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Zac de Vries

Independent for District of Saanich Council (incumbent)
To ensure Saanich becomes more livable, sustainable,and resilient; a place of greater affordability and equity.

Climate Change

Active Transportation

Accelerate Saanich's Active Transportation Plan
Accelerate Saanich's Active Transportation Plan
Enhance Road Safety across Saanich

Electric Bikes & Scooters

Ensure emphasis on E-bikes and E-scooters and other emerging E-mobility options in our T-mobility Strategy to support mode shift
Join the E-Scooter Pilot offered by the Province
expand public infrastructure and new build requirements to better support E-mobility

Flooding

Support the update to Saanich's storm water master plan

Green Space

Ensure every home is within 300m of a park
Nature based solutions where possible and pragmatic
Expand green space and parks
Expand green spaces and parks through strategic real estate, DCC's, and other funding mechanisms
Ensure all neighbourhoods have 30% vegetative and tree canopy coverage

Parking

Eliminate parking minimums in facvor of evidence based parking ratio's and transition to parking maximums to reduce proliferation
Focus on Transit and Active Transportation oriented development

Urban Heat

Support cooling stations in heat waves especially in hotter and denser areas
Expand and enhance Saanich's urban forestry strategy

Zoning

Use FSR instead of height to shape density in a way that delivers more open space for public use and enjoyment
Zoning reform to support our climate goals and legalize sustainable neighbourhoods
Use the zoning code and reforms to it to increase affordability and livability

Housing & Homelessness

Affordability

Affordability, diversity and supply of housing that supports people of all ages throughout their life
Implement Saanich's award winning Housing Strategy

Co-Op Housing

Support new Co-ops as well as the repair, renewal, and redevelopment of existing co-ops

Housing Accessibility

Ensure that accessible units are abundant

Rental Stock

Use incentives and other policies to give rental housing thee edge and support new purpose built rental housing

Unhoused People

Double down on regional efforts to adress homelessness as well as mental health, and addicitons

Zoning

Use FSR instead of height to shape density in a way that delivers more open space for public use and enjoyment
Zoning reform to support our climate goals and legalize sustainable neighbourhoods
Use the zoning code and reforms to it to increase affordability and livability

Local Government & Democracy

Budgeting

Responsible and responsive budgets that balance needs with ability to pay. Focused on empirical metrics such as median income to tax ratio.

Public Engagement

Real public engagement, focused on finding the voices that are missing and meeting them where they are at

Youth Engagement

Ensure Youth are actually engaged in all of our public processes to ensure that we keep their needs, desires, and dreams in mind

Mental Health, Drugs, & Addiction

Safe Supply

Drug toxicity is claiming the lives of far too many, safe supply saves lives.

Treatment Programmes

Lobby the province to expand access to treatment so that those who want it can get it without delay

Public Spaces & Services

Fitness & Sports Facilities

Position Saanich to meet our growing need for sport and recreation facilities

Green Space

Ensure every home is within 300m of a park
Nature based solutions where possible and pragmatic
Expand green space and parks
Expand green spaces and parks through strategic real estate, DCC's, and other funding mechanisms
Ensure all neighbourhoods have 30% vegetative and tree canopy coverage

Public Washrooms

Expand the prevalence and availability of urban amenities such as washrooms, water fountains, and rain/sun intervention

Sidewalks & Bike Paths

Accelerate progress reducing our sidewalk and mobility lane deficit
Prioritize safety and convenience

Zoning

Use FSR instead of height to shape density in a way that delivers more open space for public use and enjoyment
Zoning reform to support our climate goals and legalize sustainable neighbourhoods
Use the zoning code and reforms to it to increase affordability and livability

Transit & Getting Around

Active Transportation

Accelerate Saanich's Active Transportation Plan
Accelerate Saanich's Active Transportation Plan
Enhance Road Safety across Saanich

Electric Bikes & Scooters

Ensure emphasis on E-bikes and E-scooters and other emerging E-mobility options in our T-mobility Strategy to support mode shift
Join the E-Scooter Pilot offered by the Province
expand public infrastructure and new build requirements to better support E-mobility

New Transit Projects

Move toward a Regional Transportation Authority to realize the level of transit the region needs to be successful and sustainable

Parking

Eliminate parking minimums in facvor of evidence based parking ratio's and transition to parking maximums to reduce proliferation
Focus on Transit and Active Transportation oriented development

Sidewalks & Bike Paths

Accelerate progress reducing our sidewalk and mobility lane deficit
Prioritize safety and convenience

Transit Fares

Expand transit servicing areas, frequency, and reliability

Biography

submitted by the candidate or their team
Zac de Vries is the leading progressive voice on Council. De Vries has championed climate action, led the development of Saanich’s Housing Strategy, created an Economic Development function, brought forward urban greening policies, & supported new approaches to road safety.

De Vries has a double major from the University of Victoria in Political Science and Geography. He focused on political and spatial economy as well as a formal concentration in Urban, Health, and Development studies which has equipped him to be an effective and tactical leader on council as well as his day job. De Vries works full-time as a Sr. Program Developer at the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food; he supports and advises the sector, teams within the Ministry, other Ministry’s, and the Minister on all things food and beverage processing to support our local food systems.

Reason for running

submitted by the candidate or their team
I’m running because I love Saanich and I am deeply concerned that we’re at risk of losing what makes our community great as we grapple with multiple intersecting crises.

Serving Saanich residents as a councillor has been the honour of my lifetime so far. I have worked tirelessly and remained focused on outcomes and results. While I am proud to have achieved progress in making Saanich more affordable, livable, sustainable, and equitable, there is still more work to be done. As we face the five crises of city building—climate, housing, public health, equity, and infrastructure costs—I will continue to work hard for the people of Saanich.

Too many people are struggling to create their lives here. I was raised in a neighborhood with a wide range of incomes, backgrounds, and lifestyles. This bringing together of a mixture of people greatly enriched my life. I had access to a quality of urban life that was fulfilling and empowering; it enabed me to be creatice and to maximize what I did in life. I want to ensure Saanich is once again accessible to the mixture of people that are at the heart of what makes this place great.


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