Mayor & Council > Mayor > Mayor's Profile

Mayor Dean Fortin
City of Victoria
#1 Centennial Square
Victoria, BC V8W 1P6
Telephone: (250) 361-0200
Facsimile: (250) 361-0348
E-mail The Mayor

In Office
Dean Fortin became the 51st Mayor of Victoria when he was elected on November 15, 2008, and was sworn into office on December 2, 2008.

Dean's top priorities include addressing the severe shortage of affordable housing in the city, the complex issue of homelessness, sustainable growth, supporting a vibrant downtown, and advancing a transportation strategy that meets the needs of the growing region.

Dean is also the Co-Chair for the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, and serves on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.

Experience
Prior to being elected as Mayor, Dean served as a Victoria City Councillor for two terms, from 2002 to 2008.

Dean spent 17 years as Executive Director of the Burnside Gorge Community Centre before taking on full time mayoral duties.

Prior to his political and executive experience, Dean practiced family and criminal law, worked with the Victoria Association for Street Kids (now known as the Youth Empowerment Society) and was a seasonal sawmill worker in Kamloops.

Council Appointments
As a Councillor, Dean was the Chair of the CRD Housing Trust and Vice Chair of the CRD Housing Corporation. During this time, the Trust grew from five to 10 municipal members, and increased annual funding from $500,000 to $850,000. More than 250 housing units for families, youth and seniors were created during Dean's tenure.

Dean served as a member of City Finance and Personnel Committee. As a CRD director, Dean was a member of the Water Board. He also sat on the CRD's Liquid Waste, Environment and Parks committees and has served on the CRD Roundtable on the Environment.

As a Councillor, Dean was liaison to the Social Planning Public Advisory Committee, and deputy liaison to the Environment and Shoreline Public Advisory Committee, where he helped to champion the City's anti-idling bylaw and pesticide reduction bylaw.

Dean has served as the neighbourhood liaison for Fernwood, North Park and Quadra Hillside.

In his current role, Mayor Fortin serves as the Chair of the Victoria Police Board. Before his election to City Council, he served as a community member on the Board in 2001.

Volunteer Community Work & Accomplishments
Dean worked with community partners to established Burnside Gorge Youth Centre, created a neighbourhood house and family centre, which provides supports and services to families in the Burnside neighbourhood and helped establish Burnside Community School, which provides community education, recreation and leisure programs.

One of Dean's passions is working with youth at risk. Through his work at the Burnside Gorge Community Centre, Dean established job training projects, provided drug and alcohol counselling, and assisted in a literacy program for street youth.

Dean also coached Senior Girls' basketball at Esquimalt and Oak Bay Senior Secondary Schools along with helping out with the Boys' and Girls' Rugby program at Burnside Elementary School.

Education
Mayor Fortin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, a Bachelor of Laws, and a Masters Degree in Education (Counselling).

Leisure
Mayor Fortin lives in the Oaklands neighbourhood of Victoria with his wife and daughter. He is a committed commuter cyclist and a volunteer basketball coach.

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