There are pamphlets and posters being circulated in North Saanich by a very small group of disgruntled North Saanich residents that are spreading misinformation and misconceptions about the official community plan update currently taking place.
Their use of language to spread alarm by using terms such as “high density” and “major commercial hub” is dangerous and, to anyone who actually is following North Saanich’s process with any sense of perspective, laughable. Other misinformation that is being spread is that the end result was made in advance and that staff are simply checking boxes. This is damaging to our concept of democracy at the local level and should cease immediately.
The truth is that housing is a regional issue, not a municipality-specific issue and certain parts of North Saanich can no longer be considered rural at all. Staff, by putting forward concept drawings and suggestions that work to contain the already developed parts of North Saanich, are actually working to preserve the rural and agricultural nature that this group says they want to preserve. Staff knows that they are not going to solve the housing crisis that exists in our region by themselves, they also know they have to work with other municipalities like Sidney and Saanich to achieve a solution. The arguments by this group are simply incoherent.
Eric Diller
Sidney
