July 11 - Draft Quadra-McKenzie Plan a go in Saanich

Good morning !

We’re starting today with an administrative note about our publishing schedule. With the summer months here, we’re going to take a little break and do five newsletters a week instead of seven. 

What does that mean for you? Well, first, you won’t receive a newsletter tomorrow (Saturday) morning, and you also won’t receive one on Mondays going forward. The rest of our newsletters will run as normal with all the same great community updates that you look forward to!

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 26 / 14 

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 26 / 15

Sunday: 🌤️ 20 / 14

7-day forecast

NEWS

Saanich moves forward with draft Quadra-McKenzie Plan after tense meeting

The Mon. meeting—which ran nearly five hours—ended just before the clock struck midnight, with the council voting to hold another round of public engagement on the draft Quadra-McKenzie Plan (QMP) this fall. The motion passed 5-3, with one councillor absent.

The QMP has been in the works since 2023, and is known to get residents' blood boiling. The official proposed plan will be presented to the council early next year and could be implemented by next summer.

Dozens of Saanich residents—both for and against the plan—lined up to speak to the council at the meeting, with roughly 100 in attendance. Many of the speakers who were against the plan wore a Save Our Saanich pin, a group opposed to housing density and highrises.

After strong criticism of the plan earlier this year—mainly for the proposed reduced traffic lanes along McKenzie and Quadra—in February, council approved staff-recommended changes, including delayed modifications to McKenzie until BC Transit could be consulted, reduced density in Quadra North, and another round of community engagement for a new draft QMP.

Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock said the plan has sparked “unprecedented public involvement,” receiving more than 10K comments from the public throughout the process. Save Our Saanich has received 5,200+ signatures on its petition against the QMP.

That dedication to Saanich’s future was brought to the forefront at this meeting—and resulted in cheers, boos, and jeers from those in attendance.

The evening’s chaos has prompted Saanich to look into safety measures for future meetings with large gatherings. Murdock told the Times Colonist that he plans to meet with staff about updating safety guidelines. The tensions that flared this week were reminiscent of issues at the Langford council, where one member of the public was ultimately banned for inappropriate behaviour.

Read on to find out the key issues brought up by those for—and against—the QMP.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Road closure: Broughton from Douglas to Broad. 7am-5pm. [City of Victoria]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Meet the 7 candidates in tomorrow's Sooke council byelection

General voting to fill the seat left vacant last fall by now-MLA Dana Lajeunesse is tomorrow at Ed Milne Community School from 8am to 8pm. If you can travel to a voting place but find it difficult to get into the building, an election official will bring you a ballot. Curbside voting will be available at all voting places. [More voting info]

Read candidate mini-bios below, or find full bios and campaign links at Capital Daily.

• Katherine Strongwind, a small business owner and Sixties Scoop survivor advocate who has worked with Songhees Nation and advised two BC ministries. She wants more road safety infrastructure, more waterway and greenspace protection, a new education campus, and a mobile crisis-response unit. 

• Helen Ritts is on several city committees and nature-related local boards. She wants to support the results of recent public consultations, to limit sprawl and protect green spaces, and to implement a new Town Centre Plan.

• Elaine Price is a recently semi-retired nurse and health-care operations director. She wants to add medical services and retail, and to limit property taxes. 

• Nathan ­McKeown has worked in construction and project management. He wants more collaboration with other governments and communication with the public, and to address rising taxes and traffic.

• Herb Haldane is a homebuilding contractor and 2008-2014 Sooke councillor who also ran for mayor in 2014, for council in 2018 & 2022, and for MLA in 2024. He wants a restored Chinook salmon smolt project, a new road to Sunriver, and to lower property taxes by cutting spending and permitting time while adding more commercial buildings. 

• Nick Dickinson-Wilde is a web developer, karate instructor, and longtime Green volunteer and candidate. He wants to finalize the OCP, hold more referendums at election times, reduce traffic with free school buses, have more businesses in the core, and have a waterpark closer to home. 

• Shaun Burns has worked in retail operations and wants to represent young workers and families. He wants more efficient and proactive municipal planning and to diversify Sooke’s economy, including by removing some development restrictions.

SPONSORED BY THE VICTORIA FOUNDATION

Pulse magazine spotlights social impact in the capital region

Hot off the press!

This year's Pulse magazine showcases the beating heart of the capital region: the remarkable organizations working to make a difference and the generous donors, fundholders, and volunteers who support them.

From a newcomer family who tirelessly operates a mobile food bank to an organization valiantly saving whales from marine pollution, Pulse delves into the hearts and minds behind the missions of critical non-profits and charities.

You can also read the Victoria Foundation's latest financial updates and how the foundation is helping the community address the root causes of today’s challenges. One of the ways is through impact investing—the latest global trend to intentionally direct investments toward social purpose initiatives.

Want to learn more? Read the latest edition of Pulse today and get inspired to make a difference in your community!

