Dan Bruyere

I am running for Mayor because Esquimalt is facing a financial crossroads, and Town Hall urgently needs a leader with real-world infrastructure and budget management experience.

My spouse and I chose to make Esquimalt our home five years ago, drawn by the vibrant community spirit, beautiful coastlines, and unique local character. Like many of you, I have watched with growing concern as my property taxes have compounded by almost 50% over the last five years. Our current council’s approach to spending is unsustainable for seniors on fixed incomes, working families, and local small businesses.

My goal is to limit annual property tax increases to 5% maximum by finding efficiencies and eliminating waste within our current budget and increasing revenue streams where possible. Ultimately, our aspiration should be to match inflation while being aware of the impact of real population growth.

I am not a career politician. I am an operations leader who spent 40 years managing complex budgets, major asset fleets, and infrastructure frameworks for a major Canadian resource company.

Forty Years of Accountability

A municipality is fundamentally a service and infrastructure organization. It manages assets, oversees a heavy vehicle fleet, maintains critical roads and pipes, and handles massive multimillion dollar contracts. This is exactly what I have done for four decades.

For 30 years, I served as part of our company’s operations leadership team, directly responsible for large-scale operations in the highly competitive Alberta oil and gas sector. My daily responsibilities included:

• Balancing Massive PortfoliosOverseeing multi-million dollar operational and capital budgets where accurate forecasting was mandatory, and cost overruns were unacceptable.
• Infrastructure & Fleet ManagementStrategically managing long-term infrastructure lifecycles and complex vehicle fleets to optimize performance and protect capital reserves.
• High-Stakes Partner RelationsLeading joint-venture negotiations and building collaborative partnerships with external stakeholders, indigenous communities, and multisector groups.

In my corporate career, if we encountered a budget variance, we didn’t just pass the bill to our shareholders—we audited our operations, eliminated inefficiencies, and tightened our belts. It is time to bring that exact same corporate rigour, transparency, and accountability to Esquimalt Town Hall.

Why Now?

I love this community, but I cannot stand by while local government loses its grasp on financial reality. Our town needs safe streets, reliable infrastructure, and strong municipal services—but it also needs a council that respects the taxpayer’s dollar.

I am stepping up to use my 40 years of corporate governance experience to protect the community we love. Together, we can rein in out-of-control tax hikes, mandate transparent line-item departmental audits, and secure a fair, accountable deal on our regional shared services.

Let’s build an affordable, sustainable future for Esquimalt, one that treats Esquimalt residents first and with respect.