In 2026, I am running to be your Saanich Rep as a School Board Trustee in SD61.
Music, Climate, Accountability. Open the books.
Some of you know my back story. I ran for council four years ago. I came close, but didn't get elected. It was a difficult experience, and an inflection point in my life.
Since then I have made some changes in my life.
I left a 15-year career as a BC Public Servant, in order to strike a better work-life balance and spend more time with my kids (now including a new baby). I'm a sustainability consultant now, and a part-time music teacher (#SaxySaanich).
I also migrated my significant volunteer work, pivoting toward societies, board executives and committees closer to my kids: PACs, little league, VCPAC, coaching volleyball, guest lecturing in classrooms about climate change and carbon calculations.
I did not plan to run for Saanich Council again, though I still served our Saanich community through citizen advisory committees, SCAN, advocacy organisations, etc., (and you can learn more about my involvement with local groups at my TrevorBarry.ca website).
Then something interesting happened.
Just before Spring Break, I became aware that the School Board was planning to cut 20% from my kids' music program. (I said, "pardon!?")
Furthermore, the presentation materials, public engagement & transparency behind this local government budgeting process -- something I was accustomed to observing at the city-level, but not the schools-level -- was incredibly underwhelming. I couldn't believe how opaque the process was! And for a budget roughly equal in size to the municipality.
Before long, I became the media spokesperson for middle school music parents: demanding to know why this was being thrown at us last-minute, and without any explanation. It didn't help that there was no democratically-accountable trustee serving at the time.
And that's when I became (by many of you!) encouraged to consider running for Trustee, in the newly drawn electoral area of Saanich, for our Greater Victoria School District 61.
Congratulations! I am convinced!
And now I am asking for your help to convince thousands of others to lend me their support and their votes when they cast their ballots this October 17th.