As 2024 comes to an end, Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock reflected on what he described as a “very busy year” for both council and district staff.
“[There’s] lots of great work underway,” said Murdock in a phone interview with Saanich News. “We're a growing community and the secret is out, Saanich is a great place to be, and more people are looking to put down roots here.”
The mayor highlighted that with a growing municipality comes the challenge of meeting various demands, particularly surrounding housing, which remains the district’s chief concern.
“We need to focus on creating more homes and making sure that [they] meet people's needs and fit their budgets,” said Murdock.
Despite missing this year’s provincial housing target, Murdock and his council remain hopeful about reaching next year’s goal. Shifting focus to address the growing housing demand, the mayor noted that Saanich will soon see the results of these efforts.
“This year, we tripled the number of building permits compared to last year,” said Murdock. “A third of those were for affordable non-market homes. We will continue to move forward… with an emphasis on affordability.”
Having changed gear to address this need, Murdoch and his team are confident they can meet “and ideally exceed” the five-year provincial target of 4,610 new homes.
Achieving this goal, however, is a balancing act, Murdock recognizes.
“What goes along with building more homes... includes the services and amenities that people rely on to put down roots and build a life in this community,” he said.
For Murdock, conscientious expansion is key to meeting the needs of a growing municipality, including adding parks and green spaces while protecting sensitive ecological areas. Enhancing road safety, increasing public transit, and protecting road users also rank among Murdock's top priorities.
While the past 12 months brought its share of challenges, Murdock learned some valuable lessons – many stemming from the Quadra McKenzie plan – that will influence his leadership in the new year.
“I've learned a lot about consultation [and] how our planning processes need to reflect a vision that everyone can be proud of,” said Murdock. “We're gonna carry into 2025 an awareness of how we create a vision that ensures that everyone can get around conveniently but doesn't further frustrate folks who are commuting on our major corridors.
“I don't think we got it perfect in our first foray into the Quadra McKenzie plan, but I think there's an opportunity for us to learn from that and do better ultimately with the final version of that plan.”
