Teunis Westbroek

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Thank you for the opportunity to respond. As a number of your questions include assumptions or characterizations with which I may not necessarily agree, I have tried in my responses to focus on the facts, the public record and my own position on the issues raised.

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Section 1   (Motive, personal interests and potential conflicts of interest.)

Please tell us why you are running? What community clubs or organizations do you belong to/ or support? How have you been involved in the community? Do you think any of these could put you in a conflict of interest position and how will you handle it? 

 

Response:

I am seeking another term as Mayor to continue delivering responsible financial management, strengthen partnerships throughout our community and advance important projects while keeping residents at the centre of local government decisions.

It has been a privilege to serve the people of Qualicum Beach for 30 years. Over the years, I have been involved with or supported a wide range of community organizations, including the Qualicum Beach Residents Association, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76, The Old School House Arts Centre, Brown Property Preservation Society, Cokely Manor and Arrowsmith Lodge Care Society, St. Andrew’s Lodge Historical and Cultural Society, Qualicum Beach Historical and Museum Society, local golf organizations including Qualicum Beach Memorial and Eaglecrest Golf Courses, and Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church. I have also represented Canada with the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission.

As Mayor, I frequently attend meetings, events and functions hosted by local service organizations, community groups and nonprofit organizations. I do so to maintain positive relationships, hear directly from residents and keep open lines of communication between these organizations and the Town.

As Mayor, I am conscious that formal membership or close involvement in community organizations can sometimes create a perception of favouritism toward one group over another. I therefore try to maintain constructive relationships across the community while preserving my independence.

Community involvement does not, by itself, create a conflict of interest. However, elected officials must always be alert to actual or perceived conflicts. If a matter came before Council in which I had a conflict of interest under the Community Charter or other applicable legislation, I would disclose it and recuse myself from the discussion and vote. Public confidence must always come before personal considerations.

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Section 2 (Skill set and preparedness)

What specific experience/skills do you bring to the role? How have you prepared yourself for the role so that you can be effective from day one?

How much time do you expect to devote to the role? If you are juggling family or job commitments how will you manage those obligations?

 

Response:

30 years of experience on Qualicum Beach Council, including many years as Mayor, 20 years as a member of the Regional District of Nanaimo Board, and 16 years on the Board of the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia. I have also served in various capacities with the Island Coastal Economic Trust, since its inception in 2006. 

This extensive experience has given me a good understanding of municipal finance, land-use planning, infrastructure, risk management, regional government and the responsibilities imposed on local governments by provincial legislation.

It has also taught me that being Mayor is not simply about chairing meetings. It requires listening, building relationships, working effectively with Council and staff, and finding workable solutions among people who may have very different views.

I am well aware of the workload involved and am prepared to devote the time necessary. Residents deserve a Mayor who reads the material, attends meetings, is accessible and represents Qualicum Beach effectively.

 

Section 3   (Financial acumen )

Do you feel you currently have sufficient financial understanding to provide meaningful input and assessment in the town's approximate $40 million dollar annual budget? If elected, what steps would you take to put the town in a firmer financial footing? What specific municipal spending areas would you reduce, maintain or increase? If the town received a $1 million dollar grant (without matching funds required) to use in any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

 

Response:

Based on my municipal experience, I believe I have the financial understanding necessary to provide meaningful input into the Town’s financial planning and budget process. According to our financial statements and auditors’ reports, Qualicum Beach remains in a strong financial position.

Council’s job is not to replace professional financial staff. It's to ask the right questions, understand the risks and make responsible decisions on behalf of taxpayers.

My priorities would be to maintain core services, keep tax increases as reasonable as possible, adequately fund infrastructure replacement and be cautious about adding permanent operating costs that become future tax obligations.

If the Town received an unrestricted $1 million grant, I would not make that decision on my own. I would discuss options with Council and staff and seek community input about how the money could provide the greatest long-term benefit. I would favour investments that strengthen our community without creating unnecessary ongoing costs.

 

Section 4 ( Transparency)

In the past term we have seen many significant initiatives that were never on the town's 5 year strategic plan, all proceeding to fruition behind closed door meetings. Examples include the introduction of a tree protection bylaw, the renewal of the skateboard park, the commons proposal, the acquisition strategy of Eaglecrest, and donation to the hospital foundation. All significant events/expenses that came out of the blue and did not receive an opportunity for the public to hear council openly debate in public the costs, or where the project should be placed in terms of the town's priorities. What is your opinion and what would you change with respect to the process of new projects proceeding in closed meetings without debate in public view? When do you think the town should report to the public on decisions made in closed meetings?

