Victoria councillor Geoff Young not seeking re-election
A longstanding member of Victoria council says he will not be seeking re-election this year.
Victoria Coun. Geoff Young has served more than 30 years on city council over two periods.
He was a city councillor from 1983 to 1999, and from 2005 to 2022.
During that time he also served as chair of the Capital Regional District Board for seven years, among other roles in the CRD.
"It has been my honour to serve this city for many years and I wish the incoming council all the best," said Young in a statement Thursday.
"To the current mayor and council, I offer my appreciation for their ability to respect alternative opinions and to separate the personal from the political," he said.
Young said he's proud to have contributed to introducing the 911 emergency response system to the capital region, helping manage the creation of the Galloping Goose trail, and helping safeguard the region's water supply as part of his tenure in local politics.
Young, who has a BA in economics from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in economics from Harvard, says he's looking forward to both travelling and pursuing other professional roles as an economist.
The outgoing councillor says "Victoria is not without challenges and at the moment some of these challenges are very serious," adding that he wishes the incoming council luck in addressing those issues.
Young is now the third city councillor to confirm he is not running for re-election, following announcements from councillors Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Sharmarke Dubow.
Meanwhile, two other council members have declared their intentions to run for mayor.
Councillors Stephen Andrew and Marianne Alto are running for mayor in the upcoming municipal election in October.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps announced last year that she was retiring from politics after eight years in office.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.