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- April 24 - 8 questions for your local candidates
April 24 - 8 questions for your local candidates
Election survey on major Westshore issues. New local playgrounds. Did you lose some coins?
Cam Welch
April 24, 2025
Hello there!
Today we have one more pre-election extravaganza for you, since this will be the last Westshore newsletter before all ballots are cast. In this edition, we have wrangled survey responses from nearly all of the candidates in both Westshore ridings.
They gave answers—some with great detail—to our 8 questions about some of the broad issues that affect your lives here in the region. Housing, transportation, safety, the environment, the US, and more.
— Cam
ELECTION 2025
8 questions for your federal candidates
Local riding maps via Parliament website
In Canada, voters elect local candidates as Members of Parliament, who then represent their region in Ottawa and in some cases form part of the government. We sent out surveys to your local candidates to ask how they, and their parties, promise to help locals on various major issues.
8 questions: Cowichan–Malahat–Langford
Alistair MacGregor, Jeff Kibble, Blair Herbert, Kathleen Code, and Dagmar Groeschick
Cowichan – Malahat – Langford is a vast riding first contested in 2015. It has been held by the NDP's Alistair MacGregor since then, with the Conservatives typically finishing a distant second. The riding is seen as a close race, and a tough battle even for the longtime incumbent MacGregor, due to trends such as the rise of the Conservatives in the past few years and the resurgence of the Liberals in the past few months.
The riding population is split fairly evenly between the Cowichan Valley and Langford portions of the riding. Candidates have been campaigning in both, and whoever is elected would likely maintain the current approach of having two different constituents' offices.
We received extensive responses from the 4 major parties in this riding. We have two ways for you to read them:
8 questions: Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke
Left to right: Maja Tait; Stephanie McLean; Grant Cool; Ben Homer-Dixon. Bottom: Nikita Heurtier; Robert Crooks; Param Bhatti; David Schaafsma. All photos from respective candidates campaign pages
The oddly shaped Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke electoral district skirts underneath the other Westshore riding, going along the coastline from Sooke at the edge through Metchosin and Colwood and then Esquimalt, and cuts inland to include View Royal and parts of Saanich.
The riding has existed for a decade and the NDP's Randall Garrison held it until his retirement last year, winning comfortably multiple times.
His successor, Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, faces a battle to keep the seat with the NDP. There is a full roster of challengers: Liberal Stephanie McLean (a former Alberta NDP minister), Conservative Grant Cool (a successful aerospace engineer), Green Ben Homer-Dixon (a young activist and student), and a bevy of smaller parties and independents.
We have responses from the bulk of these competitors, and you can read the person-by-person replies here at The Westshore.
The question-by-question replies will appear tomorrow at Capital Daily, which you can subscribe to at this link. Remember that The Westshore newsletter is merging with Capital Daily, so subscribing will also get you your Tuesday and Thursday Westshore news going forward.
We will add candidate responses if they come in late, so if you check back in a day or two, you may see more people included.
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NEWS
New park & playgrounds in the 'Shore core
Quarry Park playground in Colwood / Porcher Park playground in Langford. Both images via city releases.
Colwood unveils the region's largest playground
It includes a 3-level castle, a pirate ship, and several inclusive and accessible features. Royal Bay's Quarry Park is also slated to complete new walking trails, a bike park, and a pump track soon. It will eventually expand to include new sports fields and other amenities, likely partly on neighbouring SD62 land. [Info]
Porcher Park officially opens in Langford
The city has had the original park land for 54 years but just completed a renovation and expansion after adding three adjacent properties on Brock and on Wren. The new park includes more greenspace, accessible playground equipment, and—soon—a community garden. The garden will be a first of its kind for the city and will be operated by Urban Food Resilience Initiatives Society (UFRIS). In advance of the full park opening, local Green Teams spent two years clearing invasive plants out. [Info]
Around the 'Shore
🚍 BC Transit wants your input on changes to local routes. Talk to them online, this weekend in Sooke, or next weekend in Langford about the futures of the Route 39 (Westhills/Interurban/Royal Oak/UVic), Route 51 (Langford/UVic), and Route 65 (Sooke/Downtown via Westhills). [Info / times & locations / survey link]
💿 Are these your coins? West Shore RCMP say they seized these 60+ coins last fall but haven't yet found the rightful owner. [Image / details]
🐻🏒 Grizzlies on brink of BCHL semifinals after beating Cowichan Valley in Colwood on Tuesday. The 6-3 win, despite taking only half as many shots as their rival, put the Grizzlies up 3-0 in the series. But the Capitals rallied last night, winning narrowly (6-5) to extend the series. Game 5 is tomorrow in Duncan, and Game 6 (if necessary) will be back at the Q Centre on Sat.
