Bio
John has lived in Esquimalt for more than 40 years, and retired from the Victoria Police Department last year as a deputy chief after 34 years of service. Under his leadership, VicPD strengthened community relations and partnerships to end homelessness. He is a board member of Our Place Society and current president of the Esquimalt Photography Club. John and his wife have two adult daughters.
Why should I vote for you?
Esquimalt has been my home for more than 40 years, and I love this town. I put my name forward as mayor because many people came to me and expressed concern about another acclamation, like we had in 2011. My leadership experience and the ability to oversee large budgets and manage change gives me a good skill set to handle the job. I believe I can offer the leadership Esquimalt deserves with a healthy team approach to problem solving and running the municipality.
Over the last few months, I've knocked on hundreds of doors in our community, and citizens have told me that it is time for a new approach focused on solutions and progress instead of fighting all the time. I agree.
Now is the time to get our town moving again, and grow Esquimalt into a thriving family-friendly community with new opportunities to live, work and play. I am committed to achieving results and moving us forward with pride and purpose by offering strong leadership and a steady hand.
Your main goal if elected?
I want to revitalize the community, clean up the downtown and get the stalled Esquimalt Village project back on track. We need new amenities like a water park for our children and an Esquimalt Farmers Market. And more community events and celebrations of our nautical and First Nations heritage.
By encouraging appropriate people-friendly and environmentally-sensitive developments, we can transform our downtown into a fantastic gathering place. I want to encourage construction of affordable homes for families and modernize our warehouse district so Esquimalt can benefit from new jobs, new tax revenue and new residents.
On wastewater treatment, I want the best deal for taxpayers, and will work to achieve the best technology and lowest-cost solution. We need action to alleviate traffic snarls on Admirals Road and Craigflower, and better bus service between Esquimalt and the West Shore. When citizens want to improve their properties, council should be making it easier for them.
Let's strengthen our community and support our workers to deliver quality, responsive service to citizens. We can encourage innovation, energy efficiency and resource recovery in all new construction. And we can replace “no” with “yes” when citizens want to improve their properties.
Website: www.johnducker.ca