Local Issues, Ideas, and Progress Reports

Lantzville is a beautiful, semi-rural community with village charm and friendly people. 

With the continual pressure of population growth on Vancouver Island, and inflationary realities leading to service reductions at the provincial and federal levels, good governance in Lantzville means steady, proven advocacy for our community.

Together, we can preserve our semi-rural character, respect the will of residents, and continue to stabilize our finances. This keeps Lantzville a welcoming place to live, work and play, while offering improved amenities, affordable tax rates, and options for individuals and families at different stages of life.

Below are areas of interest where I share my thoughts, report on progress made to-date, and outline next steps for achieving best results for Lantzville and its residents.

What is expressed on this website are my opinions alone, and do not represent the District or Council as a whole.

One of the first things I heard from residents when knocking on doors in the 2022 election was a concern about tax increases. Between 2018 and 2022, the previous Council increased tax rates by an enormous cumulative total of approximately 67%. The unaffordability of this trend was clear: residents were being priced out of their homes. 

Immediately upon being elected, the current Council froze tax increases for two years, turning our minds to efficiencies and good governance. 

For example, the previous Council allocated spending $60,000 per year (nearly 2% of the entire operational budget) for a consultant to design layouts for District newsletters. Eliminating financial inefficiencies provided tax relief for residents.

Tax increases and revenues this term have been:

2023 = 0% increase

2024 = 0% increase

2025 = 3% increase

2026 = 5% increase

Additionally, each year, permanent new tax revenue from new builds have provided further revenues (except in 2026, due to a province-wide reclassification of some BC Hydro properties).

It is too easy to spend other people’s money, and Council must always act in a manner that prioritizes financial prudence and efficiency. 

Now, tax rates have stabilized, with modest inflationary increases that allow services to expand without overburdening taxpayers. Lantzville is now on solid financial footing, with the opportunity to grow its reserves and budgets in a sustainable, affordable manner.

The next step will be to improve oversight and planning for infrastructure, while growing reserves to support these future capital projects. 

Council has authorized an infrastructure management plan in the coming years, which will help to assess gaining infrastructure and plan our finances accordingly. 

Open and transparent governance is a key tenet of democracy. While there are some matters that provincial legislation requires remain confidential, citizens deserve open access to government. Residents and Council benefit from fostering dialogue and civic engagement, with extensive opportunities for people to provide feedback.

I am proud the current Council has implemented the following:

- Removed the ban on people recording proceedings in Council chambers

- Removed the initiation fee on Freedom of Information requests from the District

- Enacted surveys for public feedback on key decisions, such as tax rates

- Hosted Open Houses to gather resident input on projects such as infrastructure

- Directed that reports on Lantzville’s finances be presented on public agendas every quarter, instead of just in annual reports, so that residents can review the District’s finances more frequently

- Restored Committee of the Whole meetings so that residents have more opportunities to attend meetings where decisions are discussed in more detail 

- Created Lantzville’s first Accessibility Committee for input and ideas

- Restarted Lantzville’s Parks & Trails Committee for resident engagement in key areas

- Created Lantzville’s first Design Committee for resident-led design initiatives.

Next steps toward a more transparent and inclusive governance model may include more Town Hall opportunities, more formalized survey processes, and expanding speaking time at Council meetings for residents.

One of the key responsibilities of any local government is to oversee infrastructure and maintenance projects to ensure their smooth functioning for daily use. Residents deserve to have their hard-earned tax dollars spent wisely and efficiently, especially on the multi-million dollar projects that infrastructure projects represent.

I am proud that the current Council has undertaken some of the biggest infrastructure upgrades in Lantzville’s history. These include, but are not limited to:

- Major watermain replacements

- Major culvert replacements (e.g. Ware Road, Jacks Road, Dickinson Road/Bloods Creek, Lantzville Road/Bloods Creek, Rumming Road, Alger Road)

- A new, expanded pothole and road repair program

- Upgrades and expansions to parks and trails

- Authorizing the start of a total upgrade of Dickinson Road

- Phase 2 of the Village Core improvements

- New crossing lights for Lantzville Road at School Road, near the Legion and Costin Hall.

