion: Why vote for Gayle Baker?

Who is that behind the smile and curly silver hair? Most of all, I love my adventurous husband, Howard, my adult children, almost-10-year old granddaughter, and amazing Portuguese Water Dog pup, Abby. They ground me, tell me when I am wrong - even pup Abby! - and fill my life with love. I am quirky, celebrating thrift shop treasures with glee, loving stealth camping in our VW Camper, and relishing an odd pleasure from being status-conscious Santa Barbara’s first live aboard Dean. I am tenacious, married for 53 years, and still counting, even though it has been to two different husbands :) I have stamina with humour, living in a tent for five months and then a 200-square foot cottage for seven years while building our Salt Spring home. I am hardworking, to a fault, just ask anyone who knows me. . . . I also bring that beneficial ability to think out of the box to come up with unique solutions. Given the daunting challenges of becoming one of the first four…

2023 Local Community Commission Election Candidate Profile - Nejmah Guermoudi

Learn more about Nejmah Guermoudi who is running as a candidate for Commissioner, in the 2023 Local Community Commission Election. The 2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Capital Regional District will be conducting voting to elect four commissioners to the Local Community Commission (LCC). Learn more about what the LCC is and how it works. About Nejmah Guermoudi I am a first-generation immigrant and am grateful for the privilege in calling this island home. I recognize that we are on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish people who have taken such care in stewarding this special place since time immemorial, before the complex array of settlers came and disrupted this natural state, yet also bringing their own stories of resilience as they chose to homestead, farm and build community on this Salty Rock. I am a neuro-divergent mother of three beautiful children, one who is all grown up now, and two …

Opinion: Why young, working, Salt Springers should vote in the LCC election

My name is Maddy Smith. I am a 33 year old apprentice plumber, maintenance worker, and farmer. I have been living on Salt Spring Island for two years now. I work two jobs and regularly take on side work during my weekends. I started visiting Salt Spring seven years ago, and was charmed by the copious farm stands, amazing parks, beautiful beaches, quirky shops, fairy doors, and smiling people. I thought the story of my friend’s co-worker living out of her car after paying $500 a month to live on a tent pad she had to build herself was an isolated situation, so when given an opportunity to move here, I jumped on it. I have since been able to see the side of Salt Spring that tourists don’t see, and that the tent pad situation was extremely commonplace. I have seen friends overworked because their employers have been unable to hire enough staff, with staff they do manage to hire leaving due to unlivable conditions where they rent and having nowhere else to go. I have seen lifelong …

2023 Local Community Commission Election Candidate Profile - Jesse Brown

Learn more about Jesse Brown who is running as a candidate for Commissioner, in the 2023 Local Community Commission Election. The 2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Capital Regional District will be conducting voting to elect four commissioners to the Local Community Commission (LCC). Learn more about what the LCC is and how it works. About Jesse Brown I care a lot about our Island and its future as someone who lives here and operates a small business, who has childhood memories made here, and who sees their future on Salt Spring Island. I’ve worked as a local professional at the Chamber of Commerce and CRD and learned that we need to change the typical composition of boards and commissions on Salt Spring to affect positive change in our community. More personally, I am so lucky to spend life with the most supportive and fun partner anyone could ask for, two beautiful and brilliant stepdaughters I…

Watch: 2023 Salt Spring Local Community Commission All-Candidates Debate

Candidates offered their ideas and perspectives as prospective Local Community Commissioners and answered questions from the audience. The debate was co-sponsored by the Gulf Islands Driftwood and Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce. https://youtu.be/qDfnkA_S8V8

Opinion: How our new LCC could enhance Ganges

During the campaign to elect four new Local Community Commissioners for Salt Spring, a frequent topic of discussion has been the current condition of downtown Ganges. Some candidates have raised this as an issue without offering much in terms of solutions. And there’s barely been a mention of the positive things that have happened over the years, from the construction of sidewalks and pathways to Peace Park improvements and from the addition of transit to the construction of the library. Ganges is not all bad news, for sure. But, still, it’s understandable that candidates are focusing on what needs to be done, not just celebrating past successes. Are there things our LCC can do to help make Ganges a healthier ‘urban’ core? Definitely yes. But before we talk solutions, let’s get clear on the problems. The Challenges In my view, many of the challenges Ganges currently faces fall into five interconnected categories: incomplete or failing public facilities, lack of downtow…

