Three-term North Saanich Mayor Alice Finall will not be running for re-election in October.
A retired lawyer, Finall was first elected mayor in 2008. She was re-elected by acclamation in 2011, and re-elected again in 2014, making her the first North Saanich mayor to serve three consecutive terms.
Finall said she’s proud of what has been accomplished in North Saanich during her terms, citing transition of the Sandown properties into district hands as one example.
“It took seven years to get that one through. But we own the land. We are working toward what I would call, hopefully, a food hub for the region, not just for North Saanich.
“There’s all kinds of possibilities with that land. A lot of it can be farmed, not by the district, but certainly it can be,” Finall said.
“The three consecutive terms gave me an opportunity to see things come to fruition. You don’t always get that opportunity.”
A strong advocate for the district’s official community plan, Finall said North Saanich is unique with its active agricultural industry and “world class” commercial sector.
She said there continues to be a need for “controlled and balanced growth to protect the values and livability of the area.”
Finall was also a North Saanich councillor from 1993 to 1999.
