Mayor's Annual Address

We welcome your extensive backgrounds of community service, your positive and pro-active approaches to the issues in the campaign, and your familiarity with Council proceedings. We know the people of Saanich will immediately benefit from your contributions to this Council.

You are replacing some very experienced civic leaders in Jackie Ngai and Bob Gillespie. Jackie Ngai held elected office for 15 years – six years as a School Trustee and nine years on Council; and Bob Gillespie served on Council for 18 years. Councillor Ngai is most proud of our Centennial Library and Centennial Trails, while Councillor Gillespie is proud of a reformed Water Commission, our renewed Golf Course, and agricultural policies. To both of you – many, many thanks!

To my fellow veterans of Council: congratulations. The fact that all incumbents who sought re-election have been returned is a vote of confidence. We are all honoured to once again have the opportunity to serve such a great community.

The appendices attached to this address list 2008 Accomplishments and 2009 Goals consistent with our Strategic Plan. They are grouped according to our strategic themes and reflect the progressive agenda that this Council has a mandate to fulfil. They are for your review as this Address will focus on a few highlights.

The people of Saanich take pride in our healthy and active community. Building on the success of our community space partnerships at Colquitz and Gordon Head Middle schools, and at Cordova Bay Elementary School, we began providing recreation programs at Royal Oak Middle School in 2008.

Thanks to provincial/federal infrastructure grants, we will expand the Cordova Bay centre and renovate and expand our Gordon Head Community Recreation Centre in 2009.

Provincial funding and community partners also contributed to the successful completion of new sports fields at Layritz, Lochside, and Tyndall parks. Next year, a new artificial turf field will be completed at Braefoot Park and this will be the fifth such field to be achieved thanks to remarkable partnerships with our community sports associations.

Council will also consider a proposal for a Nature Scape park on municipal land in Royal Oak which could provide environmental education and be a community gathering place.

A strategy for a healthy community must also address the needs for affordable housing and we are encouraged to see two new proposals for transitional housing in our community. Our recently adopted Official Community Plan sets out a range of actions that will unfold in 2009 and, in addition, Council will consider a proposal for a municipal affordable housing land bank which could acquire land and land use approvals for worthy projects.

The people of Saanich take pride in our safe community. We have enhanced our emergency preparedness by building a post-disaster communications centre, acquiring specialized vehicles and equipment, and by completing a seismic upgrade of our fire hall in Gordon Head.

We remain committed to our police and fire departments being fully staffed and equipped with modern resources while providing leadership on regional initiatives.

We are also proud of the growth in the community partnerships for public safety. Our flagship Block Watch program has now been joined by a Business Block Watch for merchants, a Park Watch for park users and U-Watch for our UVic Residents Community. Our Emergency Program is promoting the Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program as residents realize the need for self-reliance during a disaster. And we are especially grateful to the volunteers who serve in our Emergency Program and Police Reserves.

The people of Saanich are committed to a sustainable community. Saanich is making significant progress on Climate Action. In 2008, we followed through with our commitments under the Climate Action Charter by establishing a corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target of 10% by 2010, we set up and funded our award-winning Carbon Neutral Program, an on-line carbon calculator, and also hired Vancouver Island’s first Climate Action Coordinator. We are very pleased to report that our most recent inventory shows an absolute reduction in energy consumption in Saanich buildings and operations since 2004, plus there’s been a 4.1% reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Saanich residents have supported our commitment to infrastructure replacement and transportation options. The progress we have made towards sustainable levels of infrastructure spending is outlined in Appendix C which describes a 500% increase during the past 12 years. While our largest transportation project will be the reconstruction of the Admirals Road Bridge, this Council will complete the next phase of our Centennial Trails, work with BC Transit to upgrade our bus stops, and increase the level of sidewalk construction. We will also consider designating Blenkinsop Road between McKenzie Avenue and Royal Oak Drive as a Heritage Road, recognizing its unique historic and agricultural significance.

The people of Saanich appreciate our commitment to service excellence and have given us high marks in customer satisfaction surveys. This is a credit to the first class public servants we work with.

There is a need, however, for a broader consultation on our taxpayers’ ability to pay given the global economic crisis. Our Finance and Personnel Committee will meet this month and design a public consultation process for input into our 2009 budget.

These uncertain financial times will refocus our attention on economic development. Two key planning studies can combine the need for safe and balanced transportation corridors with a mix of new residential and commercial developments. The Shelbourne Corridor review should examine long-overdue traffic and mobility issues south of Pear Street while the Douglas Corridor review should include the Boleskine area.

Winning elected office is an honour; having the opportunity to shape one’s community is the reward. Our citizens want Saanich to be safe, healthy, sustainable, and affordable; and as their Mayor and Council, we are eager to meet this challenge.

Thank you for your attention this evening and for joining us on this special occasion.