The North Saanich Residents Association wants people who live on the Peninsula to know what’s on the table when it comes to development issues in their community.
To that end, they will host a community meeting on Thursday, Oct. 4 in the Powell Room at St. John’s United Church on West Saanich Road from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
“Basically, it’s an information-sharing session with our members and others in the community,” said the association’s vice-president Heather Gartshore. “It’s to help people learn what’s in the works with the District of North Saanich council.”
Issues of development and density are hot topics among residents and Gartshore said the association wants people to have as much information as possible.
“The North Saanich Residents Association exists to promote interest in the affairs of the district,” she said. “We want the community to be aware of what’s going on.”
She added the NSRA isn’t taking sides, but is aware that the district council is faced with a large number of development applications calling for increased density and zoning amendments, which does not exactly fit in with the district’s current official community plan.
With arguments on both sides of an ongoing development versus maintaining the OCP debate, Gartshore said meetings like theirs will help people better understand the issues facing the community and its elected leaders.
“It’s a complicated process,” she continued. “For the average Joe to find out what’s going on in just a few articles, it’s hard to know. So this will be an information session and a discussion.”
Gartshore added the mayor and council from the District of North Saanich have also been invited to Thursday’s meeting, where it is expected the topics will range from workplace and affordable housing issues, to growth and how it impacts on local infrastructure. To learn more, visit www.northsaanichresidentsassociation.ca.