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Election 2014: Council candidate Susan Low

Township of Esquimalt: Low, Susan - council candidate
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Susan Low - council candidate

Bio

Susan is 38 years old and works as a community developer in the non-profit sector, focusing on initiatives to improve the financial security and well-being of people living in poverty. From 2003-2013, Susan was self-employed as the founder/CEO of Directis Consulting Group Ltd. She worked with small businesses, non-profits and government departments to do strategic planning and process improvement. Susan was born and raised in Victoria, lived in Calgary and Vancouver from 2000-2008, and came to her new forever home in Esquimalt in 2009 with her husband and 7-year-old son.

 

Plans if elected:

The 2015 Official Community Plan review process and Economic Development Strategy implementation are high priorities for Council in the next term. These are both opportunities to get more Esquimalt residents and businesses involved in deciding what we want our community to be like (and look like) as we grow.

In the first year of the new Council term, my focus will be on activities to reach out to people who've been missing from neighbourhood planning, to make it easier and more interesting for them to take part. Working with partners like Block Watch, the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce, faith groups and community organizations, I plan to make sure we have opportunities for all voices to be heard or represented. In the first year, I look forward to seeing some of the Economic Development Strategy implemented, and detailed proposals for the Esquimalt Village Project brought forward for discussion. I hope we can see a ground-breaking event to build the EVP sometime in 2016 if not sooner.

As we go on into the subsequent years of this Council term, my focus will be on ensuring the township's financial picture remains sound, and we make efficient use of our resources. We need to increase the affordable housing and seniors housing possibilities in Esquimalt, along with moderate and high-value housing so we continue to have a diversity of people here. Increasing our population is important for supporting the new businesses we will see growing through our Economic Development Strategy.

I am open to learning more about options for amalgamation or shared services, and will make sure the public gets to play a leading role in any future developments that could affect Esquimalt's autonomy. We do have a lot to offer here in Esquimalt, and we can build partnerships with other municipalities to share our strengths in a fair and balanced way. This includes working with other core municipalities to develop and build a tertiary decentralized sewage treatment system, and to develop a regional transportation strategy that goes beyond highways and bus lanes.

Throughout my term, I will be open-minded and interested in the concerns of all Esquimalt residents and businesses. I want us to work together towards a sustainable future as one of the best, greenest and friendliest parts of the Capital Region.

 

Website: www.susanlow.ca