'Need new voices': Political group announces 2 more candidates for Langford council
Langford is among B.C.’s fastest growing cities and is known for greenlighting developments and having relatively affordable housing that attracts young families.
But not everyone’s happy with the direction the city is headed.
A new political organization called Langford Now held a press conference Thursday to announce two candidates running for Langford council in the upcoming fall election: Colby Harder and Mary Wagner.
The candidates are running on a platform of change for the city and its council, which has seen little turnover in the past three decades.
"We need to have fresh voices, we need new perspectives,” said 25-year-old Harder on Thursday.
Langford Now says more candidates will likely be introduced soon, including a possible one for mayor.
Langford Now members Colby Harder (left) and Mary Wagner (center) are pictured. (CTV News)
The group and its candidates decry the pace of development in the city and think there needs to be more public consultation before major projects begin.
The political group also says development work should be done in a more environmentally sensitive way, and that the city’s infrastructure hasn't adequately kept up with its population growth.
"We have seen a lack of amenities to go along with development," said Harder.
Harder has lived in Langford her whole life and Stew Young has been the mayor there the entire time, since before she was even born.
She notes the low voter turnout there — just 18 per cent in the last civic election — was the second lowest out of any municipality in B.C.
In that election, there were only seven choices for six council spots, and only one person running against Young for mayor.
"I believe that it means that we have to provide more choices," Harder said Thursday.
David Black, a professor at Royal Roads University, agrees that having more candidates is clearly a good thing for democracy and voter engagement.
"More candidates means more debate, means more choice," he said. "It certainly is going to help turnout."
'BRING IT ON'
Young has been mayor for 29 years and likes Langford just the way it is. He says development is good for jobs and the economy in the region.
"Do I think there’s anything wrong in Langford? Absolutely not," he said Thursday.
The longstanding mayor won’t confirm yet if he’s running again in the October 15 municipal election, but on Thursday he sounded like he was preparing to defend his record.
"Sounds like a man who isn't going to put up with these people who are saying such negative things about Langford," said Young.
"Bring it on, democracy is strong in Langford," he said when discussing the challengers to the status quo.
We’ll know in four months if Langford residents want a change to that status quo when they go to the polls.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.