For next steps, Lantzville needs to grow its reserves in a sustainable manner so that more and more roads can be repaired and upgraded each year, especially in Upper Lantzville where many roadways inherited from the pre-incorporation era are in poorer conditions.

A large part of this progress will be guided by the Asset Management Plan, Green Infrastructure Plan, and Active Transportation Plan authorized by the current Council, along with the extensive and excellent work of various committees, such as the Parks & Trails, Accessibility, and Design Committees.

Lantzville’s natural beauty is one of the primary reasons people choose to live in our semi-rural community. One of Council’s key responsibilities is stewardship of our parklands and greenspaces.

To that end, I am proud of the current Council’s strong policies and actions focused on growing greenspaces, and the protection of our natural environment. For example, previous Councils have chosen to receive relatively small cash amenity contributions in lieu of parkland as part of large developments. Such cash can be spent quickly, while parkland is hard to acquire in the future, and is a benefit that lasts generations. The current Council has changed this policy, prioritizing the acquisition of parkland through development, in accordance with Lantzville’s Official Community Plan.

Other Council actions have also included:

- Opening the new Pierce Woods Marine Park to the public, with public parking

- Created the first Future Old Growth (FOG) zoned areas in British Columbia

- Acquiring and zoning new parkland near Wiles Road that protects a vital riparian area and can allow public access to more trails

- Officially rezoning the Stevens Place District property area as Park to preserve this greenspace near Seaview Elementary School

- Restarting the Parks & Trails Committee and acting on their recommendations

- Upgrading Jacks Road End for increased public enjoyment

- Focusing on green infrastructure, including authorizing the creation of a Green Infrastructure Plan

- Adopting the Parks & Trails Committee’s recommendations for updating our trail, greenspace, and recreation plans

- Receiving a new Active Transportation Plan to guide future work

- Stopped the clearcutting of vacant properties, while still allowing property owners full control over their occupied properties, thereby ensuring that taxpayers receive parkland with trees and not clearcuts during development negotiations

- Incr Lantzville’s standing in the Energy Step Code and Carbon Step Code, per BC government policies

- Renovated Huddlestone Park to be more accessible for disability parking and use, as well as installed new accessible playground equipment, largely paid for by grant funding

For next steps, I wish to continue expanding Lantzville’s public access to parklands, including more amenities for Pierce Woods Marine Park, and upgrades to more park spaces in Upper Lantzville, such as improved recreational facilities at Copley Park.

I especially want to hear from residents about the Energy Step Code, and the new Carbon Step Code, which the province introduced recently. The Codes have specific levels until 2032 and 2030, respectively. However, Lantzville can proceed at a faster pace, if desired by residents.

Lantzville is a beautiful, semi-rural village with unique character and charm. It’s important for Council to work hard to preserve what makes Lantzville a great place to live, work, and play. This should be accomplished by respecting the will of residents, honouring our Official Community Plan (OCP), and achieving the inevitable growth of Lantzville through careful planning with extensive resident input. 

This can be one of the hardest tasks of a Council member, as there are continual pressures to develop land bigger and faster, without necessarily taking the time to do it well. For example, new provincial housing legislation mandates that four units be allowed on all lots with sewer and water utilities, thereby erasing the thoughtful community planning achieved in parts of the OCP. That being said, the current Council worked diligently to protect Lantzville’s character despite this provincial mandate. This included preserving setback and height restrictions, along with parking requirements, to comply with the provincial laws while still ensuring a livable, semi-rural community.

Council also directed a full review of Development Cost Charges (DCCs) with professional engineers to ensure that developers are paying their fair share, and that the cost of development is being paid for by those profiting, not falling on the tax bills of residents.

I was honoured to have my resolution calling for expanded Community Amenity Contribution collections for firefighting apparatus endorsed by Council, and then by the Association of Vancouver Island & Coastal Communities, followed by the Union of BC Municipalities. Hopefully we will see action on that by the provincial government.

Some may push big box stores, six-story buildings, and quadplexes throughout areas of Lantzville. I recommend that residents ask candidates how they will handle development pressures while balancing the inevitable need for Lantzville’s growth. 

I promise to continue honouring the will of residents, and ensuring that growth pays for itself. I will continue to be a strong, proven advocate for Lantzville.

Community amenities and services are a large part of what makes villages livable, enjoyable places. Everything from active transportation enhancements to park facilities should be considered.

