Skipsey campaigned on a platform of enhancing the town’s “coastal village” character, supporting development that is in line with the official community plan, ensuring all residents are connected to a family doctor and protecting Qualicum Beach’s urban forests and watersheds. The daughter of former Qualicum Beach mayor Art Skipsey, she earned a degree in business administration from Simon Fraser University and spent 15 years working for the City of Burnaby before returning to her hometown just over a decade ago. Official results will be declared May 19 after a review of ballots, and Skipsey is expected to be sworn in at a council meeting on May 27.
One example is a rezoning proposal for the Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, which would include 225 housing units in a mix of forms, with some hotel rooms and apartments. A brew pub, native gardens and trails are among its proposed features. The town is also dealing with a doctor shortage and considering a proposal for a temporary housing shelter on municipal land. Five candidates including a former stunt double for Arnold Schwarzenegger are vying for the seat on the council, which made headlines when a first-term councillor recently took a two-month medical leave of absence after describing the council atmosphere as toxic.