David Gauthier

Mayor · Esquimalt

Esquimalt 30 yrs

About

Lived & worked around the CRD, traveled coast to coast, raised in Esquimalt 30+ here, have kept many hobbies & studies. twitter/x suspended. Seek to understand, support human rights & individual choice, consider alternatives.

Policy commitments

Buildings

We all want healthy, affordable, and comfortable homes. These policies will help to lower energy bills, cut pollution, and improve indoor air quality.

~ Support electrification of new buildings. Neutral

~ Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems. Neutral

~ Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security. Neutral

~ Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings. Neutral

× Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events. Opposed

Climate Justice

Our community is already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution, and taxpayers are on the hook to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure.

× Endorse the fossil fuel treaty and commit to phase out fossil fuels. Opposed

~ Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources. Neutral

~ Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters. Neutral

✓ Collaborate with Indigenous peoples as partners in the stewardship of the land, air, and water, and work towards reconciliation. Supportive

Ecosystems

The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on healthy ecosystems. Nature can also help protect our community from extreme weather by controlling floods, protecting shorelines, and cooling neighbourhoods. Access to nature improves the health and well-being of residents, and supports biodiversity.

✓ Protect and restore ecosystems, which are essential to human survival, health, and economic well-being. Supportive

~ Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater. Neutral

✓ Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents. Supportive

~ Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife. Neutral

Land Use

We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.

~ Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit. Neutral

~ Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience. Neutral

✓ Increase food security by supporting local agriculture and community gardens. Supportive

Transport

Connecting neighbourhoods through public transit and active transportation networks will cut pollution, improve public health, and make our communities more affordable (and fun!).

✓ Deliver reliable, frequent, affordable local transit. Supportive

✓ Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities. Supportive

~ Build bike and roll networks that are safe for everyone. Neutral

~ Expand EV charging infrastructure. Neutral

Watersheds

Climate change, increasing populations, and overconsumption threaten our water security. Healthy watersheds and forests are critical to support clean drinking water, stormwater management, climate resilience, and biodiversity for future generations.

~ Implement water conservation plans and educate the public to conserve drinking water. Neutral

~ Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure. Neutral

~ Develop and implement a water security plan. Neutral

Zero Waste

Zero waste policies reduce pollution, keep waste out of landfills, build resilient local economies, and safeguard public health by shifting society away from a disposable culture toward a sustainable circular economy.

~ Implement zero waste bylaws to divert organic waste and recyclables from disposal. Neutral

~ Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience. Neutral

× Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible. Opposed

✓ Supportive

~ Neutral

× Opposed

– No response

Climate action

How have you contributed to climate action in your community through advocacy, past work, advisory committees, volunteer work, and/or reducing your personal carbon footprint?

I have advocated & tried to bring awareness to many aspects found above plus many other fields beyond whats highlighted. 'right to cool' from what I've read, runs on a circular logic fallacy, aspects like data skews, is correct, can approach some aspects slightly differently for better results here, larger regions might differ. Arizona cited for housed heat death? Consider their AG going after real page that owns 70% of metro a while back now, other aspects can have further consideration applied. Many of my neutral or supportive are personal considerations from my own study, I just don't focus exclusively on this field.

Questions for Esquimalt

Esquimalt is rapidly losing its affordable housing with rising renovictions and demolitions. What strategies would you promote to ensure affordable housing is built and protected?

Outside of stating I have far more to study refresh on this topic, I have studied various aspects to housing, from how BC municipalities have tried differing approaches like local committees & nonprofit from our tribunal, to other countries tribunals (less then other legal topics). There is more then renovation & demo present causing issues. Third party realtor contract dumps being exploitable here, family considerations being used abusively on tenants, and some worry of algo or ai being used to get around price collusion schemes like I note in Arizona. I've advocated for the new ai minister to review that & something similar with regard to insurance policy decision making, an even more worrisome in say the states. I know I've mentioned that minister matter in at least two to three venues/ways.

Natural Asset Management (NAM) puts a monetary value on living assets. It is key to Tree Protection. Public engagement for Small Scale Multi Unit Housing (SSMUH) identified tree protection as the number one concern.

Pardon, aware of multiple models that that could fit this descriptor, the last municipal one I studied was discussed in Saanich around July 2024. I understand why an interest is had in such at the municipal, I've learned of some aspects tangential from this that are important regardless of NAM. I see such studies & models as interesting, however there are many more perspectives & alternative paths that could be used in conjunction, or potentially safer in the economic sense. I support the study of such, along with much more study of alternatives being a requirement.

With Department of National Defence and SeaSpan expansion, what are your solutions to deal with its impact on the existing challenging rush hour traffic?

Multifaceted, I consider rail an important part because there is unexplored versatility in it outside of whats already considered there, and I appreciate what is there, so too our bike lanes, there is the potential to review more options, easily factoring said groups.

A temporary permit has been issued for a private, for profit, sauna business to run in Esquimalt Gorge Park. What are your thoughts on private business in public parks?

Willing to study outlier trial topics, considering differing types in the sense of events, pardon recall a family members funeral at the new pavilion, and small bits of my childhood before that enjoying a swim.

What is your position on whether Esquimalt should join an initiative to have local governments recover a fair share of climate costs from fossil fuel companies, eg: Sue Big Oil?

I believe our courts are in need of reform, have come across plenty of terrible circumstances outside my own. At least 2 critical issues with the courts themself, 6 reform topics that could be quickly addressed, a few way larger ones out there mind you. Stronger case review measures (multiple aspects worth considering), Appeals procedures require software updates in other sectors to be seen as reasonable, this is just to correct the state of our courts to the measure of fair.

I do care for justice being sought out & met, there are many tangential terrible things taking place with big oil, with governments involvement, outside considering recovering climate costs, can we look at mediation, with reforms & acknowledgement of terrible acts committed outside of what is examined in this question?

Tons worth talking about, becoming more aware of, and looking to resolve.

Compiled & presented by

Vote4Tomorrow is an independent voter guide to evaluate where local candidates stand on climate and environmental policies that will affect our future.

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