Communities around the world are celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Nowruz is a day for reflection about the past, and to look to the future with hope and optimism.

I had the great honour of attending the community Iftar at the BC Legislature, hosted by the Olive Branch Revival Foundation. Iftar is the breaking of the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan. It’s a tradition of sharing a meal with family, neighbours and community.

Yesterday, we celebrated Employee Appreciation Day. Visiting District staff and crews is one of the best parts of being your Mayor. What an unbelievable privilege it has been for me to work with these amazing folks.

I got to spend the afternoon with a second year Poli Sci class at Camosun. It was a great discussion & excellent questions about leadership in a period of uncertainty & acrimony. I so enjoyed hearing from students about their priorities & the future they want to see for themselves & their loved ones

Celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse with the wonderful folks at the Chinese Community Services Centre of Victoria.

The Province of B.C. has announced that all establishments with a valid liquor license and local government approval can open at 5:00am Sunday so residents can gather to watch the men’s gold medal hockey game.

Happy Lunar New Year 2026! Wishing you purpose, growth & success in the year of the Fire Horse.

Ramadan Kareem. This evening families, loved ones and neighbours gather to begin this month of fasting, prayer, compassion and reflection. We wish all those observing Ramadan a month filled with peace, reflection and hope.

This weekend, I joined Councillor Mena Westhaver and Chris Loran as a trio of MCs for the 7th annual Dancers 4Kids event. This event is a high-energy fundraiser for the island kids cancer association (IKCA) and supports children affected by cancer and their families.

Happy Family Day, Saanich! One of my favourite parts of being Mayor is seeing our community come together to share culture through music, dance and food. Today I had the chance to join the festivities at the Greater Victoria Police Diversity Advisory Committee’s Dance-along.

Our hearts are with the community of Tumbler Ridge

Being Mayor of Saanich has been the honour of my life. I love this community. I’ve spent the last 25 years trying to improve it—in office and as a volunteer. Thank you for the extraordinary gift of being your mayor. I will carry that honour with me for the rest of my life.

A growing community needs more parks and green space! I couldn’t be more excited about this new purchase to create a future park in the Shelbourne valley. The property acquisition was made with no need for borrowing or impact on property taxation.

Did you know the District of Saanich has a MOU with the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council? It’s called ÁTOL,NEUEL and it means “Respecting One Another” Last night Council held a leadership meeting w/ W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council to discuss collaborative priorities as we continue to work more closely together

I had a great time visiting with the Saanich Youth Council! It’s a great group of students in grades 9-12 from schools in Saanich. I am thrilled to see these students come together to work collaboratively on advancing their priorities and the interests of youth and young people in Saanich.

Today, we’re doing the annual salmon carcass transplant into Douglas Creek at PKOLS! By transplanting salmon carcasses into Douglas Creek, we’re mimicking the natural process that happens when salmon return to their home creeks to spawn, complete their lifecycle and die.

Happy New Year!! 🥳 A few things I’m looking forward to in 2026: ✅ Breaking ground on the Nellie McClung affordable rental project ✅ Completing Shelbourne St and Sinclair Rd improvements ✅ Finalizing QMP, Shelbourne Valley Plan, and Tillicum Burnside Plan

Wishing you a very happy holiday season. 🎄 As this year comes to a close, I’m reflecting on the kindness, love and support we’ve received from family, friends and colleagues. I am so very grateful for all your support and encouragement.

I had the chance to join a great group of volunteers to serve the holiday meal at Our Place. Yesterday’s lunch was one of four holiday meals that Our Place provides this season. I so appreciate the incredible staff and volunteers that pitch in to ensure no one goes hungry during the holidays.

Saanich experienced its second major rain event of the week last night, leading to flooding events in areas across the region. Crews worked throughout the night to manage road safety and assist residents affected by flooding.

The results are in! We’re pleased to announce Oskar Williams, a Saanich grade 4 student, has won Mayor and Council’s Holiday Card contest. Congratulations, Oskar! Oskar did a marvelous job drawing the Great Horned Owl with a holiday twist. I love the Santa Hat, bright colours, & large yellow eyes!

Hanukkah, a time of light amidst the darkness, begins this evening amidst sorrow. We mourn with the people of Australia and Jewish people worldwide following the horrific attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Last night we celebrated the incredible Saanich Emergency Program volunteers These great folks dedicate hours of their own time to training, supporting community events, and when necessary, providing emergency support to Saanich residents in need.

This weekend, we celebrated the grand opening of the brand new waterslide at Saanich Commonwealth Place Councillors Westhaver, Plant, Phelps Bondaroff and I got the chance to try it out. It’s a lot of fun and well worth the climb up the stairs to experience it firsthand.

