Growth that respects place

Saanich is not one community. It is twelve local areas, each with its own history, character, landscape, transportation patterns and sense of community.

That matters.

For decades, Saanich residents helped shape Local Area Plans that reflected what people valued about their neighbourhoods. Those plans became an important bridge between community participation and municipal decision-making. Nathalie has long argued that they represent a bond of trust between residents and Council.

Saanich needs housing. It also needs safe roads, sidewalks, transit, parks, schools, trees, infrastructure and neighbourhoods where people can actually afford to live. The challenge is not whether Saanich should change. It is how we manage change without losing the qualities that make our communities work.

Nathalie believes growth should be planned, not simply imposed. That means looking at the whole picture: where homes are built, how people move around, whether infrastructure can support them, what happens to trees and green space, and whether new development contributes fairly to the community that receives it.

This is particularly important as provincial housing legislation changes what municipalities can do. Saanich must meet its housing responsibilities, but it should also continue to insist on good planning, appropriate infrastructure and meaningful community input.

A neighbourhood is more than the number of units that can fit on a parcel.

It is a place where children walk to school, neighbours know one another, seniors can remain connected, people access parks and shops, and residents feel that their community has a future they can help shape.

What this means in practice:

• Restore meaningful neighbourhood planning and update Local Area Plans with residents.
• Plan housing together with infrastructure, transportation, parks and natural assets.
• Support housing that is genuinely affordable and meets the needs of families, seniors and people at different stages of life.
• Build complete, walkable and connected communities.
• Protect neighbourhood safety, trees and green infrastructure while accommodating responsible growth.
• Ensure development pays its fair share of the infrastructure and amenities it creates demand for.
• Respect the distinct character and needs of Saanich’s urban, suburban and rural communities.

We can welcome new neighbours without losing the communities that made Saanich worth moving to in the first place.