As the battle for an Esquimalt council seat begins, Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce president Holly Courtright is putting her name in the ring with a platform focused on housing, fiscal responsibility and maintaining services.
“This is a critical time for Esquimalt. We have a growing community with a growing demand on services. Fiscal decisions made over the next five years are critical and will impact Esquimalt for decades to come,” Courtright said in a news release.
Courtright points to her deep roots in Esquimalt through her work in "many capacities" for the township, and says she was the CUPE Local union president before leaving to establish her own real estate business.
On temporary leave for the duration of the election period, Courtright has served as the president of the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce for three years and as the Esquimalt representative on the Victoria Esquimalt Police Board.
Her disagreement with the utilization of the Alternative Approval Process for the public safety building in 2021 is why she decided to run, she noted in the release.
"The realization that the long-lasting impact of that decision went almost unnoticed by the public concerned me. We, as a community, have to be more engaged in the decisions and processes that work to shape our future” she said.
The 2025 Esquimalt byelection general voting day is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, with two advance voting days – March 26 and April 2 – and mail ballots adding additional voting opportunities.
Anyone interested in running can obtain information on the requirements and procedures for making nominations including nomination documents from the Esquimalt Municipal Hall, 1229 Esquimalt Rd., during regular office hours until the close of the nomination period at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28. Packages can also be requested by email at elections@esquimalt.ca.
