Dana Lajeunesse
Website: dana4sooke.com
Facebook: dana4sooke
Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
NO
Do you live in the municipality where you are running, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to that community?
Yes, I am a third-generation resident of Sooke
What is your occupation, and for how long?
8 Years in the Forest Industry followed by 24 years as a Mechanical Engineering Technologist – took early retirement in 2020 after being elected to Sooke Council in 2019 by-election
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
With the downturn of the resource-based industries that occurred in the early 80’s that Sooke had historically been known for, I have had a long-standing desire to explore ways to bolster economic opportunities in the region. So, I served on the Official Community Plan Review Committee in 2007 and on the Accessibility and Economic Development Committees in 2008 and I was a member of the Mayor’s Advisory panel for Economic Development and on the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce Board. In 2019 I was elected to Sooke Council in a by-election following the passing of the beloved Councillor, Brenda Parkinson.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I’m running for several reasons but mainly I want to preserve Sooke’s reputation as a place that welcomes people of all stripes and maintains its sense of identity and community spirit that has existed throughout my life as a resident. In 2021, I initiated a community event that was labeled Celebrate Sooke, in the hopes that we might revitalise the spirit that gave birth to All Sooke Day in 1934 which began as a community picnic and grew, in its heyday, to host around 14,000 visitors and Logging Sports Competitors from around the world.
What are your top three issues?
As mentioned previously, economic development remains high on my list of priorities. I believe we need to create an environment that welcomes investment, which leads to another of my key urgencies, and that is that we need to invest in our infrastructure …an element that has been neglected for the past several years given the recent accelerated residential growth we’ve experienced. And the third thing, and one that I feel is often overlooked when discussing economic investment is (I hope you’re listening, Brenda) arts and culture. A vibrant arts scene helps to attract and maintain residents, aka workers …and investment.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
My long-term vision of Sooke includes a vibrant town centre with strong connection to the harbour with plenty of shops, brew pubs, restaurants and resort hotels with conference facilities and marinas along the waterfront. Sooke will be a city with a vibrant arts scene surrounded by the natural splendour that we all hold dear, and will welcome visitors from around the world to experience Canada’s South Pacific—the gateway to the wild west coast of British Columbia.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
One big idea… a Customs Office on the waterfront, so that Sooke becomes a port of entry for the folks referenced in the preceding paragraph.