It is especially important to find creative ways to fund and facilitate these improvements without losing Lantzville’s semi-rural character. I am proud to have been part of Council’s key initiatives in the last four years, which include but are not limited to:

- Installing new bike racks for active transportation in the Village Core, near the main bus stop (with more on the way)

- Installing new bike racks at beach road ends to facilitate safe bike storage during beach access

- Making amenities for pets a strategic priority

- Installing the water fountain and water bottle fill station in the Village Core, including a dog water bowl attachment (with another to come for Huddlestone Park)

- Achieving grant funding to install the accessibility improvements, and new playground equipment in Huddlestone Park

- Opening Pierce Woods Marine Park, including the installation of parking spots

- Expanding Lantzville’s network of active transportation routes, including having the District work with the Lantzville Rotary to open the new Mental Fitness Trail

- Expanded bus hours for Lantzville via the RDN

- Approving a new Long Term Care Facility for Lantzville, which will also have a daycare for the children of staff, along with potential spots for the children of local residents, as well as adult daytime programming

- Approving the variance needed for Lantzville’s new coffee shop to open (expected Summer 2026)

I believe next steps should include:

- Expanded recreation facilities in Lantzville, such as Volleyball

- Upgrades to Copley Park

- Further amenities for Pierce Woods Marine Park, such as picnic tables

- Rehabilitation of the Village Core Tennis Courts (Council authorized a grant funding application for 2027)

- Continued expansion of trails, including connectors for existing trails

- Negotiations with developers as part of larger projects to bring new amenities, such as a dog park 

As Lantzville’s representative to the Vancouver Island Regional Library, I have been elected Chair of VIRL, and have worked to advocate for more mobile infrastructure for communities without brick and mortar branches, such as Lantzville. This culminated in a commitment of $700,00 by VIRL for future mobile infrastructure in financial planning.

While federal and provincial governments generally hold day-to-day responsibility for health and safety, I believe that municipal governments have a strong role to play, both in advocating for community funding and resources, and for making decisions which benefit the wellbeing of residents.

I am proud that over the past four years, the current Council has taken strong actions to improve health and safety for the people of Lantzville:

- Approved the new Long Term Care Home in Lantzville

- Approved the variance needed to bring Coastline Station to the Village Core, which is set to have additional medical offices and services

- Approved the Form & Character permit to renovate existing buildings in the Village Core, so that current medical offices can be maintained and stay in Lantzville

- Purchased Lantzville’s first ladder fire truck

- Approved ordering a new Fire Engine, to replace aging apparatus

- Approved new, updated gear and equipment for the Lantzville Fire Department, including those needed for the transition to the next generation of 911 technology

- Purchased our first drone with thermal imaging for the Lantzville Fire Department to deal with fires and search and rescue operations

- Added a speed hump to the intersection of Peterson Road and Lantzville Road to address severe speeding issues

- Added crossing safety lights to the School Road intersection

- Created and expanded the free address number sign program for Lantzville to assist first responders in finding addresses during emergencies

- Applied for, and successfully received, co-operative grants with other jurisdictions for expanded emergency preparedness coordination and firefighting training

- Authorized additional Fire Smart community awareness activities

If I’m fortunate enough to be re-elected, I intend to focus strongly on road improvements that also implement safe walking aspects, and measures to reduce speeding. Additionally, more funding and education for earthquake and wildfire preparedness will be important.

I also believe more can be done to attract medical services to our community, including working with our regional partners to open more regional specialist clinics. A community that is safe and welcoming for seniors to age in place is vital for a healthy municipality.

More than half of Canadian households have at least one pet, and I would venture that percentage is considerably higher in Lantzville.

Cats, dogs and other domestic animals are good not only for their families, but for our community as a whole. Seniors with pets report less social isolation; people with cats are less like to suffer from heart attacks and strokes; those walking dogs receive more exercise and are in better contact with their neighbours.

In short, pets make our community a better place to live for everyone.

I am proud that Lantzville’s current Council made “Amenities for Pets” a strategic priority, and I hope to renew this commitment. These amenities can include dog water bowl attachments in drinking fountains (such as the new one in the Village Core), working toward a dog park and washing station, and encouraging pet-friendly rentals.