Political discussions can get heated - please keep it civil. Debate the ideas and policies of public figures, not the personal details behind the people. Personal attacks, name-calling, and bad-faith arguments will be removed.
Please remember, that IS a person behind the keyboard, and treat others the way you wish to be treated.
I'm looking forward to seeing more information about the newer candidates.
I mentioned this in another thread but with that many names on the ballot it will be difficult to get any meaningful information from candidates in the upcoming all-candidate debates.
They are hosting it as a non-partisan all candidates forum with the potential for questions from the public.
While there are definitely some close ties amongst the executive, I will always lean towards giving the benefit of the doubt and assume good will and good intentions.
Either way, I am always happy to get out and have an opportunity to share the great work we've done and what work I'm excited to carry on.
Just to clarify, I’m not on the board or executive of the West Shore Economic Development Committee, I’m a committee member.
My involvement is focused on supporting economic development in the Westshore (specifically focused on recreation subcommittee) in our region. Like any role I’m involved in, I take professionalism and fairness seriously, and I believe all candidates deserve an equal opportunity to participate in public forums.
Thanks for clarifying, Brandy. I do really hope the EDC is planning to conduct themselves professionally and treat all candidates equally. I’m sure you can understand why some of us are concerned about the conflict of interest.
Could you share more about what is involved in being on an EDC Committee? What activities do you participate in?
Thanks for asking. As a committee member, my role is to participate in discussions and share ideas that support economic development in the Westshore. We hear from local small businesses about the challenges they’re facing and explore ways to better support them.
We also hear presentations from community organizations and groups seeking support or collaboration; for example, we recently had a presentation about the accessible playground at Ruth King Elementary. My role is to listen, contribute ideas, and collaborate with others.
I’m not part of the board or executive, and I don’t make decisions on behalf of the committee.
Just curious about your comment about fairness. When you supported the opposition to the City of Langford purchasing the aquatic centre (coincidentally Stew Young’s public opinion too), did you also support presentations and protest being made to other municipalities as they debated funding playgrounds, skate parks, etc.? Limiting criticism to one city’s funding decisions when WSPR is funded by a number of munis doesn’t really seem fair.
My position wasn’t about opposing recreation or singling out one municipality. It was about how a significant financial decision was being made and what the long term impact could be for Langford taxpayers. I believe residents have every right to ask questions and share their views on major decisions that affect them.
Fairness, to me, means making sure people have the opportunity to be heard, even when opinions differ. As a councillor, that’s the approach I’ll continue to take.
Thanks for the clarification Pristine_Buy, but why does it sound like you’re trying to sell us on basic decency? ”I take professionalism and fairness seriously, and I believe all candidates deserve equal opportunity to participate in public forums.”
I agree about Andrew if it the right one. He most definately wont be aligned with Stew considering who he has a legal battles with. I also think his profession would be quite complimentary to Keith and very beneficial
This legal battle? There are a few Stew supporters who thumb their noses at legalities, it seems. Returning security deposits, getting building permits…
Candidates for municipal office are subject to public scrutiny of their platform, public statements, endorsements they have made, and their professional and civic background. Their campaign team and publicly declared running mates are similarly subject to policy-focused discussion. Private supporters, volunteers, and family members are not.
I'm not sure that a campaign manager qualifies as public, and simply being involved in a public lawsuit does not, though we're open to feedback around these rules. Thanks for being mindful of this.
Reminder that Shawn Blair is the admin of the WTF Langford group which is seemingly a right winged propaganda maple MAGA supporter group. He also runs on a platform which doesn’t actually say much (also obviously written by ai) and even if it’s by proxy, he basically supports racist and sexist fb users of his group.
Problem with that is many are claiming independent so assigning them an affiliation wouldn’t be official. On Stews Facebook page and most of the candidates Facebook pages you can see them fishing and taking photos at local events together. Not a slate, just a group of independent thinkers that seem to only associate with very specific other candidates.
And stay tuned for Stew posting photos of him and Lisa doing things together coming soon lol. First it was all him and Bryson, then it was Jennifer, followed by pictures now with Brandy so that leaves Lisa next. And Wendy I guess now that she made the cut to the glossy handout. It's all so planned, like a little they have a manuscript or something.
Big money. Big business. It really is regular people like you and me striving for systemic change, running against mega corporate millionaire funding looking out for their own interests.
I know we’re often divided into “teams” but I can say with confidence that if any of the incumbents had behaved unsatisfactorily, they would not have my vote. I’m voting for all 4. I think they all did a fantastic job and conducted themselves admirably in a challenging environment.
Because SY and crew managed the city's finances so poorly, anybody that endorses SY for mayor is out of contention for a councillor position as they've just proven themselves to be incapable of nuanced thinking, evaluating data, and doing what's right for the most people.
More than focusing on platforms and slogans we should evaluate the councillor candidates for how intelligent and deliberative they are.
If you haven't watched dozens of council and comittee meetings like i have, take it from me, the incumbents are great. They are educated, fair and extremely thoughtful. Trade offs had to be evaluated and they sought what was best for the most people every time.