Opinion: Diversity, equity, inclusion, ability and the Local Community Commission election

Both the recent Local Community Commission (LCC) Zoom debate and the material submitted before that debate makes it clear we have an “abundance of riches” from which to choose. Some of these candidates have backgrounds and careers similar to my own and to most of those with whom I have served during my 25 years of membership on various Island Commissions, Committees, Task Forces and Study Groups. So should I vote in my own image but just a few decades younger? Perhaps, but I am saving one vote, and very much hope you will as well, for an on Island social worker, Nejmah Guermoudi, a neurodivergent mixed race mother of three with a very different background. Nejmah and I are both members of the Trust’s Housing Task Force. Both of us are committed to more affordable housing being built on SSI. However, she has had far more to contribute on how this desirable but difficult task can actually be achieved. And when she speaks about being income stressed and housing challenged, she …

Local Community Commission candidates offer their perspectives on arts and culture in collaboration with ArtSpring, Salt Spring Arts and the Salt Spring Island Library

ArtSpring, Salt Spring Arts and the Salt Spring Island Library work independently and collaboratively to enhance our community through arts and culture. Together these organizations developed five questions for candidates standing for election for the new CRD Local Community Commission (LCC). The intention is to provide eligible voters with an opportunity to learn more about each of the candidates standing for election this month. The LCC will oversee Salt Spring Island-wide services such as parks and recreation, transportation, economic development, and liquid waste disposal. The LCC will also administer certain local services currently overseen by staff and the Electoral Area Director; these include the provision of arts and library contribution services funded by the CRD. Together, the SSI Library, Salt Spring Arts and ArtSpring would like to thank members of our community that have put their names forward as LCC candidates and that are fully engaging in strengthening …

Where, how and why you should vote in the 2023 Local Community Commission elections

Voting in local elections is an essential way to actively participate in the democratic process and have a direct impact on your community. Here are several reasons why voting in local elections is important, especially as we introduce a new Local Community Commission (LCC) governance structure here on Salt Spring Island: Influence on local policies Local elections determine the individuals who will make decisions on matters that directly affect your community, such as education, infrastructure, public transportation, zoning regulations, local taxes, and more. By voting, you have a say in shaping these policies and can help elect candidates who align with your values and priorities. Representation and voice Local elections allow you to elect representatives who will be your voice in local government. By casting your vote, you can ensure that your community's interests, concerns, and perspectives are represented by officials who understand the needs of the area and w…

2023 Local Community Commission Election Candidate Profile - David Courtney

Learn more about David Courtney who is running as a candidate for Commissioner, in the 2023 Local Community Commission Election. The 2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Capital Regional District will be conducting voting to elect four commissioners to the Local Community Commission (LCC). Learn more about what the LCC is and how it works. About David Courtney I grew up in Southern Ontario and ventured progressively West during my career. 1st stop, Winnipeg for 7 years and then arrived in Vancouver in 1987. That's was the beginning of beautiful relationship with my wife Wendy and Super Natural British Columbia. Career-wise I was a Professional Pilot and spent 42 years flying for Canada's National Airline, both domestically and globally. That gave me an interesting perspective on life. Mark Twain stated Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. I agree and very grateful for that lear…

2023 Local Community Commission Election Candidate Profile - Ben Corno

Learn more about Ben Corno who is running as a candidate for Commissioner, in the 2023 Local Community Commission Election. The 2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Capital Regional District will be conducting voting to elect four commissioners to the Local Community Commission (LCC). Learn more about what the LCC is and how it works. About Ben Corno I have lived on Salt Spring for 13 years. The majority of those 13 years have been spent honing my growing skills, and contributing to the farm businesses I worked for, along with building a pretty great one , Heavenly Roots Vegetable Farm, with my partner, Kaleigh Barton. It looks like we have completed our farming journey together, and we are both working in town. I serve at Dagwoods a few days a week, work with the golf course (I studied Greenskeeping in 2006), and work as a ticket guy/projectionist at the Fritz. I am enjoying the freedom to be a par…

