Saanich continues to grow, and it’s no surprise. It’s a highly desirable place to live, raise a family and be part of a community.
With that growth comes the need to think about and plan for the future. The district is taking steps to build more homes more quickly, ensure our infrastructure and services can keep pace, and maintain the public assets we enjoy on a daily basis.
Among those assets are Saanich’s outdoor sports fields and lacrosse boxes which are well-used by local sports teams and recreational leagues, keeping people of all ages active, healthy and engaged with their community. The sports community has provided significant contributions in volunteer hours and funding for improvements over many years.
We want to ensure we can continue to offer those benefits for years to come, for everyone who wants to play sports in Saanich. That’s why we’re reaching out to the local sports community for help.
As we take stock of our assets and research current gaps, future demand and trends, we need local sports groups to tell us how their needs are evolving along with our community. We want them to share what’s working well and what’s not, so that we can understand and plan for future needs. The outdoor sports field strategy will guide future planning, management and investment in outdoor sports fields and lacrosse boxes.
This work links to Saanich council’s strategic plan which prioritizes community well-being initiatives, including investments in people and neighbourhoods to foster community health and a sense of belonging.
Local sports groups bring a lot of value to our community, helping people of all ages to play the game they love, enjoy the teamwork and camaraderie of the field, and pursue excellence.
The proactive research we do together today will help us create a thoughtful, modern and sustainable plan that outlines the long-term systems and resources needed for a successful future of sport in Saanich.
Paul de Greeff, manager
Saanich park planning and development
