Martin Girard

Council · Victoria

Victoria 15 yrs

About

I am a community advocate and activist with lived experience of homelessness, running for council at a time the issue tops the concerns of the electorate.

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.

✓ 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.

✓ 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.

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

Transport

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

✓ Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities. 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.

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

✓ 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've been an environmental advocate for a few years. In particularly I've associated with Elders For Ancient Trees and volunteered to promote the United For Old Growth Rally with flash mobs across town. More recently I've supported Rainbow Eyes at the Nanaimo courthouse and the Walbran land defenders at the Victoria courthouse, if only to learn more about how our justice system works in anticipation of further actions.

Questions for Victoria

What are Victoria’s three most important environmental priorities for the next four years? What policies and budgets would you advance, and how would you respond when environmental protection is presented as conflicting with housing or economic growth?

We need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy, and make better use of our rooftops, whether for solar panels or green spaces.

What policies and investments would you prioritize for the next heat dome to retain mature shade trees, expand canopy in heat-vulnerable neighbourhoods, improve public cooling and drinking-water access, and ensure all at-risk residents receive protection?

I love the idea of green rooftops! As for closer to the ground, I would oppose removing mature roadside trees to make room for residential development. Then we could use more misting and water bottle filling stations, especially downtown.

What changes to bylaws, development standards and approvals would you support to retain mature trees, Garry oak ecosystems, wildlife corridors, adequate soil and permeable ground to measure and enforce progress toward the 40% canopy target?

Given our municipality's recent development boom and the remote 2050 deadline, I say all we need is to introduce mature tree requirements into our permit approval process and wait for 40% of properties to be redeveloped, which is a realistic prospect in an aging city over a generation.

Which municipal actions would you prioritize to close Victoria’s 2030 emissions gap? What improvements would you require or incentivize, how would you make them affordable and accessible, and what measurable results would you deliver during your term?

I already envision eliminating dependence on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy, and I think a 2040 target is realistic considering recent advances in electric cars and solar panels. Of course only so much can be done in a single term, but I intend to set the municipality on the right course for the following council to start implementing measures in earnest.

Compiled & presented by

Seniors for Climate Victoria
SI-CAN Natural Asset Management Team
WE-CAN Together 2026

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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