Your Mayor and Council are hosting a Town Hall on December 2 at 6pm in the Council Chambers. We’ve extended the usual format to hear from as many folks as possible.

Yule never believe it – it’s that time of year already! Grab your markers and sharpen those pencil crayons, it’s time for Mayor and Council’s 2025 Holiday Card contest. Young artists in Saanich are once again invited to share their creative designs, showing what they love most about the holidays.

Last night, your Mayor and Council joined the festivities and kicked off the holiday season at the Uptown Holiday Show & Tree Light Up!

This week I had the chance to deliver the Mayor’s Annual Address. It’s a brief overview of highlights from this year and preview of some upcoming initiatives. www.saanich.ca/EN/main/news...

Join us this morning at the Saanich Cenotaph as we remember those who have served and continue to serve our country in times of war, conflict and peace. Ceremony begins at 10:45am. 770 Vernon Ave.

In Saanich, we’re focused on creating homes that people can afford. Saanich’s latest housing report shows that fully half of development permits issued this year were for non-market, affordable units.

Today I got to visit with Grade 2 students at Tillicum Elementary I love to see the world through the eyes of 7-year-olds. The mayor’s job is a lot of meetings and weekends are for ice cream. I couldn’t agree more.

Calling all young artists! It's that time of year again! If you’re an artist in grade K-5, send us your festive design for Mayor & Council's 2025 Holiday Card contest There's snow doubt we'll receive plenty of creative submissions. Grab your markers & show us what you love most about the holidays

This morning I had the chance to speak at a fourth year Geography class. It was fascinating to hear from this class of senior students about today’s land use and how we can solve the housing and transportation challenges we’re facing.

Yesterday, I got to help plant trees & plants with students at Tillicum Elementary SD61 & Saanich partnered on the Tillicum Green Infrastructure Project to mitigate growing climate change impacts, integrate Indigenous knowledge of natural systems, Indigenous plant species, & sustainable practices

Finally some relief for people renting in our community Efforts we’re making to increase available rental homes, priority for non-market rental, & easing student demand help bring prices down There’s more work to do to make homes more affordable for renters. We’re headed in the right direction.

Yesterday, I had the chance to help serve the Thanksgiving holiday meal at Our Place I always jump at the chance to help serve a warm meal (and hot coffee, in my case this time).

It’s your future! Get involved! We’re updating the Shelbourne Valley Plan to create more homes, services, parks, amenities, and to make it easier to get around. Join us for an Open House: Today, 4-8pm at Gordon Head Rec Saturday, 12-4pm at Cedar Hill Rec Take the survey: Saanich.ca/hellosvp

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour the children who never returned from residential schools and recognize the resilience of Survivors, their families and communities.

Quadra McKenzie Plan survey deadline has been extended to Sunday, Oct 5. Don’t miss your chance to have your say: Saanich.ca/helloqmp

Saanich is growing. That means more people getting around on foot, bike, bus and in the car. QMP is our plan for infrastructure improvements that get more people around conveniently and safely in our community. Survey closes on Oct 1. Don’t miss your chance to have your say! Saanich.ca/helloqmp

We gathered today at the BC Law Enforcement Memorial in honour of the police and peace officers whose lives were lost in the line of duty.

That’s a wrap on this year’s 2025 Union of BC Municipalities conference Your Saanich team and local leaders from across the Province spent the week here in Victoria, advocating to the provincial government for support to deliver the services our residents rely on and keep people safe.

QMP is about making sure that Saanich is a place for everyone. We’re planning for more homes that meet the diverse budgets and needs of residents in our community.

We had so much fun celebrating the grand opening of the Maynard Park playground. This new playground offers more modern, sustainable and accessible features for kids and families to enjoy.

A wonderful gathering of friends and neighbours at Horner Park. Thank you to the Mt. Tolmie Community Association for bringing people together on this beautiful day.

We’re standing with municipal colleagues across the province, calling on the Province to create a province-wide lobbyist registry for local governments.

It’s your future! Time to have your say! More homes, better transportation options, new services and amenities. QMP is a plan for everyone. Don’t miss out! Tell us what’s important to you: Saanich.ca/qmp

Saanich Police and Fire Open House Join the Saanich Fire and Police Departments for games, live demonstrations, and giveaways. Today until 2pm at 760 Vernon Ave

Did you know there’s a new eBike share in Saanich? Evolve provides a new way to get around town. Created by BCAA, Evolve offers 50 eBikes, expanding options for flexible, affordable & accessible travel I look forward to seeing people out for a ride, enjoying everything Saanich has to offer

Celebrating 70 years of Community Living Victoria! Councillor Westhaver and I had a chance to join the celebration in honour of this incredible community organization.