2023 Local Community Commission Election Candidate Profile - Earl Rook

Learn more about Earl Rook who is running as a candidate for Commissioner, in the 2023 Local Community Commission Election. The 2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Capital Regional District will be conducting voting to elect four commissioners to the Local Community Commission (LCC). Learn more about what the LCC is and how it works. About Earl Rook Before retiring to Salt Spring in 2015, I spent 25 years in St. Paul with the Minnesota Department of Health, working in finance, administration, and facilities management. Prior to that I worked in the private sector as a manager and comptroller. I hold a BA in music and a master’s degree in management. This is my first time seeking elective office. I grew up in Montana, moving frequently as my father worked his way up from building highway bridges to power plants and hydro dams. For my high school years, we lived in Libby, a small town about the size of…

Local Community Commission candidates answer questions on health and healthcare

Salt Spring Island’s Local Community Commission (LCC) Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The election will see our island select four commissioners to serve on the commission alongside Gary Holman, Salt Spring Island Electoral Area Director. To support community members in learning about the positions of LCC candidates, particularly in relation to health and healthcare on our island, Lady Minto Hospital Foundation (LMHF) invited candidates to answer a brief questionnaire. The answers are shared below. Our thanks to all the candidates who took the time to respond, and for their thoughtful answers. Jump to: Gayle Baker | Kylie Coates | Ben Corno | David Courtney | Jennifer Lannan | Eric March | Earl Rook | Brian Webster

Gayle Baker

What is your relationship to the Lady Minto Hospital and/or the Hospital Foundation? (eg, volunteer, donor, staff, member)? How would you use your role as a Commissioner to support the Hospital and the…

Opinion: Top priorities for the Salt Spring Local Community Commission

Last week, I wrote about the pressing issue of housing for working people on Salt Spring. I suggested that this is a major issue in our community and requires attention by our new Local Community Commission (LCC) on a priority basis. However, housing isn’t the only important issue in our community, so this week, I want to cover some of the other topics that I believe will need LCC attention early on. Make Smart Decisions on Existing LCC Services The LCC has been delegated authority over 14 of the current CRD services on Salt Spring. This incudes 11 services where the LCC will make all administrative decisions – right up to, but not including final approval of regional district bylaws -- and another three ‘contributory services’ where the LCC will approve each annual budget subject to final sign-off by the CRD board. There are plenty of issues to consider with these services. Some of these issues cross many services and others are super-specific. Here are some of the is…

2023 Local Community Commission Election Candidate Profile - Jennifer Lannan

Learn more about Jennifer Lannan who is running as a candidate for Commissioner, in the 2023 Local Community Commission Election. The 2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 27, 2023. The Capital Regional District will be conducting voting to elect four commissioners to the Local Community Commission (LCC). Learn more about what the LCC is and how it works. About Jennifer Lannan Film production and theatre were my first loves and I can't believe I've not ended up with a career in both. I've always been a lover of the arts and that is of no surprise from living here for so long. After graduating high school, here I lived on Vancouver Island in various places while earning a Bachelor of Arts from (now) VIU. I spent some time working in Seoul at first, and then Taipei -where I decided that cockroaches and earthquakes aren't for me. I then I flew home and I've never left. I've worked in the service/hospitality industry, th…

Opinion: Housing and Salt Spring's new Local Community Commission

As you consider your options in the upcoming Local Community Commission (LCC) election, you may be wondering why some of us are even talking about housing. After all, the 14 services over which the CRD has delegated responsibilities to the LCC do not include a housing service. But wait a minute: Salt Spring doesn’t even have its own local government housing service. Sure, there’s the Capital Region Housing Corporation, which has done some good work on Salt Spring. But it’s based in Victoria, manages a huge inventory of housing region-wide and simply isn’t equipped to focus a lot of attention on the specific challenges here on Salt Spring. The Housing Challenge What are those challenges? The recent Salt Spring Solutions report on housing describes these quite well. Simply put, there is (very) limited housing available on our island and even less that’s within the reach of non-wealthy working people. Many housing issues extend far beyond Salt Spring, but whether the prob…