Since its release last October, the draft Quadra McKenzie Plan (QMP) has sparked significant controversy. While many initially viewed the project as a traffic issue, a citizens group argues this is just the surface of a much larger problem. Longtime Saanich residents Stuart Stark and Nancy di Castri warned it could become “a disaster” for the municipality and residents in the targeted area.
The two community activists started getting an inkling of the project in late 2023. It was after attending public meetings hosted by the district that they started to grasp the potential extent of the plan.
“I sat down and listened to the planner go through the panels and slides and I discovered that our house had been suddenly zoned to be six to eight storeys,” said Stark, a retired heritage building consultant.
Stark and di Castri were horrified to learn that areas labelled as "urban hubs" were designated to welcome 18-storey buildings. The news came as a "shock," adding there was "no consultation" before the draft's release.
“We started getting quite anxious when we realized how much Saanich was going to change,” said Stark.
“This is a plan that we believe would be a disaster for the entire Saanich municipality,” added di Castri, a retired realtor.
With concerns and opposition to the project flooding into Saanich council in recent months, Mayor Dean Murdock reiterated the importance of creating a plan that manages growth in the area while balancing residents' well-being.
Welcoming a wide range of feedback gathered through public meetings, emails, phone conversations and online surveys, Murdock ensured that these inputs would help city staff revise the draft to better align with the community's needs.
“This is a planning effort that has involved a considerable consultation process,” he said. “I regret the frustration and concern that it's generating among folks and want to assure everyone that the council has heard the concerns that are being raised.”
After the draft's release, di Castri and Stark teamed up with 10 other residents to form Save Our Saanich, a local group aiming to block the plan.
Although they understand the ongoing need for growth in the municipality, the two argued that, if approved, the QMP could “upend” the lives of a fifth of Saanich's population.
“25,000 people live in the area of the plan,” said di Castri. “25,000 people are going to have their lives abandoned and a lot of them do not realize it.”
Since its launch, the group has canvassed over 2,000 homes, warning residents that multi-storey buildings could pop up in their backyards, potentially devaluing neighbouring properties and resulting in a loss of privacy.
“There's been developers leaving letters in people's mailbox saying, ‘Do you want to sell?’” said di Castri, calling it a developer-driven plan. “What Saanich has signalled is that it's open season on development.”
Murdock wants to dispel the misconception that the district intends to demolish single-family homes.
“There is absolutely no intention to demolish anyone's home,” he said. “Everyone who has found a home in Saanich will continue to [have] peaceful enjoyment as they always have.”
The draft’s final version will include a land-use process for individual applications, all of which will follow an open public process, “just as it always has been” noted Murdock.
“Any land-use changes will still follow the rezoning process that's required – all of which will also be subject to public input.”
The community advocates also raised environmental concerns about the 20-year project. Home to numerous parks, green spaces, and sensitive habitats, some of which host endangered Garry oak meadows, di Castri and Stark worry that the area’s flora and fauna will be “horribly affected by this plan.”
However, the mayor maintained that measures will be in place to protect sensitive ecosystems, green spaces, and designated heritage buildings throughout the plan's execution, should it be approved.
“The plan would never put any of those at risk,” said Murdock. “In fact, I think it will work to further enhance and support those efforts.”
Stark and di Castri are also concerned with the strain the QMP would place on Saanich's current infrastructure.
“It's missing so many aspects of what I would call good planning,” said Stark. “You don't just want that density for the sake of density and ignore everything else.”
A petition to halt the QMP, launched weeks ago by the group, has exceeded its initial goal of 2,500 signatures and now aims for 5,000.
The local group has met with the mayor and councillors to share their concerns.
“They listened, which was good,” said di Castri. “But I often think, when the rubber meets the road, they just kind of ignore what the community wants and or what is best for the community.
The next steps in the QMP process involve council reviewing a staff report summarizing the community’s concerns and recommended revisions, which will be presented in early February when the public will be invited to share their thoughts. The revised plan will be presented this spring.
