BY Shawn Steele, Saanich resident
Most people don’t know what an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is, how it works, why it is used, and how to oppose it. The AAP process was selected, instead of holding a referendum, to get Elector approval for Council to proceed with the “Saanich Operations Centre Redevelopment Project Loan Authorization Bylaw” to authorize Saanich to borrow up to $150,000,000 for the project at the expense of taxpayers.
You can hear more about the AAP process in general and its implications by listening to the Adam Sterling podcast at CFAX on June 11, 2025, “Unadvertised implications.”
By comparison, the City of Victoria chose a referendum process to borrow up to $166,000,000 (only $16M or 10.7% more) to redevelop the Crystal Pool. The key difference is that the Crystal Pool project benefits the community whereas the Saanich Operations Centre project mainly benefits staff and a private developer partner.
Saanich has been working on the Public Works yard site redevelopment for decades. The public works facilities are past their usable life and almost everyone agrees that the public works aspect of the site should be redeveloped. A smaller-scale project including the works yard, its related buildings, and even adding a small administrative building all seem realistic. Saanich residents have only asked, evidenced by community engagement feedback, to keep their beloved garden waste drop-off service at the site.
After the Provincial housing targets writ, after the accelerated adoption of the density-focused new Saanich OCP, and in conjunction with the proposed Quadra McKenzie Plan, a larger-scale vision became possible for the public works site redevelopment. The staff project team engaged development consultants and re-shaped the project to have a larger administration building and to fit in two, up to 18-storey buildings each, mixed use buildings erected on the site. The new approach removes the garden waste drop-off and involves altering Public Works Creek itself that runs through the property. This is evidenced by the rezoning application site plan that is already at the referral stage after only six months and the rezoning is not subject to a public hearing.
In order to proceed with the larger-scale project, and necessary to attract a private developer partner, Saanich chose to obtain $150M or 83% of the initial project budget via an AAP process. The developer contribution is estimated at $30M or 16%, with Saanich itself contributing only 1% towards the project budget. At the same time, Saanich is holding over $150M in reserve funds and has over $30M in accumulated surpluses that are not being spent.
In this case, the AAP process requires 8,735 eligible electors in Saanich find, print, sign, and submit an Elector Response Form within the AAP period that ends on June 25, 2025. Electors are assumed to be in favor of the above unless each person submits an Elector Response Form on time. The onus is on the individual to oppose the loan and its implications as it is presented.
If you would like to submit an Elector Response Form, you can download the form directly:
https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/local-government/alternative-approval-process-aap/saanich-operations-centre-redevelopment-project-loan-authorization-bylaw.html