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Council candidate Tom Croft

District of Oak Bay: Council candidate Tom Croft
Black Press Media
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Tom Croft

Community Involvement

Tom is best known in Oak Bay as a founding member and active participant, with wife Jill, in the 2006 formation of the Community Association of Oak Bay (CAOB). As President, Tom provided leadership on many successful initiatives, including:

  • Organizing community forums on Active Transportation that promoted a complete streets policy. This resulted in the formation of the Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC) of Oak Bay Council.

  • Participating in the redevelopment of Oak Bay High School to ensure the inclusion of a Neighbourhood Learning Centre, in partnership with Oak Bay Council and Greater Victoria School District #61.

  • Forging partnerships with the environment committees of Oak Bay Council and the Capital Regional District on the Bowker Creek Initiative reclamation and celebrations.

  • Developing and creating the Tourism Information Bike, in collaboration with Oak Bay Tourism.

  • Developing and supporting the Oak Bay Community Green Map.

    • Tom is also a member-at-large and past secretary of Oak Bay Tourism, and member/past director/past president of the Rotary Club of Oak Bay. He helped to create the Peter Pan Rotary Spray Park at Carnarvon Park and the Teen Centre at Oak Bay High School/Oak Bay Recreation Centre.

    Tom has been committed and involved in community initiatives throughout the Capital Regional District, including:

    • First President of the Community Association of Oak Bay, 2008 – 2014

    • Member/Co-chair of the University of Victoria Community Liaison Committee, 2009 – 2013

    • Member of Community Engagement Working Group, District of Oak Bay, 2010

    • Active participant with various community organizations on homelessness, which led to the successful purchase of Woodwynn Farm, 1996 – 2000

    • Member of City of Victoria Mayor’s Homelessness Action Task Force, 2001

    • Member of Bid Committee and Volunteer, 1994 Commonwealth Games, 1987 – 1994

    • Director of YM/YWCA Victoria, 1992 – 1993

    • Director of Four Season’s Theatre, 1989 – 1993

      • Business Background

      Tom’s professional background as a bank manager and real estate professional has provided him with sound financial management skills to serve the people of Oak Bay.

      As a senior branch manager for the Toronto Dominion Bank in Whitehorse, Yukon, Tom collaborated on a large corporate credit facility of $350 million and initiated a National Telecom loan of $22 million. Prior to becoming a branch manager, Tom was a commercial credit officer supervising the lending operations of fifty branches.

      As a real estate professional since 1988, Tom has successfully worked with both the BC Housing Corporation and the BC Lands and Asset Corporation. The latter agency manages British Columbia government real estate assets, including the sale of Crown Land. Specifically, Tom assisted to expedite the sale of surplus Crown Land that is now a housing development in Victoria, and acquired a number of properties for group homes serving persons with disabilities. Tom has also helped many hundreds of families find their personal homes in Greater Victoria.

      Personal

      Tom was born in Victoria and has lived here most of his life. Through his many years of community involvement, and as a realtor, Tom has engaged citizens on a personal and professional level. He has a working knowledge of land use bylaws in the Municipality of Oak Bay and the Greater Victoria municipalities. Tom understands how bylaws influence community plans and how they impact Oak Bay residents.

      Tom and Jill are graduates of the University of Victoria and have been married since 1972. They have resided in Oak Bay for 30 years; have two daughters and two granddaughters. Tom is active in the Spokesmen’s Cycling Club and sings with Jill in the Mardi Minstrels Oak Bay Choir. Jill is a fabric artist.