Councillor Ben Isitt

Neighbourhood Liaison

  • Oakland Community Association
  • Hillside-Quadra Neighbourhood Action Group

Regional Service and Civic Committees

  • Capital Regional District (CRD) Board
  • CRD Parks and Environment Committee (Chair)
  • CRD Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee
  • CRD Governance and Finance Committee
  • CRD First Nations Committee
  • CRD Regional Water Supply Commission
  • CRD Solid Waste Advisory Committee (Chair)
  • Capital Regional Housing Corporation Board
  • Capital Regional Hospital District Board
  • Greater Victoria Airport Authority - Airport Consultative Committee
  • Active Transportation Advisory Committee
  • City Family
  • Honorary Citizens Committee
  • Urban Food Table

Biography

Ben Isitt was first elected to City Council and the CRD Board in 2011 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018. He holds a PhD and an LLB and has taught history, international relations and labour studies at UVic, UBC and Simon Fraser University. An award-winning historian, author and community advocate, Ben has written several books that challenge how we think about BC politics and Canadian and global history, including From Victoria to Vladivostok: Canada's Siberian Expedition, 1917-19 (UBC Press) and Militant Minority: British Columbia Workers and the Rise of a New Left, 1948-1972 (University of Toronto Press).

Ben's involvement in civic politics builds from his long-standing commitment to social justice and environmental protection. He has volunteered with residents and organizations on grassroots campaigns for worker rights, peace, indigneous rights, the abolition of poverty and racism, and protecting our region's forests and farmlands from urban sprawl. Ben's research on housing, regional land use and public education build on this community work. He combines professional and volunteer expertise with hands-on experience working with Victoria's street community as a Housing Support Worker with the Victoria Cool Aid Society.

Ben lives in the Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood and enjoys spending time with family in the outdoors - hiking, canoeing and backcountry camping. He has travelled to more than 70 countries for work and pleasure, gaining a deep appreciation for the world's diverse cultures and natural beauty.