With almost 115,000 residents, Saanich is the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, a suburban community flanked by an even larger chunk of rural land, greened up with 157 parks.
Rural Saanich, with only a few thousand residents, remains central to the self-image of the municipality, with several council contenders citing the need to enhance local food production and sustainability. Nearly 400 properties are assessed as farms in Saanich, but their owners often need to work other jobs — another pressure on the economics of local food production.
An overarching theme in this campaign is that Saanich is a great place to live safely and comfortably, but wise decisions on land development, transit use and economic growth are crucial to keep it that way.
New candidates say it’s time for a change and for a council that better reflects younger voters, given that current council members have served an average of 15 years each.
All nine incumbents are running again, including Mayor Frank Leonard, who is seeking his seventh term.
In seeking the mayor’s chair, Richard Atwell points to a lack of public consultation on everything from sewage treatment to amalgamation.
For a municipality largely laid out for car travel, going green is a backdrop to the campaign, with several candidates saying they were motivated to run in order to combat climate change.
Saanich has two Camosun College campuses and a portion of the University of Victoria, but concern is rising over the loss of talent when students graduate and leave the area due to lack of opportunity or affordable housing.
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Saanich facts
- Seats on council: Mayor, 8 councillors
- Major issues since last election: affordable housing; sustainable development and transportation; protecting food producers
- Annual pay, mayor: $93,737 plus expenses
- Annual pay, councillors: $36,991 plus expenses
- Revenue, 2013-14: $189 million
- Expenses, 2013-14: $151 million
- Estimated population (2011): 109,752
- Estimated eligible voters: 80,978
- Voter turnout, 2011: 25 per cent
- Amalgamation question: Do you support council initiating a communitybased review of the governance structure and policies within Saanich and our partnerships within the region?
- Advance voting: Nov. 10, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Ave.
- General voting: Nov. 15, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Campus View Elementary, 3900 Gordon Head Rd.; Cedar Hill Middle, 3910 Cedar Hill Rd.; Cordova Bay Elementary, 5238 Cordova Bay Rd.; Cloverdale Traditional, 3427 Quadra St.; Doncaster Elementary, 1525 Rowan St.; Frank Hobbs Elementary, 3875 Haro Rd.; Glanford Middle, 4140 Glanford Ave.; Gordon Head Middle, 671 Kenmore Rd.; Hillcrest Elementary, 4421 Greentree Tr.; Lochside Elementary, 1145 Royal Oak Dr.; Prospect Lake Elementary, 321 Prospect Lake Rd.; Reynolds Secondary, 3963 Borden St.; Royal Oak Middle, 751 Travino Lane; Spectrum Community, 957 Burnside Rd. W.; Tillicum Elementary, 3155 Albina St.; Pacific Rim Alliance Church, 1792 Townley St.
