Councillor Profiles

Esquimalt is led by a Municipal Council, which includes a Mayor and six Councillors, who are elected to their positions for four-year terms. Mayor and Council create bylaws and policies, approve the municipal budget, and serve on various committees within the municipality and region.

Barbara  Desjardins - Mayor

Bio
Barbara Desjardins

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After serving three years on Esquimalt Municipal Council, Barb Desjardins was first elected Mayor of Esquimalt in November of 2008. She was re-elected as Mayor in 2011, 2014 and 2018, Esquimalt’s longest consecutive serving Mayor.  She was the Capital Regional District [CRD] Board Chair, elected in both 2016 and 2017.

Throughout her elected career, she has long been known for her accessibility, collaborative approach, and personal attention to the issues raised by her constituents. 

Mayor Desjardins has a background as a physiotherapist. Over the years, she has been the owner of four physiotherapy clinics within the region.

In her family and professional life, Barb is a strong advocate for active and healthy living.

As a public servant Barb is guided by a couple of rules: 1) Pay personal attention to issues and 2) Be a visible and active participant in your community 3) Be a strong advocate for the Esquimalt community.

Appointments
  • Capital Regional District Board / Hospital Board
  • Capital Region Housing Corporation Board
  • Greater Victoria Harbour Authority Board
Internal Appointments
  • Department of National Defence Liaison
  • Emergency Executive Committee
  • School Liaison (Alternate)
  • Township Community Arts Council

Ken Armour - Councillor

Bio
Ken Armour

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Ken is in his second term as an Esquimalt councillor. He has 20 years of experience at the senior management level in the BC and federal governments and five years of experience with BC post-secondary associations. 

His education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Bachelor of Education, and a Masters of Public Administration. His past volunteer experience includes being the Chair of the Esquimalt Advisory Planning Commission, Vice President of the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the Esquimalt Community Arts Council and President of the Victoria chapter of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. 

Ken enjoys reading, running, cycling, hiking and travelling. He lives with his wife and his cat in the Rockheights area of Esquimalt. 

Appointments
  • CRD Regional Housing Trust Fund Commission
  • CRD Housing Corporation (Alternate)
  • Capital Regional District (CRD) Board/ Hospital Board (Alternate)
  • South Island Prosperity Partnership
  • TE’MEXW Treaty Advisory Committee
  • Victoria/Esquimalt Harbour Society
Internal Appointments
  • APC Design Review Committee
  • Local Grants Committee

Andrea Boardman - Councillor

Bio
Andrea Boardman

[email protected]

Andrea is a long term resident of Esquimalt who lives with her husband in the Old Esquimalt area of the Township. She is the proud parent of two children; a son who is a carpenter and a daughter who is a pharmacist.

After working for 20 years as a Registered Nurse for Island Health, Andrea earned a Master of Business Administration from UBC and is currently working as an Executive Director, responsible for Hospital Security Services.

Andrea’s favourite past times are traveling, camping and enjoying daily walks through Esquimalt’s beautiful parks. In her new role as Councillor, Andrea looks forward to actively engaging with the community and is grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on the town that she will always call home.

Appointments
  • CRD Arts Commission (Alternate)
  • Capital Regional Emergency Services Telecommunication (CREST) (Alternate)
  • Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association
Internal Appointments
  • Advisory Planning Commission
  • Esquimalt Ribfest
  • Environmental, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (Merged Committee) (Alternate)
  • Local Grants Committee

Duncan Cavens - Councillor

Bio
image of Duncan Cavens

[email protected] 

Duncan lives in West Bay with his spouse and two children who attend Ecole Victor Brodeur.  

Duncan is a registered planner with a degree in Landscape Architecture and a Doctorate in Civil Engineering.  As the principal of a small planning firm he has worked for 15+ years with councils, staff and residents across Canada to achieve consensus on complex issues like municipal climate policy and OCP reviews. 

Duncan enjoys volunteering around Esquimalt: he’s a board member and volunteer for Rainbow Kitchen, a volunteer with Victoria Minor Hockey and sat on the Township’s Advisory Planning Commission from 2017 to 2022.

Appointments
  • CRD Arts Commission
  • CRD Regional Water Supply Commission
  • CRD Climate Action InterMunicipal Task Force
  • Greater Victoria Public Library Board
  • Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia AGM (Alternate #2)
  • South Island Prosperity Partnership (Alternate)
  • TE’MEXW Treaty Advisory Committee (Alternate)
Internal Appointments
  • Esquimalt Community Arts Hub
  • ETAG (Together Against Graffiti)
  • Environmental, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (Merged Committee) (Alternate)
  • School Liaison

Jacob Helliwell - Councillor

Bio
Jacob Helliwell

[email protected]

Jacob is in his second term as an Esquimalt councillor. He has a long family history in Esquimalt (six generations in the region and five in Esquimalt). He continues to chose to make Esquimalt his home because of its vibrant and close-knit community.  

Jacob’s career is in public sector financial management, capital project delivery, and governance. He has a Master in Public Administration (MPA), is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA), and holds certifications in project management, change management, construction law, and local government leadership.  

​Jacob spends his free time with his family, tending to the house and garden, or running (slowly). He lives in the Saxe Point neighbourhood with his wife, Maria, and two sons, Elias and Arthur. 

 

Appointments
  • Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia AGM
  • Greater Victoria Harbour Authority AGM (member representative)
Internal Appointments
  • Bucaneer Days Committee
  • Local Grants Committee
  • Environmental, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (Merged Committee)

Tim Morrison - Councillor

Bio
Tim Morrison

[email protected]

Currently in his fourth term as a Councillor, Tim Morrison has extensive governance experience serving on a variety of local and regional committees, boards and commissions on behalf of Esquimalt. He currently serves as Chair of the Capital Regional Emergency Services Telecommunication Inc. (C.R.E.S.T.) Board of Directors.
 
A seasoned communications professional, Tim works in a senior communications role at the BC Assessment Authority. He has also worked, volunteered and travelled throughout the world. Having visited over 80 countries on six continents, Tim has experienced a vast array of communities and a diversity of cultures.  He has been a school trustee, teacher, journalist, adventure tour guide and travel writer.
 
Tim is a registered member of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) and a graduate of Simon Fraser University where he studied political science, communications and geography. He also holds a Certificate in Urban Studies.

Appointments
  • CRD Regional Water Supply Commission
  • Capital Regional Emergency Services Telecommunication (C.R.E.S.T.)
  • Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association (Alternate)
  • Municipal Insurance Association of BC AGM (Alternate #1)
Internal Appointments
  • Advisory Planning Commission
  • Celebration of Lights Committee

Darlene Rotchford - Councillor

Bio
Darlene Rotchford

[email protected] 

Information coming soon.

 

Appointments
  • Destination Greater Victoria
  • Greater Victoria Harbour Authority AGM ((Alternate)
  • Victoria Family Court & Youth Justice Committee
Internal Appointments
  • APC Design Review Committee
  • Esquimalt Farmers Market Society
  • Environmental, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (Merged Committee)