Stephen Andrew

Community advocate, husband, cancer survivor, former municipal councillor..

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

Happy Canada Day!

[Victoria Police @vicpdcanada]

An important look at what’s happening on our streets, thanks to The Globe and Mail for telling the story.

Learn more about the rise of fentanyl by reading Inspector Conor King’s recently published account: https://t.co/eks8T8R1D2

[Del Manak @ChiefManak]

So cowardly and unacceptable. Please share the video and help @vicpdcanada identify the suspect. Thanks.

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

Book of Mormon tour in #Victoria this summer excellent show. Highly recommend #yyjarts #yyj

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

COHO ferry says it’s sorry for flying Canadian flag upside down. Good lord! How can you make such a silly mistake?!

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

On hold with @TELUS for an hour and 20 minutes. And they ask “why are you cancelling your service?” Now THAT’S hilarious.

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

How much would it cost to fix Crystal Pool?
h https://t.co/Rea8wGVSqp #yyjpoli

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

And yet they held on to the lie that it was wasn’t happening. 🤦‍♂️ #bcpoli

[Rob Shaw @RobShaw_BC]

After almost two years of denials and deflection, a leaked internal health ministry doc lays bare what the NDP have refused to admit: Safe supply drugs are being trafficked by organized crime.
My latest in @TheOrcaBC @Glacier_Media:
https://t.co/N1CgdijM8T

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

A commentary by a Victoria city council member in the @timescolonist centered around the Crystal Pool referendum…

“I didn’t lie and I want an apology”

“At the Jan. 23 council meeting, Coun. Jeremy Caradonna accused me of lying to the public.
I did not lie.
In order to clear my name, I put forward a council motion asking for an apology. As reported in this newspaper, Caradonna said “I am happy to apologize to Coun. Hammond for the overheated rhetoric of last week.”
However, it appears he wasn’t in any hurry.
At Thursday’s council meeting, when he had the chance to quickly put this to bed, he, along with councillors Dave Thompson, Susan Kim and Matt Dell, voted against putting my motion on the agenda.
If I don’t get a satisfactory apology, on the record, in that same chamber, I have legal options to address Caradonna’s defamatory language. In the meantime, it’s important to know exactly what I was accused of doing when, he claims, I “lied” to Victorians.
Apparently I “shamed” city staff by saying they were biased. Caradonna felt so strongly about this that he shrieked “shamed” four times at the Jan. 23 meeting.

I’m still having trouble understanding how I could have “shamed” our staff when they literally wrote in a slide presentation that their proposed advertisement about the Crystal Pool referendum could be “vulnerable to attack as biased.”
I kid you not: I “shamed” our staff by pointing out something they pointed out to us in the first place.
Then, Caradonna said that my motion asking for balance was “fishy,” I was “trying to spike” the process and all this was “undermining the credibility of this government.”
There is more.
My words on a piece of paper would lead Victorians to be ­“confused,” “overwhelmed” and in such a state that they’d all “stay home”. Cardonna said “that means voter suppression.”
I had no idea my words could plunge our fair city into a state of lawlessness and chaos.
While Caradonna felt my actions were so outrageous, in the Jan. 23 council meeting he gave information that was illegal.
Section 117 of the province’s Community Charter explicitly states that it is “unlawful” for a council member to reveal information from a closed council meeting unless council has given permission.
He said our decision about the Crystal Pool, in a closed meeting on Sept. 12, 2024, was “unanimous.”
Council did not authorize any member of council to report on that vote, yet when Caradonna was railing on about me ruining democracy, he used the word “unanimous” eight times.
He also said that we agreed on a certain ad poster when we did no such thing.
Due to section 117, I can’t reveal what was said in that closed meeting, but thanks to my bringing it to the attention of the mayor and council, the correct information will have been revealed by the time you read this article.
On other platforms, Caradonna has accused me of voting for this Crystal Pool plan and changing my mind for political purposes. That is not true.
In an open meeting on June 13, 2024, councillors voted to put this proposal to the electorate. Even though I had “sticker shock” at seeing the price up to $215.9 million, I voted to let the public decide.
But I wasn’t the only one.
At that June meeting, Mayor Marianne Alto said: “I’m not 100 per cent certain that this is the right time to be expending $200 million on a recreation centre. Having said that, I am content with putting that question to the public.”
And if the referendum fails, she said, it doesn’t mean no pool, however, “I do think that means that we need to hear the reservations of our public and listen to what they tell us are their priorities at this time and to find a different and better way to do something a little less perfect, a little less state-of-the-art, a little less shiny.”
Let’s get back to civility, honesty and good government. I look forward to getting this ­apology behind all of us.”
#yyjpoli

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

“BIASED” even @CityOfVictoria staff believe information they distribute about the Crystal Pool referendum is biased. (@timescolonist, February 1, 2025)

IMHO it’s certainly not transparent.

That alone is reason to oppose the borrowing referendum.
#yyjpoli

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

I did some calculations this morning and based on the municipal finance rate over 20 years, it appears the actual cost to the referendum borrowing  is $253,644,241.

Am I correct?

So when we’re asked to approve $168.9 million, I wonder how many people realize the true impact of their vote?
#yyjpoli

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

The Greater Victoria School Board was fired today.

It’s about time.

Hopefully we will get some common sense in 2026.

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

I’m on with @alferraby tomorrow on @cfax1070 at 7:50 am to talk about my position on the Crystal Pool plan.

Meantime here’s a link to a new website on the “NO” side

https://t.co/sxhgqzYebP

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

I never thought we like get to where we are in terms of cost.

A reasonable, fiscally responsible plan would have my support. This isn’t it.

If I were at the table I would have ensured the plan would be what we co yo ls afford.

So, yes Karmen, that is a statement I made. To isolate it without context of my correct position look to you like a “gotcha” moment. It’s not.
#yyjpoli

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

I support this campaign. I will be taking part in public meetings to explain my position and to encourage support to oppose this reckless financial plan #yyjpoli

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

@ProudCo89773752 @CityOfVictoria Read my posts.

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

Beware the “X” trolls - no transparency.

I identify my name and position and here we have an obvious no-name poster that leads to all kinds of nefarious thoughts… is it a shill for the “Yes” side in the Crystal Pool referendum? Is it backed by or a @CityOfVictoria employee? Is it a supporter of Council’s group of 5? Do they have a vested interest or something to gain by promoting a “yes” vote?

As I state, I’m happy to discuss my position, but that should be with a legitimate individual who wants a serious debate.

Vote NO on February 8!
#yyjpoli

[Chris Barnes @justtrolling123]

@Stephen_Andrew @ryanlpainter If you are voting no I am voting yes

[Stephen Andrew @Stephen_Andrew]

I thought long and hard on this decision and will vote NO on the February 8 Crystal Pool referendum.

It is not an easy decision. Yes, the region needs another pool and I support recreation.

But, I don’t think Victoria taxpayers can afford the continual free-spending of this council. It is hobbling our ability to pay for unexpected emergencies by drawing down on reserves and adding to an unsustainable tax increase.

This council believes money grows on trees and we need to send a message.

Ultimately, voters can do that in the October 2026, municipal election, but this referendum is an opportunity to send a message today - get your fiscal in order and lay out a plan that is responsible and within our means.

I’m happy to discuss this.

#yyjpoli