Save our Saanich

Affordability maintains neighbourhood character - The current zoning excludes the very people who make up a neighbourhood. Neighborhood character is about the people who live in a place, not the size of the buildings, and only allowing the least affordable type of housing means that only the wealthiest can afford to live there.

We need to house people to keep Saanich desirable - People need places to live in order to work in cafes and quaint shops. If folks cannot staff these places, they will close and Saanich will suffer.

Saanich will still be nature-first - Housing options mean living closer to where we work and play. The more sprawl, the more asphalt is needed to connect everything, which destroys nature instead of nurturing it. More people on less land means more green space for everyone.

Upzoning brings affordability - A recent study out of New Zealand reported an increase in housing supply and a decrease in rents compared to other municipalities once land was upzoned to allow for a greater diversity of housing options.

Our dollars go further - The denser a city becomes, the lower the cost of infrastructure and services for each household.

It saves us money - More homes means a broader tax base that helps support stable services and quality infrastructure to meet the needs of Saanich residents now into the future.

Saanich stays beautiful - With a larger tax base, the city can expand its community facilities and maintain the core infrastructure keeping Saanich clean and functional.

Public transit punches above its weight - At rush hour, buses carry 50% of people on McKenzie. Giving buses their own lanes means they run faster and more reliably, meaning fewer people on the road getting in the way of drivers.

Adding lanes doesn’t work - Tons of cities have tried moving the majority of their residents using cars, and the result is the same every single time; gridlock, noise, and pollution. We should look to places that have solved these problems rather than repeating the mistakes of others.

Safer streets for everyone - Fewer cars make for safer streets. Increasing the viability of alternative means of transportation gives everyone a fair shake, regardless of how they choose to get around.

There will not be highrises in our backyards - The Quadra and McKenzie plan only allows for highrises along major arterial roads.

There are existing houses taller than low-rises - Low-rise buildings are no more than 4 storeys tall, which is just under twice the height of a 2-storey house.

More housing options are more eco-friendly - The most eco-friendly developments replace a single-family home with a multi-family building

Sprawl is worse for trees - Forcing people out of cities means clearing greenspace for housing like Bear Mountain. To truly save the tree canopy, we must build in existing neighbourhoods.

Fix the labour crunch - The Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce expects the labour shortage to increase due to a lack of housing, and is calling on the municipalities to address the housing shortage by increasing supply.

Local innovation and success - More people means more ideas, more small businesses, and more customers for those businesses, bringing neighbourhood uniqueness and charm while allowing our local economy to thrive.

A doctor for everyone - Lowering the cost of living will make Victoria a more attractive place for healthcare professionals, alleviating the healthcare crisis.