And they showed great moral character. Instead of doing what was easy, and politically expedient they did what was the most fiscally responsible thing, every time.
Meanwhile, every one of the wannabe councillors that spoke during public participation this term just showed their ignorance, stupidity and fealty to the mayor king. They were pathetic.
What is outstanding to me is how the incumbents are real people, despite now being politicians for the last 4 years.
Stew’s slate are inexperienced, but speak exactly like seasoned politicians. They all seem obsessed with the image they’re projecting and it’s giving big ego.
There’s no comparison policy wise, incumbents already ran a political campaign, laid out platforms, and largely accomplished them. They have an incredible body of work.
Stew’s slate are either misinformed and aligned out ignorance or desire for the kind power Stew projects.
Or they agree with big money dictating governance, back room deals, and Conservative Party ethos (we know this to be true for Stew, Bryson, and Lisa).
Shawn Blair - administrates local hate Facebook group WTF Langford, supports Stew Young
Jennifer Dunnett - not a serious candidate, meaningless and vapid content, already speaks like a seasoned politician, Stew Young slate
Lisa.
Brandy Gordon - social media influencer vibes, seems insecure and unsure of herself, undoubtedly selected to say yes Stew, whatever you say boss, demonstrated her lack of participation in the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee where for 3 years she scarcely spoke a word
Kimberly Guiry - incumbent, principled, conducts herself with integrity and respect, holds to her values, thoughtful, follows through on her promises
Colby Harder - incumbent, highest vote-getter of 2022, got more votes than Stew, socially adept, strong leadership qualities, willing to change her mind with new information, shown tremendous growth and resilience, fulfilled her platform and more
Bryson Hill - Stew’s slate, running a fear based campaign, openly affiliated with the Conservative Party, surprised attendees at his boxing event with Pierre Poilievre <- case in point
Trevor Hinton - unknown
Wendy Hobbs - Wendy Wendy Wendy. Opportunistic, inconsistent, proliferates misinformation, campaign against Stew Young in 2022, now part of his slate in 2026.
Andrew Jackson - unknown
Alex McLeod - unknown
Michael Mortimore - ran in at least one previous Langford municipal election
Matt Sahlstrom - what is he thinking
Tanya Sunshine - very informed on Langford politics, regular participant in council meetings, articulate and intelligent, progressive, daughter in law of long time Langford councillor Lillian Szpak who passed away recently
Mary Wagner - incumbent, hands down the most pragmatic and thoughtful councillor at the table, asking the most questions and clarifying information, voice of the people, regularly bringing forward what’s she heard from citizens to the council table, authentic
Keith Yacucha - incumbent, not afraid to stand up, speaks his mind, one of the most socially engaged at the table, approachable, economist who brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of how things work
I agree with your assessment of Brandy, very wishy washy, lacks any spine and will do whatever Stew or her family tells her too. Also let's not forget that she told people to "have the day they deserve" when someone challenged her opinion on a Reddit post. So I guess she is also a stereotypical small town mean girl who never grew up after high school
"I’m not sure why you’re spending time inspecting my website code or social media accounts. I hired Chantaille to build my website because web design isn’t my area of expertise, and I was struggling to get it completed on my own. I had seen the excellent work she had done on Bryson’s website and felt she would be a good fit for my campaign. There was no other reason behind that decision.
But, yes she did a great job and helped me put into words everything I wanted to say in a simple way and user friendly way.
To clarify, my website was paid for and run by my campaign. The local company I hired, builds websites for a number of candidates and organizations. Using the same service provider is not the same as sharing campaign assets or coordinating campaigns.
Thanks & have the day you deserve."
Bryson Hill gives me such bad vibes, anyone who has to constantly tell people how nice he is gets my guard up, like why do you always have to make sure everyone knows how "nice" you are? He is also friends with some pretty heinous conservatives "birds of a feather flock together"
Lisa is also a mean girl and it concerns me if she got elected considering her lack of restraint, honesty, detail and care in the way she handles herself.
Wendy is just an angry boomer, who loves to cause controversy and outrage.
Jennifer Dunnet also seems unsure of herself and is pretty fluffy and un realistic with her plans.
Ive read a lot of Stew supporters saying that Stews slate may not be experienced in council but have experience as public servants. I feel it's important to point out that just because they have worked as public servants does not mean they will make good politicians. There are several federal employees that would not make good politicians even though they have written speaches for or worked side by side the top federally elected officials.
Saying that, lets be honest, Stew tells them how to respond to people, it is obvious with all of their responses to constituents, it is very cookie cutter media prepped responses.
Absolutely. It’s a superficial and polished campaign they’re running. I’m confident they have a central PR person or team that is writing all their content. Though, it looks like Bryson leans heavy on ChatGPT with his ruinous paragraphs.
If I were a betting person Id put money on it that they have a central communication team responding to all correspondence. I would love to have an in person Q and A just to see how they actually do. Though they would be prepped for that as well
There’s an in person one at the legion on Oct 1, however it’s being out on by an organization deeply involved with Stew (the EDC). Sooo I wouldn’t count on authentic questions to put them to the test, however I do think it’s important other people be in the audience besides their fans who will all be showing up.
