Sept. 10: The development proposal is to be scheduled for an Oak Bay public hearing on October 8th. Again, this development is not within Saanich or the CCA geography, but borders both and will be of interest to Saanich residents in the neighbourhood.
permissable building height in the affected zone to be increased from 3 storeys to 6 storeys
setbacks to be defined to provide a reasonable buffer between the proposed building and the University Woods neighbourhood to the north, largely by retaining the existing vegetation in that area
a reduction of on-site parking stalls as the proposed building is planned for an existing parking lot area; but only a loss of 5 parking stalls compared to the peak demand they counted
bike parking: 107 long-term and 43 short-term spaces planned; let’s hope the long-term at least are reasonably secure!
trees: 42 on-site and 14 municipal trees protected by the Tree Protection Bylaw to be removed, while 65 replacement trees will result in a total canopy coverage for the affected area of 67.5%
infrastructure: the sanitary sewage connection presents some challenges that should be resolvable given the proximity of both Oak Bay and Saanich sewage infrastructure; other infrastructure connections should be more easily planned
costs to build: Camosun College will pay Oak Bay just shy of $1.4 million when a building permit is issued
The above referenced report has expansive appendices that include a site design and building layout, and is well worth a read if only for the views of what is planned.
Notice of a development proposal has been posted by Camosun College on the Foul Bay Road side of their Lansdowne campus. This proposal for student housing has been a part of their long term vision, presented in their 2019 Master Plan, and commented on here more recently with respect to provincial government funding.
The proposed development will be on land that lies within Oak Bay, but a large portion of the Lansdowne campus lies within Saanich and the geography of the Camosun Community Association.
The stated purpose of the development:
This is an application for a zoning bylaw amendment to facilitate a six storey, 429 bed student housing building for Camosun College which would include a combination of single (dormitory style), studio (single suite) and quad (four-bedroom apartment style) units as well as retail and food services. It is accompanied by an Official Community Plan amendment application.
This much needed student housing will have an impact on the neighbourhood well beyond Oak Bay’s borders. Area residents will want to stay informed on this initiative as it moves forward.
Preparedness 101: Emergency Preparedness Begins with You
and Volunteer Information Sessions this fall.
The next exciting Speaker Series is on Thursday, September 18 about earthquakes and tsunamis with earthquake seismologist Dr. John Cassidy. More information about this event can be found on Saanich’s website here.
If you’re keeping track, it’s Phase 4 of the update to the SVP. And there are public engagementts now scheduled for online and in-person attendance. Please check out the table below reproduced from here.
Saanich has published an update to the Shelbourne Valley Plan. This draft plan is open to public review. Public engagement activities will begin after the details of this process are revealed in August, and take place from August and into October.
The updates focus on:
Aligning with the Official Community Plan, notably the updated land use framework
Integrating recently adopted Saanich plans and strategies
Reflecting up-to-date census data, community needs, and District-wide priorities
Considerable progress has been achieved in the more than ten years since the development of the Bowker Creek Blueprint. Meanwhile, new information, studies, and plans have emerged that the update aims to capture while engaging with the public, partners, and First Nations.
The updated Blueprint will guide Bowker Creek Initiative member municipalities (District of Saanich, District of Oak Bay, and City of Victoria), School District #61, the Capital Regional District, the community and other land stewards as they work to manage and restore the Bowker Creek Watershed and creek corridor into the future.
Check out the ways in which you may learn about this effort and have your input:
Event
Date & Time
Info
in-person Open House
Tuesday, June 10, Drop-in between 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Na’tsa’maht, Camosun College Landsdowne campus, 3100 Foul Bay Road, Victoria, BC
Ryan has packed a lot of information into this presentation, and it’s worth more than a quick read to understand the active role that we, as Saanich residents, need to take on if we’d like Saanich to attain the goals of the UFS.
The Friends of Bowker Creek will be hosting the subject presentation on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 from 7 – 9 pm at Windsor Park Pavillion in Oak Bay. The presentation will be followed by their Annual General Meeting – a great opportunity for you step forward and become more involved in caring for the Bowker Creek watershed!
Tom Rutherford has been involved in building partnerships to support community empowerment and salmon and watershed sustainability for almost 45 years. Tom had a long career with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and has working with Living Rivers/British Columbia Conservation Foundation as well as the First Nations Fisheries Council and the Pacific Salmon Foundation in their efforts to craft a made in BC Salmon Recovery Strategy. He has experience planning and implementing technical processes and partnerships with First Nations, providing scientific direction and guidance for program delivery activities, and successful development of strategies to meet Sr. Government resource management objectives.
Saanich is undertaking an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to obtain electoral approval for “Saanich Operations Centre Redevelopment Project Loan Authorization Bylaw, 2024, No. 10105”.
If you approve of Saanich’s approach to funding this project, you need do nothing, and you are encouraged to remain informed about the current state of the project as it moves forward.
If you disapprove of Saanich’s approach to funding this project, and are an eligible AAP elector, then during the term of the process,
Elector Response Forms may only be returned in one of the following ways:
Delivered in person at the District of Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Ave, Victoria BC, V8X 2W7, Attn: Corporate Officer, during regular office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. excluding statutory holidays), or after hours if deposited into the 24-hour secure drop box at the entrance of the Municipal Hall
By mail: District of Saanich, 770 Vernon Ave, Victoria BC, V8X 2W7, Attn: Corporate Officer
By emailing a legible copy to: aap@saanich.ca, as per the Alternative Approval Process Policy
The District of Saanich invites you to a Town Hall meeting, part of Council’s commitment to meaningful public engagement as outlined in the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.
The Town Hall will be an informal open mic session with no set agenda. Residents are welcome to speak on topics of importance, with a limit of three minutes per speaker, following the guidelines set out in the Council Procedure Bylaw.
Please note: Webcasting and MS Teams participation will not be available for this off-site meeting.
To register to participate, please email council@saanich.ca or call 250-475-5501. You will also be able to register to speak at the Town Hall meeting.
