Started by the Previous Mayor and Council

North Saanich's Official Community Plan (OCP), adopted as Bylaw No. 1130 on May 23, 2007, entered an update phase in 2020 under then-Mayor Geoff Orr's council. The process began with adopting a new Regional Context Statement in February 2020, followed by selecting MODUS Planning, Design, and Engagement Inc. as consultants in July.

By the October 2022 municipal election, the process had generated substantial documentation, including a 600-page public engagement report. While neighbouring Sidney had completed its OCP, North Saanich's draft remained incomplete when work paused for the election.

The New Mayor and Council Change Direction

The election brought significant changes to the process. During the campaign, mayoral candidate Peter Jones stated: "They've spent over 500,000 on consultants. I'm not saying get rid of that, but pick the best parts out of it and simply add it to the existing OCP, which would then give it more clarity, easier to understand. And it's being done behind closed doors. My view is, you don't do things behind closed doors at a municipal level. You have to let the public know what's going on."

Following his election, Mayor Jones led a 4:3 council vote to restart the OCP process and established the Mayor's Official Community Plan Advisory Committee (MOCPAC). In February 2023, Jones expressed optimism: "I feel the OCP is going well. I was anticipating doing, some aspects of the OCP on the council meeting just before Christmas, but it was cancelled, so that kind of put me three weeks behind. But we've got lots of opportunity to catch up and, very shortly, the public is going to see, how we're moving forward on the OCP. And, once we start moving, it'll go fast. Not fast to the sense of we're going to rush things. We will take our time to get it right."

Multiple challenges followed. MODUS requested early termination of their contract, key staff departed including CAO Tim Tanton, and a council vacancy required a by-election. Felice Mazzoni was hired as the new Director of Planning, and completion targets shifted to November.

Bill 44 Changes the Rules for Housing Development and OCPs

The provincial government's Housing Supply Act introduced new requirements for municipalities in May 2023. Subsequently, Bill 44 was adopted, imposing specific deadlines on North Saanich. However, crucial details about the Housing Needs Report methodology remained pending until July 2024.

In November 2023, Mayor Jones addressed the timeline: "...looking for perhaps completion of it [the OCP] or starting the bylaws and everything else that go with the OCP. I'm not here to give dates, but our aspiration is June."

By July 2024, MOCPAC completed its work and presented its final report. The province's Housing Needs Report methodology, released July 17th, required North Saanich to plan for 2,493 additional residential units over 20 years. Public engagement concluded in August with a "What We Heard" summary, and the Council adopted an Interim Housing Needs Report in October 2024.

Three Months Behind Schedule and the Provincial Deadline Looming

At the December 16, 2024, council meeting, staff presented a draft outline of the OCP's vision, goals, and objectives. The new schedule targeted the release of the first draft in early March, followed by public and committee review. A second draft is expected in late April, leading to OCP Bylaw readings in May, a Public Hearing in June, and final adoption on July 14.

Director of Planning Felice Mazzoni emphasized public participation: "So we have to get that draft in front of the public so they can start reading through, giving us comments, both positive and negative, so we can take that back to council and get their input."

The compressed timeline allows three months for public review before the OCP Bylaw Public Hearing. The municipality must then update its Zoning Bylaw by December 31, 2025, paralleling challenges faced by Sidney, where residents sought additional time to review Bill 44-related zoning changes.

* minor editorial changes were made to the version originally published on Jan 9, 2025