Esquimalt is a great community, but the years ahead will bring some difficult choices. We need to accommodate growth, address housing affordability, renew aging infrastructure and respond to increasing costs, while protecting the things people value about living here.
I believe Council needs to provide a clearer sense of where we are going and how we intend to get there. That does not mean pretending there are easy answers. It means setting priorities, listening to residents and being honest about the costs and tradeoffs involved.
These are four areas where I believe we need to focus.
A Clear Vision
Esquimalt needs a clear vision of where it is going, and residents should understand what that means for their street and neighbourhood.
Over the next term, the Township will update its Official Community Plan. The OCP can seem technical, but it shapes many decisions that affect people’s daily lives: where and how we grow, what kinds of housing can be built, how our commercial areas develop, and what parks and recreation facilities we need.
Too often, these questions are considered one development or one decision at a time. The OCP update is an opportunity to step back and have a broader conversation about what we want Esquimalt to look like in ten or twenty years. It should involve focused discussions with residents and businesses and result in a practical plan that Council can use to make consistent decisions.
Environmental planning also needs to be part of that vision. As Esquimalt grows, we need to protect mature trees, expand our urban forest, and design streets and public spaces that can better handle hotter summers and heavier rainfall.
We also need to move faster. Our community and economy are changing too quickly for an OCP update to take five years, followed by another five years to update the zoning bylaw. With the Province now requiring OCPs to be reviewed every five years, we should aim to complete updates in 12 to 24 months.
A good plan will not eliminate disagreement, but it should make our direction and priorities much clearer.
Responsible Finances
Esquimalt has seen several years of high property tax increases. The 2026 budget was particularly difficult. Increases at this level are not sustainable and cannot become normal.
At the same time, we need to be honest about what is driving those increases. A recent Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce review called Esquimalt the region’s most disciplined spender and found it was the only municipality reviewed whose operating spending growth was below its inflation benchmark. That does not mean every dollar is well spent, or that there is nothing to cut. It does mean we should be cautious about promising that a few easy savings will solve the problem.
The largest pressures on Esquimalt’s budget are real: policing and fire costs, aging roads and underground infrastructure, and the need to rebuild reserves after years of not putting enough aside to pay for maintenance. In 2026, policing costs alone increased almost 10 per cent, while Council also increased infrastructure contributions significantly.
Early in the next term, I want Council to conduct a detailed review of municipal services, spending and service levels. We should look for meaningful savings, question what we are doing, and be willing to stop or change things that are not delivering enough value.
Careful spending is only part of the answer. Esquimalt also needs to make better use of other sources of revenue. New development should contribute an appropriate share toward the infrastructure and amenities needed to support growth. We should pursue available grants and ensure that our fees are fair and reflect the cost of providing services.
Property taxes should not always be the only answer when costs increase.
Responsible budgeting also means being honest about the choices. If we want lower tax increases, we need to say what we will cut, delay, deliver differently or pay for another way. I do not think fixed tax limits are a substitute for that work.
See more details on Responsible Finances in my blog post.
Affordable Housing
Esquimalt has added a lot of housing over the past decade, with much more currently planned or under construction. That growth is helping to provide more housing choices, but it has not solved the problem of affordability.
Many residents still struggle to find housing they can afford or worry about whether they will be able to remain in their homes. Younger people face an increasingly difficult path into the housing market, while many renters are vulnerable when older buildings are redeveloped.
Municipalities cannot solve the housing crisis on their own, but we do have some tools we can use. We can make it easier to build nonprofit, cooperative and below-market housing. We can look for opportunities to attract affordable housing providers and work with other levels of government. We can protect existing rental housing and ensure that tenants receive meaningful support when redevelopment occurs.
We also need clearer rules for new housing. Recent provincial changes require Esquimalt to allow more homes in established neighbourhoods. The question is no longer simply whether growth will happen, but how we manage it well. That includes considering trees, parking, accessibility, servicing and how new buildings fit into their surroundings.
My focus will be on adding more housing choices while putting greater effort into attracting, building and protecting homes that people can actually afford.
Getting Around
We need to make it easier and safer to get around Esquimalt, whether by transit, walking, cycling or car.
Esquimalt is a compact community, and many residents already walk, cycle or take transit for at least some of their trips. Making those choices safer and more convenient can reduce pressure on our roads and leave more room for people who need to drive.
That means continuing to improve sidewalks, crossings and cycling connections, while maintaining our roads and ensuring that businesses, residents and people with mobility challenges can still get where they need to go.
These projects often involve real tradeoffs. Changes to a street can affect parking, traffic, deliveries and nearby businesses. Council needs to listen carefully, consider different options and explain why a particular approach is being recommended.
Transportation is also a regional issue. Many of the vehicles travelling through Esquimalt begin or end their trips elsewhere, and many Esquimalt residents commute outside the municipality. We need to keep working with BC Transit, the Capital Regional District, neighbouring municipalities and the Reconciliation Corridor Initiative on better transit and transportation connections across the region.
The goal is not to tell people how they should travel. It is to give more people safe, practical choices and make it easier for everyone to get around.
What’s next
I’m planning on publishing more details on these themes over the next few months. Sign up for updates if you’d like to read more.