The time has come for Barb Desjardins to hang up her hat as mayor of Esquimalt and trade it in for a new one.
Starting Friday, Desjardins will take a leave from her duties as mayor to focus on her campaign for the May 9 provincialelection. As the Liberal candidate for Esquimalt-Metchosin, she will also take a leave from her duties as chair of the CapitalRegional District (CRD) and co-chair of the Victoria-Esquimalt Police Board.
“I am sad, but I’m excited and I love this job. To be separated from it, it’s going to feel really strange, but I’ll be busy,” saidDesjardins, who’s already been knocking on doors in her riding. “Having the hats that I have right now I’ve been justbalancing rather than really able to do as much as I’d like to.”
Desjardins officially secured the party nomination in early February and planned to juggle her multiple hats for as long aspossible.
Esquimalt council is currently down another member — Coun. Tim Morrison, who is on a six-month leave, which is whyDesjardins has stayed on until now, and to also be part of the budget vote.
Coun. Beth Burton-Krahn will be the acting mayor for April and May.
Desjardins has served as mayor of Esquimalt for eight years. The riding’s current MLA, Maurine Karangianis of the NDP, waselected in 2005, but will be retiring from her position this year.
Mitzi Dean, executive director of the Pacific Centre Family Services Association, is the NDP candidate for the riding and AndyMacKinnon, a retired forest ecologist, author and councillor in Metchosin, is the candidate for the Green Party.
The Liberals won the seat once in the riding in 2001.
