Susan Belford for Council
Strong Community Safe People
I believe that the strength of a community depends on how well it prepares for and survives sudden changes. The safety of community members rests on a secure place to call home – warm in winter and cool in summer, enough food to eat, access to healthcare and an opportunity to prosper. As a member of Council, I will commit to help build a resilient community.
Three generations from right: Susan, grand daughter Aurora, daughter Miranda
About Susan
I am a mother, grandmother and Vancouver Islander. I grew up in Victoria, and lived most of my life on Vancouver Island and have admired the Sooke community for many years. I finally moved here just before COVID, and I'm thrilled to contribute to this community.
Over the years, I have participated on many committees advising 3 different municipal councils within the CRD— most recently, Sooke’s Land Use and Development Committee 2021-2022. Before coming to Sooke in 2019, I was active with the Mount View Colquitz Community Association in Saanich and spearheaded an event called “The Uptown Corridor: From Nowhere Special to Someplace Great”. Recommendations from this event influenced District policy. Since moving to Sooke I’ve been focusing on effective community responses to climate change and on Reconciliation. Since post-COVID loosening of restrictions, I have become one of a cadre of fundraising assistants in the cause of a new seniors’ centre for Sooke.
I am a retired mediator, so I'm most interested in finding ways that people with differing views can come together in a shared understanding of what is most important. I think that this is a useful mindset to bring to Council in these times of change.