⏪ Last time on The Westshore: Juan de Fuca major trail & camping closed all season. A $3M+ skatepark & SEAPARC reno is being proposed—and so is a Sooke bowling alley. [Tues. news.]
✍🏽 The Victoria Foundation is celebrating 20 years of the Victoria’s Vital Signs program this year. Take part in the region’s annual checkup and enter the draw to win a $100 gift card to Country Grocer. Read the full article here.*
*Sponsored Listing
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Community Events
⏳ Community conversation sessions about the future of the Sooke Region Museum today and tomorrow. [Info / RSVP]
🎨 Echoes & Emblems student art show: Goldfinch Arts Centre (170 Goldfinch) in Colwood showcases work by Ecole Royal Bay Secondary students in Grades 9-12. Until May 4.
🥳 Sookarama: A family-friendly event with 90 exhibitors presented by the District of Sooke and Sooke Lions Club. Sat. at SEAPARC. [Info]
🌏 Sooke Earth Day Celebration: Celebrate sustainability and community at the greenspace beside Fire Station One (2225 Otter Point Rd.). Enjoy exhibits and hands-on activities. Explore the Sooke Country Market and connect with organizations like Transition Sooke, Wild Wise Society, and BC Transit. Sat. 10am-2pm. [Info]
🏓 1st-ever Sooke Paddle Battle pickleball tournament is May 3-4.
🐥 17th Annual Duck Day Race and Family Event: Sooke Harbourside Lions present games, activities, hot dogs, and crafts for the kids as rubber ducks race down the Sooke River. 11am-2pm May 3. Free admission, but tickets to try to win the grand prize go on sale tomorrow. [More info]
🤖 Expert discussion on AI & the future at Royal Roads with author and evolutionary biologist Dan Riskin on May 3. [Event info]
🐟 Peninsula Streams & Shorelines silent migration online auction fundraiser until Sunday. Bid on marine adventures, Alaska cruises, mushroom tours, cutting boards, watercolours, and more. You can also join the Smolt Soirée in person on Saturday at 5pm, a spring celebration marking the conclusion of the auction and the annual spring outmigration of smolts.
🎼 Soundtrack of our Lives: Familiar hits with fresh harmonies from Choral Evolution. Shows next weekend in Sooke & Esquimalt. [Info / Tickets]
💡 Colwood Ideas Fair is May 10 at Colwood Corners. Come to discuss local issues including neighbourhoods, housing, transportation, parking, health, disaster resilience, youth, volunteers, animals, litter, and more. [Info]
📦 Community Garage Sale, Sat. May 10 from 9am-2pm. China/glass, clothing, plants, books, garden items, etc. BBQ. Free admission & parking. St. Joseph The Worker Church Hall at 753 Burnside W. near View Royal.
Council Meetings
View Royal: No more council meetings scheduled this month.
Colwood: Waterfront Stewardship Committee today. Meetings next Mon. moved to May 1. [Calendar]
Highlands: No meetings until May 5. Calendar
Sooke: Regular Council & Special Council meetings next Mon. [Schedule]
Langford: Community Advisory Committee on Mon. [Calendar]
Metchosin: Special council meeting today about finances, and a council meeting next Mon. [Calendar]
What’s Offshore?
🚢 MSC Vandya, a container ship built in 2012 sailing from Seattle to Vancouver under the Panama flag 🇵🇦 .
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Westshore Snaps
Hummingbird at a feeder, from Morris Skrabyk
Blossoms in Langford [Work the Angle photos]
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.
Important Update
In case you missed our announcement on Tuesday, starting next month we are joining forces with our sister publication Capital Daily! To continue receiving your local Westshore news without interruption, make sure you opt-in to receive all your Greater Victoria news in one combined newsletter by subscribing at this link.
What this means for you:
You’ll be getting news from around the South Island (including the Westshore) 7 days a week
Your dedicated Westshore region stories & events will still run every Tuesday and Thursday
The reader-favourite "What's Offshore" will arrive in the Monday newsletter
That’s it!
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