I’m Susan Belford

I’m running to protect and promote the visions of Sooke citizens for our town’s future. With a new Official Community Plan that puts the ideas of 2000 Sooke residents at the centre of future development, our town is poised to become what it truly can be. A place in which we all have a safe, comfortable home in a safe, resilient community. A place with carefully planned density, less sprawl, and commercial development that supports our local businesses and shows Sooke off as a destination.

I moved to Sooke in 2019, after living in Saanich for 14 years. Over my life I have been an actor and film editor, a community organizer, mediator, group facilitator, and always a volunteer wherever I lived; starting a toy library in Vic West, furthering integrated pest management in View Royal, and neighbourhood visioning in Saanich. Since arriving in Sooke, I have served on the Land Use and Development Committee, and been involved with Transition Sooke, Sooke Arts Council, Zero Waste Sooke, Sooke Harbour Players, and Friends of Eagle Bluffs Forest Society.

I have always worked in the non-profit sector, with the result that on retirement, my savings were just enough to purchase a manufactured home in the beautiful Lannon Creek community. I am one of the 17% of Sooke residents living on less that $30,000 per year, so I know the challenge of living on limited means; what happens to a carefully conserved budget when an appliance breaks, or the “do it yourself” plumbing of a previous owner literally falls apart. This means I’m very motivated to help Sooke move beyond its dependence on residential property taxes to fund needed services and infrastructure.

I’m 73, a widow, mother and grandmother. I was a stay-at-home homeschooling Mom until the death of my husband Denis in 2001, My daughter is 38 now and is raising an amazing 14 year old. I see the challenges they and their friends face– high costs and insecurity of food and housing, long wait lists for counselling, medical or support services, prejudice, bullying and sometimes toxic public signs and social media. While some of these are not Sooke-specific issues, our District Council can do much to improve on them.

I’m running as a part of Sooke Together, glad to partner with other well qualified, knowledgeable and experienced Sooke residents who are committed to the public interest and the public vision for Sooke.