As outlined in Saanich's Housing Needs Report, Saanich needs to build thousands of new homes to handle both the existing housing deficit and future growth, given the steady migration of people to Greater Victoria.
The result of our failure to build can be seen in the West Shore. Instead of badly needed housing being constructed in the core municipalities of Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Saanich, and Victoria, Langford and Colwood have bulldozed hills and razed forest after forest. Saanich has especially lagged behind.
The result? An entire generation of young people has moved to Langford, Colwood and Sooke to raise their kids, while Saanich's homes are filled with empty nesters. SD 62's (serving the West Shore) student enrolment is climbing every year while SD 61’s (serving the core municipalities) is shrinking.
Increasingly, Camosun and UVic students, as well as the region’s workers, are commuting from the West Shore, making traffic worse and driving overcrowding on buses.
Making it easier to build more homes, and making it easier and faster to take transit was the genesis of the Quadra McKenzie Plan. That plan was made even bolder than originally conceived after many months of consultation, as Saanich residents asked the municipality for more housing options, faster transit, better cycling, and more density. Saanich got this feedback when they asked thousands of residents for comment in municipal-run workshops, pop-ups, and surveys. This plan is what some homeowners are now very upset about.
Opposition has turned ugly. Opponents have gone door to door, often spreading misinformation to generate outrage and frustration. One frequent example mentioned by speakers at the hearing is homeowners talking about how their home is about to be demolished by the municipality, a ridiculous claim spread by canvassers. Another frequent comment was the demolition of heritage structures. The Quadra McKenzie Plan does not include doing anything to these structures as they are already protected by existing policy.
These same opponents are now accusing Saanich council of being a 'dictatorship', and anyone who supports this plan of being a paid developer lobbyist. This a ridiculous and untrue claim.
After speaking at Saanich council on Monday in support of the Quadra McKenzie Plan, my friends and I were sworn at multiple times while leaving the chamber. One was leaned over and told he was the “garbage of the earth.” Another was taunted with “you b___h”. I will not repeat the homophobic question that I was asked, or any of the more extreme insults, in print. We chose to leave the hearing early as we felt unsafe.
Sadly, this behaviour is not new. I've heard from many people who are now afraid to participate in public consultations with council after hostile or creepy encounters. Since 2020, my fellow advocates have been threatened, stalked, and verbally abused for wanting more housing and better transit. What is new is openly insulting pro-housing and pro-transit advocates in council chambers. I advocate for housing and transit because I want to help make my hometown a better place for the people I love. It breaks my heart that those very people won’t be safe engaging in local politics.
This is unacceptable. People have the right to feel safe while participating in the democratic process. Otherwise, we are no democracy at all.
Samuel Holland, chair
Better Transit YYJ