⭐️ Capital Picks

🦅 Young bald eagles wait for their parents to come back with food. [Bruce Moffat / Facebook]

🥳 Tomorrow's the day! Celebrate 10 years of Royal Bay at Quarry Park—live music, local vendors, family fun, giveaways, and more from 1-4 pm.*

^{*Sponsored Listing}

🗞️ In Other News

Man who drove a car at a protester gets 1 year in jail and a 10-year driving ban
A BC Supreme Court justice said he was satisfied Christopher Sura Johnson didn’t intend to hit the protester—who was holding a Palestinian flag and had to run out of the car’s path—in the 2023 incident at the legislature. Johnson, 41, said he only wanted to intimidate the demonstrator. Johnson also made derogatory and racist comments like “Go back to Jordan” to the protesters, the justice said. In 2010, Johnson was convicted of assault for driving at someone—a woman suffered a broken leg and a concussion in that incident. [Times Colonist]

VicPD investigating two stabbings downtown on Wed.
One woman was stabbed in the morning during a fight that broke out on Pandora near Quadra, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe the two people involved in the fight know each other. Another stabbing occurred just after 9pm at Douglas and Pandora, with a woman sustaining serious and life-altering injuries after being pierced multiple times. The two incidents are not believed to be linked. [VicPD]

Oak Bay police step up patrols after indecent act spotted at Willows Beach
Sat. afternoon, a man was seen engaging in a sexual act near the boardwalk. The suspect is described as being between 30 and 40 years old, with a medium to dark complexion, and was wearing black shorts and a blue T-shirt before he left the area. “Acts of public indecency are illegal and can result in criminal charges,” OBPD said in a statement. [CHEK]

Construction begins on intergenerational affordable housing in Saanich
Work on the Luther Court Society’s 95-unit development is underway at 3781 Cedar Hill Cross. The affordable homes—75 one-bedrooms, 15 studios, and five two-bedroom suites—will be available for people of all ages with low to moderate incomes. The majority of Luther Court residents are in their 80s or older. When it’s completed—and that’s expected in summer 2027—the new building will be connected to the existing Luther Court facility by a walkway. [Luther Court]

SPONSORED BY PATH DEVELOPMENTS

Happy 10th Birthday, Royal Bay

Join the community for Royal Bay’s 10-Year Anniversary on July 12 from 1-4pm at Quarry Park. Enjoy live music, local vendors, family fun, and a first look at the new bike track. Plus, scratch and win up to $50,000 off a new PATH home!

See you there!

🗓️ Things to do

🥳 Make Good Party: This open-air day party will be held at the plaza in front of Havyn Spa. Live DJs playing in the shipping container, a dance floor, a Maker's Market curated by Migration Boutique, food trucks, a bar serving local beverages, and games for the family. July 26. 2-10pm. [Info]

🎶 Opera in the Summer: Presented by Pacific Opera Victoria. Pacific Opera singers will be in parks and surprise public spaces presenting concerts and free Pop-Up Opera events. July 22-27. Various places. [Info]

🐞 Ross Bay Villa Garden Party: Live music, Victorian games, and heritage displays, along with tea and cake. House tours by donation. Ross Bay Villa. Sun. 1-4pm. [Info]

🌳 Music in the Park this weekend: In Colwood, The Temps at Lagoon West Park. Tomorrow. 5:30-7:30pm. [Info] In Langford, the Chick Wagon Band at Veterans Memorial. Sun. 2-4pm. [Info]

🌅 Gonzales Sunset Beach Party: The Fairfield Gonzales Community Association is hosting this event, with crafts, music, food, and stand-up paddleboarding. Tomorrow. 4:30-7:30pm. [Info]

🐱 July Adoption Event: Looking for a furry friend? Paw Space Pet Boutique is hosting this event, with 10 kittens (five grey, five tuxedos) ready for a new home. Tomorrow. 10am-2pm. [Info]

👗 Plus-size Clothing Swap: Find styles that fit at this community clothing swap, organized by Selkie Counselling and Fat Sisters Vintage, at Oaklands Community Centre. Tomorrow. 11am-1pm. [Info]

🎵🥧 JR & the Bad OX Band: John Rewers and Gary Brewer play the North Saanich Farmers Market. Tomorrow. 9:30-12pm. [Info]

🍻 Fridays at the Station: This weekly bash features local beers, live music, and a farm-to-table market. Langford Station. Today. 4-8pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: Vic West’s Roundhouse development gets green light; Victoria Uber drivers get union certification; MLA Grace Lore to have surgery. [July 10]

Victoria-Saanich amalgamation: Citizens’ assembly on why it suggests going for it. [CHEK]

Langford senior stops to help a man who wakes up and beats him unconscious. [Times Colonist]

Island Health safety guide to summer festivals. [Island Health]

Food trucks at Clover Point all summer. [Thu.-Mon.]

Garter snake strikes back: The snake shows off its defensive skills after the cameraperson got too close. [Video]

That’s it!

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