About us
A volunteer group asking one question persistently
WAVE — Water Access & Venues for Everyone — is a group of swimmers, parents, coaches, club volunteers and residents from across Greater Victoria. We came together because the region kept losing pool space and no single body appeared to be accountable for it. We are not a registered organization, we do not fundraise, and nobody here is paid.
Our mission
To advocate for increased, equitable and sustainable aquatic capacity in Greater Victoria — more lanes, more learn-to-swim space, more leisure water, more accessible programming, and the staff to run it.
Our scope is public policy and community outcomes: access for families and youth, lane swimming and clubs, accessibility and inclusion, community health and drowning prevention, and equitable distribution across municipalities.
How we work
Non-partisan
We welcome participation from people of all political views. We do not endorse candidates or parties, and we do not tell anyone how to vote. We publish what candidates tell us and let residents decide.
Evidence-based
We prioritise facts, data and lived experience, and we distinguish clearly between the two. Where we are uncertain of a figure, we mark it as unverified rather than repeating it as fact.
Equity and access
We advocate for solutions that address real barriers: cost, transportation, disability access, schedule constraints and cultural safety. Accommodation is not an extra.
Civil
We disagree with ideas, not people. No personal attacks on elected officials, staff, candidates or community members. Public channels stay appropriate for youth and families.
Collaborative
We seek constructive partnerships with municipalities, school districts, First Nations, community associations, clubs, health organizations and recreation providers.
Transparent
We communicate our priorities and positions publicly. Official positions are agreed by the group; individual members speak for themselves unless they say otherwise.
Privacy and consent
We do not publish anyone's personal contact details without consent. We ask permission before using a person's name, photo or family story in public materials, and we are particularly careful where children are involved. Where we use participation data from clubs, we use aggregate municipal totals only — never individual records.
Corrections
We will get things wrong. When we do, tell us and we will correct the page and note what changed. That applies especially to anything we publish about a candidate.
Get in touch
Whether you are a candidate wanting to answer the questionnaire, a parent with a story about a program you could not get into, a club with data to share, or a resident who wants to help — we would like to hear from you.
Email: REPLACE@example.org