The Friends of Bowker Creek are planning to host a Bowker Biodiversity Day at the Kings Road Community Nature Green Space on August 12th, 2023.
They’re also seeking your ideas regarding the biodiversity topics on which to focus at the same time that Saanich is redefining its Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and the Urban Forest Strategy, and encourage you to join their team that is planning this event.
The minutes of the March 9, 2023 meeting of the CCA board of directors may be found here.
Context for housing developed referenced in minutes may be found here.
Concerned about inflation, rising taxes and affordability?
Saanich draft financial plan for years 2023 to 2027 will be adopted on May 8, 2023 – see here for details Financial Plan
CCA board meeting minutes of Marh 9, 2023
Saanich has scheduled two open houses to discuss the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and the Urban Forest Strategy. Details here and in the pretty poster shown below.
| Day | Time | Place |
| Tuesday April 18 | 5:00pm to 7:30pm | Cedar Hill Golf Course Clubhouse |
| Wednesday April 19 | 6:30pm to 8:00pm | Online at Saanich.ca/naturestrategies Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsc-6hrzsvHdJLvMPTjRb7HhGXXl0ZD1nc |
We encourage you to participate in an open house, and to fill out the strategy questionnaires that are now available until May 8:
The Vancouver Sun has published an op-ed by Arny Wise that expresses his observations regarding the current housing crisis. Mr. Wise, an urban planner and retired developer, focuses on the impact that investors have on new housing being created, making housing just another commodity within the “free market”. And he outlines his ideas on what governments can do to curb and perhaps reverse this trend, making housing a less attractive vehicle for holding and growing wealth.
As he states at the end, there is no magic bullet to fix this problem.
One of our favourite positive interests, the Shelbourne Community Kitchen, has recently been profiled by the Times Colonist newspaper, along with the SCK’s plans for expansion.
Look for SCK to start fundraising soon in support of that expansion.
The minutes of the February 9, 2023 meeting of the CCA board of directors may be found here.
The Vancouver Sun reports on the projected loss of tree canopy throughout Metro Vancouver, the negative effects of this, and the steps the Metro area needs to take to reverse this trend.
Almost certainly many of the same observations apply to the Victoria area and indeed to Saanich specifically, where developments – such as the recently approved “25-unit town-home project” undertaken by Abstracts Developments north of Swan Lake – will be removing many mature native tree species including Gary oaks.
An example of the tree loss suffered when single family dwellings are replaced with multi-family dwellings. We know additional housing is needed, but when we lose mature tree canopy we also lose the moderating effect its shade can have during extreme heat events.
We encourage Saanich and its planners to work toward increasing the tree canopy across all Saanich neighbourhoods, and to perhaps work more creatively to retain mature native species when redevelopment occurs.
Saanich has an Urban Forest Strategy (UFS).
It [the UFS] provides a comprehensive list of policies and actions to enhance our urban forest and address current and future issues.
UFS update -bulletin
Saanich is in the process of updating the UFS, with Phase 1 starting this spring.
Before phase 1, you can still contribute to the online mapping tool. Share natural places you value, help identify threats to these places, and let us know where things could be improved.
UFS update -bulletin
Within the geography of the CCA, we’ve had Saanich improve Browning Park and most recently do a refresh on Allanby Park; both efforts focused primarily on playgrounds for neighbourhood children.
The recently acquired Kings Road Community Nature Green Space, with its bounty of trees shading the trail alongside Bowker Creek, and its open spaces frequently used by dog walkers, could benefit in this UFS exercise by CCA residents highlighting its importance to them. We encourage you to take the time to use that online mapping tool to flag Kings Road Community Nature Green Space and to provide your thoughts on that space’s urban forest.
On Wednesday, February 1st, at the Kings Road Nature Space, an event sponsored by both BC Hydro and The District of Saanich occurred during which Lansdowne Middle School’s eco-education class helped to restore native plant habitat.
Here’s an update on what was accomplished.
The children planted a total of 233 plants including:
update on the event
Yarrow, Salal, Red-Flowering currant, Ocean Spray, Dull Oregon-Grape, Hedge-Nettle, California Brome, Columbia Brome, Nootka Rose, Snowberry, Sword Fern and Sea Blush
Please contact by email Deanna Pfeifer, or by phone (250) 514-2860 if you’d like to help at events like this or simply learn more about Kings Road Nature Space.
The minutes of the January 12, 2023 meeting of the CCA board of directors may be found here.