 

Response:

I do not agree with the suggestion that significant initiatives during this term have simply proceeded outside Council’s strategic priorities or without public involvement.

At the beginning of this term, Council established six focus areas based on the vision in the Official Community Plan: housing, good governance, economic prosperity, community health and well-being, climate action and progressive infrastructure. While individual initiatives may change as circumstances arise, those focus areas have remained consistent.

No strategic plan can anticipate every opportunity or challenge. The potential closure of the Qualicum Commons, the future of Eaglecrest and community interest in renewing the skateboard park are examples where Council needed to respond to changing circumstances.

With Eaglecrest, approximately 900 survey responses were received and more than 500 people attended an open house before the purchase proceeded.

Closed meetings are governed by strict criteria under B.C.’s Community Charter. When confidentiality is no longer required, information should be made public.

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Section 5 ( Firesmart)

In your opinion, is the town providing sufficient resource allocation and direction with respect to FireSmart activities on municipally owned land?

 

Response:

The Town has made FireSmart and wildfire preparedness a significant priority.

In 2024, the Town worked with a registered professional to complete a Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan for publicly owned lands. Following recommendations from that work, the Town hired an Assistant Fire Chief of Prevention in April 2025.

This additional capacity has enabled the Town to expand FireSmart services on both public and private lands. This includes obtaining provincial FireSmart grants for 2024, 2025 and 2026, with an application pending for 2027; public education and outreach; FireSmart assessments for private property owners; wildfire-mitigation work along community trails and Town-owned lands adjoining private property; and assessments of critical municipal infrastructure.

I believe that we must continue building on that work, identifying the highest-risk areas and pursuing senior-government grants wherever possible.

Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility, and the Town has an important role in protecting municipal property while helping residents reduce risks around their own homes.

 

Section 6 (Public consultation and open dialogue with the public)

Would you be supportive of returning the availability of public feedback during council meetings, prior to decisions being made for items on council agendas? What are your thoughts on how letters to council from the public are currently handled and would you support posting letters received on the town's website?

 

Response:

I believe Council has provided a variety of opportunities for residents to participate in local decision-making, but every new Council should review those processes and determine whether they can be improved.

Currently, residents can appear as delegations at Regular Council meetings, provide written input, participate in Committee of the Whole meetings where members of the gallery are invited to express their views, and use the Town’s public inquiry system, which was developed during this Council’s term. The Town has also revamped its website as an important communication tool and streams Council and Advisory Planning Commission meetings on the internet for live or recorded viewing.

Council’s responsibility is to listen to diverse community voices, not simply those who speak most often or most loudly. We must also consider the broader community direction established through the Official Community Plan.

I would support the next Council reviewing whether an additional structured opportunity for public comment on agenda items before decisions are made would improve the current process. I would also support examining how correspondence can be made more accessible online while respecting privacy legislation.

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Section 7 (Discretionary community funding)

The town currently provides support by way of operating cash, fee for service agreements, below market rents, property tax exemptions and other incentives to the nonprofit sector. These include arts and culture,sports related, economic, tourism and environmentally focused groups. Do you think the current level of support is fairly distributed? Is it sufficient? Is it transparent? How do you see the town arriving at a predetermined quantifiable overall amount and achieving greater fairness in the distribution of the discretionary support funded by taxpayers?

 

Response:

I believe the current level of Town support for community and nonprofit organizations is fairly distributed.

The Town supports organizations including the Seniors’ Activities Centre, local churches, The Old School House Arts Centre, the Qualicum Beach Museum and many other nonprofit and volunteer organizations. We have also developed a strong relationship with Qualicum First Nation.

The Town works collaboratively with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association, Qualicum Beach Historical and Museum Society and many volunteers to provide services, events and amenities that enrich our community and strengthen the local economy.

In 2026, the Town and its community partners supported approximately 20 special events, including Family Day, the Grad Parade, Show ’n Shine, Beach Day and Moonlight Madness.

I support continuing this assistance, while ensuring Council’s decisions are transparent and the overall level of discretionary support is clearly identified through the annual financial-planning process.

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Section 8 (Development)

What are your views on the need for development within Qualicum Beach over the next 10 years? How can the town balance the need for growth with the desire to protect the community character? What type of development do you believe the community most needs now and why?

 

Response: 

Our biggest opportunity is to manage growth in a way that supports our environment, local businesses and residents, with particular attention to seniors, workers, young adults and families.

