My name is Zac de Vries and I’m running to be the next Mayor of Saanich. I am honoured to receive the endorsement of Young British Columbians for Better Governance. 

 

I was first elected to council at the age of 23, I ran because I saw decisions being made without enough consideration for the long-term interests of residents or the needs of young people.  I believed the best way to change that was to have young people at the table, engaged in their communities, and involved in shaping the decisions that would affect their future.

 

Eight years later, that belief continues to guide my work as a Saanich Councillor. I have consistently championed policies, initiatives, and investments that make our community more affordable, accessible, sustainable, and livable for younger generations and families, including:

 

• Supporting more housing options including student housing both on and off campus,  

• Legalized housemates, reducing uncertainty for people sharing living spaces 

• Implemented strategies and investments that would make walking, cycling, and transit safer and more convenient 

• Championed planning and engagement processes making focused efforts to engage youth and reflect their values and needs

• Ensured youth representation on all council advisory committees by reserving space for them

• Consistently supported youth advocacy at the council table

• Supported robust asset management planning and investment to ensure we are sustainably maintaining and replacing public assets and amenities so we are passing on a livable community to the next generation not costs and liabilities 

 

My work has also extended beyond Saanich. For the past four years, I have served on the Capital Regional District Board, working with communities across the region on shared challenges including housing, transportation, and infrastructure. As Chair of the Capital Region Housing Corporation, I have helped double the pace of affordable housing development and advance a plan to grow the region’s affordable housing supply to 5,000 homes by 2045.

 

Raising a young family with my wife here in Saanich, the needs and wellbeing of young people, families, and future generations are at the forefront of my decision making and leadership. Good governance is about more than any one policy. It means making responsible decisions today while keeping an eye on the community we want to leave behind.

 

I’m running for mayor because I love this community and want to ensure it is a place where young people can follow their dreams and worry less about their future, where families can set down roots and build a future, and where seniors can age in place near the people and places that they love. Building that future requires young people to have a voice at the table, and it requires all of us to work together to make responsible decisions

today that help all residents to thrive for generations to come.