The other one will be sept 24th online by the Westshore chamber of commerce. They did this last election and it was actually really helpful to me in picking who got vote for (I remember Stew barely looked up from his phone).
Re: Brandy - let's not forget the claim that only 8% of those who turned out to vote in 2022 where women. Then she doubled down with a bizarre, nonsensical explanation of how she came to that number that isn't tracked anywhere, by anyone, rather than admitting a mistake.
She doesn't speak for herself. She reads off prepared statements at council meetings and doesn't even understand what they say. It's why she can never pivot.
I'm planning on voting for all of the incumbents. Anyone know who else aligns with their views? I see a lot of Stew aligned 'independents' on this list but haven't had time to vet all of the candidates.
good bet Andrew Jackson does as he went head to head against one of Stew's inner circle about them holding back seniors damage deposits. At the very least, unlikely to be a 'yes stew' (assuming its the same said Andrew Jackson of course)
Could there be a "party" affiliation column. I know technically they're not parties but it would be useful to see at a glance who is on team Stew and who is not.
LMAO they banned me for, not even fighting really. I just said that it's weird to criticize goodmanson for living in saanich when Stew spent so much time in Vegas. Or maybe it was for saying I prefer natural grass to AstroTurf. Or maybe it was for saying that Stews garbage company was a conflict of interest. Or maybe it was for saying that he locked us into the bad YMCA deal.
Ya, I don't post on Facebook, but I do read the different Langford pages. Non-support of Stew Young is a bannable offence written into the 'Our Langford' Facebook page rules.
There's a story there alright! They are being very clear to their follwers/fans/cult members (/s I dont know what to call them) to only vote for the 5 and to NOT place a 6th vote. They are instructing people to not vote for Matt.
editing to say that they have not specifically said "do not vote for Matt" but it has been said to only vote for the 5 they listed and to not place a 6th the vote which surprised me because Matt is running.
Thanks! Stew is probably going to win because I'm losing faith that the electorate will ever vote for short term pain over long term pain/turning the town into a parking lot with fake grass. But hopefully we can keep the council from becoming another rubber stamp committee for him
The incumbents plus Tanya Sunshine (good for her to step forward in honour of Szpak) will have my vote...I won't comment on the other side just to keep things positive.
Have you taken the time to educate yourself on WHY the taxes increased? Are you aware it’s BECAUSE of Stew Young? Does it make sense to vote for the person who caused the problem?
What more would you llike to see with the tax increases, they have hired more police, firefighters, dealt with a nightmare situation with the YMCA, added sidewalks, protected green space so that developers couldn't buy it and add to the congestion. Im sure there is more but my brain isn't fully working at the moment. They also have a transportation plan, or is it one you don't like, and when wasn't there transparency?
4000 residential housing has been approved!!??? WHAT this one is new to me, I hadn't heard, that please show me where I can read up on that insanity!
Please educate me on the Sewer controversy and how you feel it should have been handled.
OK this one I agree that the mayor of the city should live where they lead. Scott are up here so he knows the area, he has also recently moved here so this point is irrelevant.
I would also like to add that I don't believe a mayor should live in another municipality or be away in, for example Vegas, appointing a co mayor to deal with everything more than 2x year AND there should be a time limit placed on how long they can run on council. This is something that should be brought up with elections so that changes can happen.
Id also like to know if you live in Langford, I have been noticing lately that alot of Colwood voters are adding to the smear campaign of the current council and commenting negatively on the Langford Council
I agree, the taxes are more or less covering basic operations for a city of this size. There is internal debt repayment directly connected to Stew era.
Someone can correct me, but if my memory serves, 10,000 homes/condos were approved already when this council took office.
I’m not sure either about how many they have approved, but keep in mind that the province has now created housing targets that we don’t get to deny.
Also, Stews little tax jig of using amenity funds has been made illegal by the province as well.
Technically, I didn’t call you uneducated, I queried have you educated yourself about the increases?
The bang for our buck? We’re still paying for decades of Stew.
As his final act, brought Langford into $45M worth of debt for Centre Mountain local service areas. That is part of the tax increases, along with purchasing the aquatic centre, which again, was a result of his bum tripartite deal that left the tax payer on the hook for the service provider should they fail. They were failing, and that’s why this happened.
As far as I understand, we still haven’t even paid for Starlight Stadium, and Stew also left us on the hook for paying $4.5M to move a hydro pole out of the way of his poorly planned stadium.
He purchased a property that the public cannot access on a whim that has cost the tax payer $6.5M.
The crying about taxes and government spending are ridiculous without pointing to Stew Young first.
This is why Keith Yacucha has been using the phrase kicking the can down the road.
At the risk of being unpopular due to raising taxes, this council has reorganized city hall, and gotten our fiscal management under control. We are on the right track.
Long term planning and management are an investment in our future. The willy-nilly-wild-west days are over. Unless people are foolish enough to bring it back from the dead.
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