Karen Harper
Mayor · Saanich
District of Saanich 27 yrs
About
Working career - teacher, then BCTF staff person, then Senior VP and CIO at BC Pension Corporation
Nine years one Saanich Council as councillor, Vice hair of the Water Commission at CRD
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.
✓
Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems.
Supportive
✓
Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security.
Supportive
✓
Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings.
Supportive
✓
Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events.
Supportive
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.
Supportive
✓
Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources.
Supportive
✓
Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters.
Supportive
✓
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.
Supportive
✓
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.
Supportive
Land Use
We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.
✓
Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience.
Supportive
✓
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.
Supportive
✓
Expand EV charging infrastructure.
Supportive
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.
✓
Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure.
Supportive
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.
✓
Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience.
Supportive
–
Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible.
No response
✓ 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?
Starting as a student at SFU I organized the recycling on campus for SPEC, and learned that to be successful the desired outcome has to be a simple as possible for the user. Have continued on with multiple initiatives of my career. I was chair of Saanich's environment committee, I biked to work, both in Vancouver and Victoria for over 20 years, and am a bus user a well.
Questions for Saanich
What are your top priorities for the next 4 years to address climate and environmental goals in Saanich?
Right to cool bylaws. Rehabilitation and maintenance of the environmentally sensitive parks found in Saanich, Improving transit toe reduce reliance on cars, and ensure the right housing in the right places to reduce reliance on motor vehicles.
How will you apply a climate lens to all your work with your fellow elected representatives, given competing priorities?
Saanich has a plethora of policy on climate action, and I would require that lens to be applied in all circumstances that are relevant.
How will you provide leadership in moving Saanich towards meaningful climate action?
Working with council and staff, and in consultation with the public, ensuring that denser forms housing are within the urban containment boundary, I will lead by example, for example, I will walk to work and bus home (one hour for the walk, 45 minutes for the bus) to show what is possible, promote right to cool bylaws, and support the funding necessary to protect our natural parks, and thus our biodiversity.
Campaign contributions
Public records from Elections BC — 75 contributions totalling $61,426.52.
2022 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS
25 contributions · $18,850.00
| Contributor | Date | Amount | Office | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATALINO BARDON | Sep 22, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JULIE BARRAND | Sep 6, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ROLAND BEAULIEU | Sep 30, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ANITA BULL | Sep 6, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| LU CHEN | Sep 12, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| BARRY CURRAN | Aug 7, 2022 | $600.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| GURDIAL DODD | Sep 19, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KOMAL DODD | Sep 19, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| EDWARD GERIC | Aug 26, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| GREGORY GILLESPIE | Sep 2, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KAREN HARPER | Oct 12, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KAREN HARPER | Dec 30, 2021 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| IVICA JOSIP KALABRIC | Sep 27, 2022 | $1,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOSEPH KARDUM | Oct 12, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| NICK KARDUM | Sep 1, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| LORA LEA | Aug 18, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KAMALJIT LIDER | Sep 20, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| QIAN LIU | Sep 1, 2022 | $1,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| STEPHEN MANN | Aug 17, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MARK DE MEDEIROS | Aug 30, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MICHAEL MILLER | Aug 9, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| TAVISH RAI | Aug 5, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MANSI SEHGAL | Sep 7, 2022 | $750.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| NICHOLAS STANDEVEN | Aug 8, 2022 | $1,250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| IVO ZANETTA | Dec 28, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
2018 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS
20 contributions · $10,377.31
| Contributor | Date | Amount | Office | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVELYN ANDREW | Sep 8, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| NATALINO BARBON | Oct 17, 2018 | $300.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ROLAND BEAULIEU | Sep 16, 2018 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOHN ST. CLAIR | Oct 2, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| LINDA CLARK | Sep 8, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| THERESA COWELL | Sep 8, 2018 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| LINDA CURRAN | Oct 17, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MICHAEL DAY | Sep 16, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KAREN HARPER | Dec 27, 2017 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KAREN HARPER | Jan 5, 2020 | $177.31 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOHN KNAPPETT | Oct 2, 2018 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| PETER MALCOLM | Jul 30, 2018 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| STEVE MANN | Oct 13, 2018 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JAMES MCLAREN | Oct 20, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| CHRIS PHILLIPS | Sep 5, 2018 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MICHAEL ROSS | Oct 12, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| CONNIE TAYLOR | Dec 15, 2019 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| GRIFFITH TRIPP | Oct 17, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ALLEN VANDEKERKHOVE | Sep 8, 2018 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| LOREEN VANDEKERKHOVE | Sep 8, 2018 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
2017 SAANICH BY-ELECTION
30 contributions · $32,199.21
| Contributor | Date | Amount | Office | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GORDON ADAMS | Aug 5, 2017 | $1,500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOHN BARRAND | Aug 1, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ROLAND BEAULIEU | Sep 15, 2017 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MATRIX MARBLE CORPORATION | Aug 22, 2017 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ELEANOR SMITH REAL ESTATE CORPORATION | Sep 22, 2017 | $150.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KEITH CUDDIBY | Oct 3, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ROBERT ETHRIDGE | Sep 22, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| TONY GAGE | Aug 21, 2017 | $1,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| KAREN HARPER | Sep 22, 2017 | $9,829.10 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| TIMOTHY KANE | Sep 14, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| BETTY ANN KNAPPETT | Sep 15, 2017 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOHN KNAPPETT | Sep 15, 2017 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| 360305 BC LTD | Sep 7, 2017 | $5,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MIKE GERIC CONSTRUCTION LTD | Aug 18, 2017 | $3,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ERIC CLARKE INSURANCE AGENT LTD | Jul 13, 2017 | $300.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JANET LUBICK | Jul 14, 2017 | $150.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JANET LUBICK | Aug 30, 2017 | $36.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| PETER MALCOLM | Aug 17, 2017 | $2,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| ISABELLA MORRISON | Sep 15, 2017 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| PATRICIA MURPHY | Aug 12, 2017 | $300.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| COLIN NIELSEN | Oct 3, 2017 | $101.11 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| COLIN NIELSEN | Jul 26, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| COLIN NIELSEN | Aug 30, 2017 | $18.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOHN OBERG | Oct 3, 2017 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| CHRISTOPHER PHILLIPS | Oct 3, 2017 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| NANCY POWELL | Sep 22, 2017 | $300.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| HARRY RICE | Sep 12, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| MICHAEL ROSS | Aug 20, 2017 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| HARBHAJUN SALL | Oct 3, 2017 | $4,615.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
| JOAN SCROGGS | Sep 15, 2017 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | SAANICH |
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