Robin Holm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robin.holm.sooke
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, for one year. Sooke is the first community I’ve chosen to live in.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
Project Manager for a non-profit organization, for about 3 years
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
I recently completed the Canadian Conservation Corps program through the Canadian Service Corps. I am also an elected member of my strata council.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I would like to help steer my community development towards sustainability and climate resilience, while upholding equity, reconciliation and the wellbeing of all residents, regardless of ethnicity, gender or sexual identity, socio-economic status, physical or mental health, and species. The land is the foundation our community is built on, and the health of our environment is central to the health of our residents. Thoughtful planning and decision making is key so that Sooke continues to be a beautiful home for all who live here.
What are your top three issues?
Climate action: Leadership at all levels of government is needed to transition society towards a more sustainable relationship with our world and a brighter future for us and our planet.
Representation, equity and inclusion: Government should act for the interests of all residents, regardless of ethnicity, gender or sexual identity, socio-economic status, physical or mental health, and species.
Meeting resident needs: In order to foster a healthy community, listening to the needs of residents is the first step in supporting the accessibility and affordability of food, housing and healthcare.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
I envision a naturally beautiful, highly livable Sooke that is an example of local climate action leadership, as a community that cherishes and protects the land we live on. Through thoughtful urban planning and sustainable development, I believe that we can maintain the natural beauty of our land while improving accessibility to affordable food, housing, and services. We need to prioritize a Sooke plan that makes room for residents of all species by preserving natural habitat for wildlife, and maintaining native green spaces that we all benefit from. Our community is responsible for the impact that we have on the land, and we need to take action to ensure that our environment is preserved for generations to come.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
The work of developing a healthy, sustainable community is multifaceted, so I wouldn’t say I have a single, immovable “big idea”. I believe that we are part of the environment we live in, and that in order to preserve the health of our community we need to make science-based decisions that take into account the needs of both human and non-human residents of the land. We’re facing a climate crisis, and through the next several decades we will need to be resilient and adaptable. I would like to see Sooke invest in long-term planning and infrastructure that respects wild areas while improving the livability of our community for everyone.
