Tara Keeping
Website: tarakeeping.ca
Facebook: TaraKeepingforNorthSaanichCouncil
Instagram: tarakeeping4northsaanich
Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
• No
Do you live in the municipality where you are running, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to that community?
• Yes, I’ve been a resident of North Saanich for five years and of the Saanich Peninsula for a decade.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
• I’ve been a flight attendant for 19 years and have an event planning business.
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
Although I have no prior elected municipal experience, I’ve been elected to other board positions, including as current president of École Deep Cove PAC.
I’m past-president of Canadian Parents for French - Saanich Chapter, a director for the Peninsula Soccer Association and a trustee for CUPE Local 4070.
In the past I’ve held director or board positions with ORCCA (Oral Care for Children and Adolescents), Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Association, Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Sidney and Canadian Mental Health Association Mid-Island Branch.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
While I’ve been fortunate to have travelled and lived around the world. I’ve been even more fortunate, when returning to Vancouver Island, to have settled in North Saanich.
My family and I love the natural beauty and high quality of life of our community. I’ve sought to contribute back to the community I love by volunteering with a wide range of organizations, and am seeking to continue that contribution by running for a seat on our Council.
I also believe that it is important for a range of demographics to be represented on our Council, including parents of young families.
What are your top three issues?
I’ll be seeking to continue to preserve the unique character of North Saanich as a rural and agricultural community.
As a parent of a son in elementary school, I’ll be seeking to continue to maintain and enhance the recreational facilities and parks that the District offers. I want North Saanich to continue to be a great place for residents of all ages to live and recreate - including young families.
I’ll be advocating for more regional collaboration for active transportation as well as continued improvements to regional mass transit to help commuters travel to work in North Saanich.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
My vision for North Saanich in 25 years is that it still has its rural and agricultural characteristics, continuing to be a destination for residents from other Greater Victoria communities to come and enjoy our farms, parks and beaches.
It will be a community in which all age groups can have a high quality of life, with amenities suited for all.
There will be mass transit options and active transportation routes that will allow residents to travel easily to other communities to work, with inbound options bringing in workers to our businesses and industries.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
My big idea is continued improvements to our cycling infrastructure. During the pandemic, my family and I spent a lot of time exploring our community on our bicycles. We appreciated our cycling amenities, especially the Flight Path around the airport. But as my son was a new cyclist, we were also very aware of the gaps in our cycling routes.
I would love to see our community continue to develop more complete cycling routes that are safe for cyclists of all abilities. Improving cycling routes through our community and between municipalities will encourage more people to cycle and will bring in more cyclists from elsewhere in the Greater Victoria area to visit our community and our businesses.
