Westshore candidates have a higher rate of home ownership than average - but are younger than candidates elsewhere in Greater Victoria

Westshore voters have 83 candidates to choose from, and we’re wrangling the data to help make sense of the choices. With our sister publication, Capital Daily, we sent out a survey for all candidates and have compiled the results into an online database—check it out if you haven’t yet. 

(If a candidate you’re curious about doesn’t show up, it means they haven’t answered the survey—so bug them to do it. If you’re a candidate who lost the link, email me.) 

Among the 100-plus candidates across Greater Victoria who have answered the survey, the Westshore has the youngest and oldest candidate: Steve McAskill in Colwood is 19, and incumbent Sherrie Epp in Metchosin is 73, though about 10% didn’t answer that question, so it’s possible there are more candidates 73 and older. The median age among residents in the Westshore is just under 42.

Among the 42 Westshore respondents, only two rent the homes they live in—and one of those is 19-year-old McAskill. Everyone else owns at least one home, and four candidates own two houses. 

Westshore candidates have a much higher percentage of home owners among them than the people they hope to represent. Averaged over the six municipalities, 70% of residents own their homes, and 30% rent. Langford has the highest proportion of renters, at 35%, and Highlands has the lowest at just 11%. 

Three Westshore councils recently voted to increase remuneration for council, effective after the election; during those debates, one of the repeated arguments in favour of increasing pay is that it makes the job of being a councillor attainable for people with lower incomes. So we asked for candidates to disclose their household income. Almost half (45%) declined to disclose, but of those who did answer, most of them said they make $70,000 or less. Eight earn between $70,000 and $100,000, and seven make over $100,000 as a household. The average household income in the Westshore is $96,000. 

We also asked candidates, regarding the current council, how well has council performed on a scale of one to five? Highlands had the most positive response: an average of 3.75—though, the respondents so far are all incumbents, rating their own work. Langford got the lowest average score of 1.86. In that case, the seven respondents so far only includes two incumbent councillors. None of the Community First Langford slate, led by Mayor Stew Young, have answered the questions.