The CCA and The Friends of Bowker Creek together oppose the sale of part of the Lansdowne School south campus property.
To understand our position and to help us preserve this as green space within the floodplain of Bowker Creek, please take a few minutes to understand our position and hopefully help us make our case to Saanich and the BC government.
For those of you who would like School District 61 trustees to follow the rules set out by our provincial government for land disposal, the history on this subject may be of interest.
Timeline of Land Sale – SD61 Lansdowne Middle School South
PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
- Signed September 17, 2021
- 3 Conditions:
- 3rd Reading of SD61 Disposal Bylaw
- Minister of Education’s approval of land disposal
- Subdivision approval (Saanich Approving Officer) and rezoning by Saanich council.
CHRONOLOGY
- Sep 17, 2021 – SD61 signs Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1.9 acres
- Oct 14, 2021 – SD61 announces proposed land sale nearly a month after the Sale Agreement
- Nov 3, 2021 – Online public Q/A session
- Dec 8, 2021 – multi-agency meeting/BCI presentation
- Jan 24, 2022 – SD61 Board passes 1st and 2nd reading of disposal bylaw
- Feb 11, 2022 – SD61 Board suspends 2 trustees
- Mar 14, 2022 – SD61 passes 3rd reading (1 vote margin) for sale of 1.28 acres, reduced from 1.9
- Sep 23, 2022 – BC Supreme Court finds that suspensions not appropriate.
- Sep 27, 2022 – Minister of Education approves land disposal
COMMUNITY EFFORTS
- Online Q/A meeting, SD61 Board and Committee Meetings
- 605 pages of public correspondence
- ~16 presentations to SD61 Board and committees
- >25 presentations at Feb 23, 2022 SD61 Special Meeting
- 10 joint FOBC/CCA letters to Minister of Education & SD61 including legal analysis
- Lie-Down for Lansdowne Rally – Feb 17, 2022 120 people attended.
- ~2500-name petition
- One-on-one advocacy with trustees and municipal Councillors
- Meetings with/requests to MLAs Rankin and Fleming
- Zoom “meeting” with senior staff at Ministry of Education
