Blog
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Garry Oak Ecosystem: What the Songhees Nation Is Asking Us to See with the Quadra McKenzie Plan (QMP)
The Quadra McKenzie Plan (QMP) in Saanich is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. The plan proposes significant growth over the next 20 years, concentrating housing and mixed-use development along the Quadra-McKenzie corridor and key transit routes. Its ambitious growth targets are largely driven by provincial housing mandates, illustrating how provincial… Read more
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Save Brighton Greenway: A Community Defending Place
Learn more and sign the petition: https://savebrightongreenway.com One of the most encouraging stories unfolding in Greater Victoria is not about a politician, developer, or government program. It is about ordinary residents who decided that the places they love are worth speaking up for. The Save Brighton Greenway movement emerged in response to a proposed 24-unit… Read more
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Bill 16: An Untapped Opportunity for Victoria’s Urban Forest
Much of the public discussion about housing legislation has focused on what municipalities can no longer do. Bills 44, 46, and 47 reduced local control over density and removed public hearings for many residential developments. As a result, communities across British Columbia have struggled with how to protect urban forests while accommodating growth. Yet another… Read more
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BC NIMBY Toolkit (Housing / Development Guidelines) and No Public Hearings
đżď¸ Squirrel for Mayor Unearthed documents show the use of the word “NIMBY” in BC government publications. Development Approvals Process Review (DAPR, 2019) Direct quote: âPublic hearings can enable NIMBY (an acronym for ânot in my backyardâ) which describes residentsâ opposition to a development in their own neighbourhood, while raising no objections to similar developments… Read more
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Demand more Garry oaks and their ecosystem are saved on this 903 Admirals Road development
The petition has been started, which calls for stronger protection of Garry oak ecosystems in the proposed 903 Admirals Road development in Esquimalt, highlighting significant ecological loss and insufficient replacement planning. Squirrel for Mayor notes that according to the projectâs Appendix C Landscape Plan, the site currently contains 54 trees (with 8 additional off-site trees… Read more
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When Climate Action Loses the Plot: Saanich at McKenzie Roads and the Consequences of Not Thinking with Place
By Squirrel For Mayor At the March 17, 2026 Saanich Council decision approving a rezoning application and development permit for a six-storey condo proposed for the corner of 961 McKenzie and 3986, 3990 Saanich Road, the justification was familiar â and explicitly stated. Loss of Garry oaks, we were told, is the price of protecting… Read more
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When Housing Debates Erase Ecology: The Story of 4015 Braefoot Rd. and the Garry Oak Ecosystem
By Squirrel for Mayor A petition has been created by local resident Yves Parizeau to save numerous Garry Oaks at 4015 Braefoot Rd. in Saanich. The petition has already garnered 1,233 signatures. Sign the Petition In spring 2025, a piece of land in Saanich, BCâtwo acres of former hobby farm at 4015 Braefoot Rd.âbecame the… Read more
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What Does It Mean to Live in an Urban Forest?
By Squirrel For Mayor Living in an urban forest isnât just about having trees nearby or pockets of green space stitched between streets and buildings. Itâs about placeâand the many spaces required for life to unfold across species, seasons, and scales. In this short video, we see black-tailed deer teaching their young, a Cooperâs hawk navigating food spaces,… Read more
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Province nixes Malahat widening through Goldstream Park
The Ministry of Highways and Transportation says additional analysis is required to âunderstand the potential environmental impacts of the project.â The province said Thursday it will not proceed with a project to widen the Trans-Canada Highway through Goldstream Park, citing the need for more environmental review. The $162 million set aside for the project in… Read more
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Comment: Garry oak ecosystem is under great threat in Saanich, Times Colonist, Feb 03, 2026.
Times Colonist, OpinionFebruary 3, 2026Ryan Senechal https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comment-garry-oak-ecosystem-is-under-great-threat-in-saanich-11824300 The dominant species in this area is Garry oak, and casual observations confirm that Âdozens of other species that Âco-evolved with this tree species are also present. A commentary by a Saanich resident. Buried on page 135 of Saanichâs Quadra-McKenzie Plan are clues of what is in store… Read more