For the first time on the Saanich Peninsula, car sharing is starting up and it’s a first for Central Saanich in welcoming the sharing economy.
A recent motion passed at a Central Saanich council meeting will see Developer Grant Rogers of Marker Group partnering with a car share organization to provide a membership for each owner of the four live/work units he is proposing as part of his West Saanich Road Development. That site was once home to the church in the heart of Brentwood Bay. The motion also saw the membership be tied to the unit title.
“So that means when they sell a unit, (car sharing) goes with it. A new person that buys it automatically becomes a member,” said Central Saanich Councillor Zeb King.
He said although it’s only a few units, it’s a good start.
Central Saanich resident Celeste Zimmer is also happy at council’s outcome.
“It would be great to see more of this not just in Central Saanich but all over B.C. and I think it’s just such a great message for people realizing that they don’t need the convenience of having a car every single day,” she said, adding that they should have more of a sharing economy.
Zimmer said she’s known about the initiative for a while as she has friends who use car sharing in Victoria, Vancouver and Calgary. She doesn’t use her car very often, as she bikes and buses around instead.
“So that would definitely be something that I would be leaning towards,” she said.
King will be heading out to a workshop in Vancouver about the sharing economy, which includes the likes of Uber, Modo, and Airbnb.
King said when you’re a member of Modo, you’re a member of all the vehicles in Vancouver and Victoria.
“There’s one parked at Swartz Bay and one at the Tsawwassen side, so you could technically not have to bring a car over, you could just book it on your phone and then catch the ferry and jump in…” he said, adding that he’s hoping to get that moving on the Peninsula.
He’s requested that Modo do a presentation in the next little while to talk about what they do.
“I mentioned to them that I think Central Saanich or Brentwood is ideal because somebody who wants to go to the Mill Bay ferry and go over to that end… they can catch the ferry…”