Sixth in a series of profiles of Victoria’s eight mayoral candidates in the Nov. 15 municipal election

More fun and more farming – the phrase mayoral candidate Saul Andersen has splashed on his psychedelic posters means more to him than it may say to some.

“More fun means adequate housing and harm reduction,” said the wild-haired 39-year-old. A taxi driver, a single father to a 13-year-old son and a one-time independent candidate for Parliament.

It also means skateboarding downtown, support for festivals and green walkways. It doesn’t include what he calls the city’s “attack on the entertainment district,” trying to force take-out eateries to close early, but would mean giving bars more time between last call and closing time to reduce the flow of unruly drunks hitting the street late at night.

Andersen grew up in Vancouver, earned a degree at Simon Fraser University and came to Victoria in 1993, “kind of for family,” he says.

“It was more of a fluke, really. And then I liked it a lot, because it kind of reminded me of the Vancouver that was disappearing post-Expo.”

He would support creating housing co-ops in the city, and try to increase regional co-operation on housing. “If you try to wheel a shopping cart into Oak Bay, I’ve seen it, they’ll turn you around,” he said.

He’s modest when asked what qualifies him as the best to build that wider support, or win funds from the province. “Nothing more than anybody else. I’ve become pretty good at working with people and asking questions and listening, I think. So we need to go into our communities that are kind of at work already.”

Getting more food grown in the city, whether in backyards, parks or boulevards, means more food security, decreased carbon emissions and better emergency preparedness, he said.

While Andersen seems realistic about his odds of winning, he’s hopeful that vote split between other candidates could work in his favour.

“Somewhere inside I think I’m ready to do it. No one’s speaking for me and that why I ran, and that’s why I’ll continue to run.”

If he does win, he says he won’t give up driving his cab and will still work a few shifts a week. “It would keep me in touch with the people. If you see a taxi parked in the mayor’s spot, please get in,” he laughs.

kvass@vicnews.com