Qualicum Beach needs housing choices that accommodate different needs, accessibility requirements, lifestyles and income levels. This includes appropriately located smaller homes, townhouses, duplexes and other forms of housing that allow people to remain part of our community through different stages of life.

At the same time, our biggest challenge is ensuring infrastructure replacement, housing attainability and environmental stewardship keep pace with growth. We must protect our waterfront, aquifer, trees, trails and green spaces while supporting our business community and maintaining fiscal responsibility.

I want Qualicum Beach to remain a community where people of all ages can belong, contribute and build a future while preserving the sense of place that makes our community, in my view, the jewel in the crown of Vancouver Island.

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Section 9 (Eaglecrest development going forward)

If the revenue from the planned sale of Eaglecrest lands does not meet the  current budget expectations of $21,199,800, What would your plan B look like? What options would you request staff to explore such as using long term debt, or upzoning further other Eaglecrest lands?  Before executing a long term lease at the  Eaglecrest Golf Course, would you pursue an analysis of the expected financial impact the now revamped Eaglecrest Golf Course  will have on the cash flow of the existing town owned Memorial Golf Course and its ability to repay its current loans to the town? 

 

Response:

I do not accept the premise embedded in this hypothetical question that, if Eaglecrest land-sale revenues differ from current projections, the only alternatives are additional upzoning or substantial long-term debt.

The Town acquired more than 100 acres at Eaglecrest to preserve approximately 40 acres as parkland, maintain golf-course operations and provide carefully planned housing. The current $21.2-million project plan is intended to be funded through anticipated Eaglecrest land sales and a $2.125-million private donation, without impact on taxation.

If land-sale revenues were delayed or below projections, Council has other options, including temporary use of available reserves, adjusting the timing of expenditures and reprioritizing future project components, that are expected to be funded from land sale revenue, through the annual budget process. I would not support rushing land sales in an unfavourable market simply to meet an artificial timetable.

I have also seen no evidence to date that reopening Eaglecrest will undermine Memorial Golf Course. Regional demand remains strong, and I have discussed opportunities for joint marketing among our local golf courses.

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Section 10  ( Governance) 

The town currently has 8 committees, commissions and boards set up to advise council. These committees not only use council time and staff resources, but presumably reflect councils priorities. If elected  would you continue with these same entities or are there other more critical issues that you would encourage council to pursue via new committees? 

 

Response:

I support continuing the Town’s committee and commission structure, while recognizing that it should be reviewed periodically to ensure it continues to meet Council’s needs.

Council reviewed the structure of committees and commissions during this term. Committees can provide focused discussion, community knowledge and advice that assists Council in its decision-making.

At the same time, a select committee is not always the best mechanism for public engagement. For example, Council chose to discuss airport and public-safety issues through a Committee of the Whole structure so we could hear directly from members of the public.

The new Council should review existing mandates and terms of reference and determine whether they remain appropriate.

If the next Council identifies a critical issue that would benefit from an additional committee or temporary task force, I would certainly support considering that. The objective should be meaningful public participation and useful advice rather than maintaining or creating committees simply for their own sake.

 

Section 11 ( Specific to Mayoral candidates only)

Historically the role of Mayor includes acting as a director in the RDN. What specific actions will you undertake to ensure Qualicum Beach residents are made aware of the RDN issues that affect them? How will you engage with Qualicum Beach residents to ensure your vote is in line with their preferences? RDN taxation will soon exceed the municipal portion of our overall property taxes. What RDN services and costs should be reviewed on a  value for money basis, as it applies to Qualicum Beach residents?

 

Response:

Over the past four years I have regularly kept Council and the public informed about significant issues being considered at the Regional District of Nanaimo.

Major matters including critically needed healthcare facilities, expansion of the French Creek Pollution Control Centre, acquisition of Hamilton Marsh and upgrades to Ravensong Pool have been discussed publicly at Council meetings either by myself as our RDN board member, by my alternate or appropriate RDN staff.

I would continue providing regular reports on major RDN decisions, particularly where they have significant financial or service implications for Qualicum Beach residents.

One RDN service I believe warrants a closer value-for-money review is the public transit system. Transit is an important regional service, but too many buses are operating with significant numbers of empty seats. I would like to see a review of routes, schedules, ridership and costs to determine whether service can be delivered more efficiently while continuing to meet the needs of residents who depend on it.

Regional cooperation is essential, but Qualicum Beach residents also deserve accountability for the regional taxes they pay.

 

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