Category: Articles, Letters, and Petitions
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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 — 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 In spring 2025, a piece of land in Saanich, BC—two acres of former hobby farm at 4015 Braefoot Rd.—became the flashpoint for a wider conflict. A rezoning application proposing 24 townhomes quickly sparked a contentious divide between those focused on increasing housing supply and those alarmed at the ecological cost. But Read more
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Comment: Garry oak ecosystem is under great threat in Saanich
February 3, 2026Times ColonistOpinionRyan Senechalhttps://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comment-garry-oak-ecosystem-is-under-great-threat-in-saanich-11824300 Comment: Garry oak ecosystem is under great threat in Saanich The dominant species in this area is Garry oak, and casual observations confirm that dozens of other species that co-evolved with this tree species are also present. A commentary by a Saanich resident. Buried on page 135 of Saanich’s Quadra-McKenzie Read more
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Setbacks, Soil, and Survival: Why Urban Forest Protection in Victoria Starts with Space
By Squirrel for Mayor Setbacks are often treated as a technical zoning detail—numbers on a site plan to be minimized in the pursuit of density. In reality, setbacks are one of the most powerful tools a city has to protect its urban forest, safeguard biodiversity, and uphold climate resilience and public safety. In the City Read more
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Will Oak Bay Council Allow 48 Bylaw Protected Trees to be Cut for Townhomes in the Uplands? Residents Urge Council to Reject Proposed Development.
By Squirrel for Mayor 2830/2850 Lansdowne Road This proposed development involves two adjacent lots in the Uplands on Lansdowne Road, located on the north side between Ripon Road and Norfolk Road. Both properties are zoned R-2 Residential Use. The purpose of the application is to permit the proposed construction of a Small Scale Multi Unit Read more
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Oak Bay – Carrick Trail trail saved: ‘When neighbours come together, good things happen’
Read more at: https://vicnews.com/2025/10/29/oak-bay-trail-saved-when-neighbours-come-together-good-things-happen/ When the District of Oak Bay proposed to put a 15-foot-wide paved bike path over a small natural corridor back in 2024, a group in the community spoke out. Soon, these members banded together to not only protect that little corridor that had come to mean so much to them – they Read more
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Saanich – Parts of Panama Flats to be designated as park to protect birds, off-limits for dogs
Times Colonist, October 22, 2025 by Michael John Lo Starting next year, staff is set to begin updating trails, fencing and signage in the area to create a dedicated area for migratory birds, waterfowl and rare plants.z Large parts of Panama Flats will eventually become off-limits to dogs, after Saanich council agreed to designate the Read more
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City of Victoria – Official Community Plan 10-Year Update: Official Community Plan Bylaw, Zoning Bylaw 2018 and Zoning Regulation Bylaw Amendments
The Rockland Neighbourhood Association and the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society presented at the public hearing for the Official Community Plan Update on September 11, 2025. The hearing took place over the course of four hearing dates, with Mayor and Councillors voting 5 to 3 to approve the new blueprint for the City and its Read more
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The Inconvenient Garry Oak Ecosystem: Distinguishing Native Trees from House Plants through Victoria’s Draft OCP.
By Squirrel for Mayor August 26, 2025 The urban area of the City of Victoria is the Garry oak (Quercus garryana) ecosystem (GOE) – a fact often left out of discussions on the urban forest. GOE or Kwetlal food system in lək̓ʷəŋən language, have been shaped by Indigenous agroecological management for thousands of years. It Read more
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Neighbourhood saves a tree in Saanich
Times Colonist, Opinion. Letters July 30, 2025 At 5032 Wesley Rd. in Saanich stands an iconic, 100-year-old big leaf maple. Neighbours were surprised when a notice was hammered into the trunk of this tree by Saanich advising that within 10 days, the tree would be cut down to facilitate a developer’s connection to underground sewer Read more