Pursuant to the Community Charter, public notice is given of Saanich Council’s intention to provide an interest free loan in an amount up to and including $250,000 to the Victoria Rowing Society for renovations to the Elk Lake Boathouse building located at 5100 Patricia Bay Highway. The loan will be repaid in instalments over a maximum five year period.

Council will consider this matter at a Committee of the Whole meeting to be held at 7:30 pm on Monday, March 15, 2010, in the Council Chambers, Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue.

For further information please contact the Legislative Division at 250-475-1775 or e-mail us at clerksec@saanich.ca.

In order to maintain satisfactory water quality throughout the distribution system, water main flushing is scheduled to start February 1st to April 30th, 2010. Businesses and other customers who wish advance notification of flushing in their immediate area are requested to call Waterworks at 250-475-5481 between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Any discolouration is temporary and users are asked to minimize consumption if a change in water appearance is noticed. The District of Saanich accepts no liability for inconvenience or damages caused by water use during its flushing program.

Your cooperation and understanding are appreciated.

0.25% interest per annum will be allowed on payments of 2010 property taxes made between January 2 and April 30, 2010. Interest will be calculated from the date of payment to July 2, 2010. Contact the Municipal Tax Department at 250-475-5454 for further details.

The Animals Bylaw requires that all dogs over the age of 4 months be licensed on or before February 1, 2010. Licences are valid for the calendar year and may be purchased in person at the Cashier’s Wicket, Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue, Victoria BC V8X 2W7, by mail, or at any Saanich Recreation Centre.

If your dog has been neutered/spayed within the last 12 months or is a Guide Dog, the licence is free. Please bring the applicable certificate with you when you obtain the dog tag.

WHY SHOULD I LICENSE MY DOG? It is a requirement under the Animals Bylaw. The fine for not having a valid dog licence is $150.00. A Saanich dog tag is the best form of identification to quickly reunite you with your pet. Veterinarians often call to find the owner of injured dogs.

2010 RENEWALS: If you are the owner of a dog that was licensed in 2009, you should receive a 2010 Renewal Notice in the mail. You can purchase your 2010 dog tag online. Otherwise, please return both parts of the notice when you purchase your dog tag in person at the Municipal Hall or by mail. If a Renewal Notice has not been received, please contact the Municipal Hall at 250-475-5494, local 3587.

The Business Licence Bylaw requires that all businesses operating in the District of Saanich be in possession of a valid business licence. This requirement applies to all commercial, industrial, home based and non-resident businesses operating within the municipality.

Renewal notices are mailed at the end of each year to all businesses that were licensed the previous year. Payment may be made online, by mail or at the Saanich Municipal Hall. Business licence fees are due and payable on the first business day in January each year, or the date of application for a new business licence, if later. If you are no longer operating your business please contact the Business Licence Division at 250-475-5401 so that we can update our records. Please check the Business Licence Bylaw for licence categories and fees.

How do I apply for a Commercial, Home Based or Inter-municipal Business Licence? A Business Licence Application is available online. A copy of the form is also available at the Municipal Hall or can be mailed to you upon request. For further information or fee rates, please contact the Business Licence Division at 250-475-5401. Please read our pages about One Stop Business Registration and BizPal as well at www.saanich.ca.

The District of Saanich has entered into a conditional Contract of Purchase and Sale with the McMorran family to acquire the vacant waterfront parcel adjacent to McMorran's Restaurant on Cordova Bay Road.

The parcel is adjacent to an existing beach access and staircase to the waterfront.

The acquisition is consistent with Parks and Public Open Space Policies in the Cordova Bay Local Area Plan.

For more information contact:

Mayor Frank Leonard
(250) 475-5510 (office)
(250) 361-7441 (cell)

Mayor Frank Leonard and Saanich Council are pleased to announce that Sharon Hvozdanski has been appointed as the District’s Director of Planning effective November 3, 2009. Ms. Hvozdanski was previously Saanich’s Manager of Special Projects. She has a Masters Degree in City Planning and Urban Design and over 18 years planning experience in Nanaimo and Saanich. She recently spearheaded the very successful Saanich Official Community Plan process. The previous Director of Planning Russ Fuoco retired at the end of September.

The District of Saanich is asking the public to be on the look-out for a particularly nasty new invader. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), an invasive plant from Europe, has devastated forests in eastern Canada. Some call it the new purple loosestrife. It is also a new invader to British Columbia, first reported on Vancouver Island in 2004. There are now a total of seven sites identified in Saanich and at least one in Victoria. Officials are asking for public assistance to respond rapidly to avoid widespread infestation such as has happened in Ontario, where it is out-competing plants in natural areas and completely taking over the understorey.

Saanich Parks and Saanich Environmental Services are coordinating an “Early Detection Rapid Response” to garlic mustard. This involves responding to reports on public lands with trained staff to properly remove the plant, and notifying private landowners to remove the garlic mustard before it sets seed. They are requesting the assistance of the public to report any new sites and for volunteer efforts to help control and monitor current sites.

Saanich would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of volunteers in Mt. Douglas Park, the first identified and most impacted site in Saanich. Volunteers are now needed to continue this work and are urgently needed at three sites in Gordon Head, Layritz, Prospect Lake and Cordova Bay.

Garlic mustard flowers in April and May, and a single plant produces hundreds of seeds in June and July. Because it is self-pollinating; a single seed can start a new invasion. This noxious invader also produces a toxin around its roots that kills soil fungi that are vital to the growth of other plants, making it a deadly neighbour.

Saanich is working with other jurisdictions and the Coastal Invasive Plant Council to stop the spread of this species to other areas on Vancouver Island. Invasive species are one of the biggest threats to native ecosystems and biodiversity throughout the world. Invasive species can have severe ecological, economic and health impacts. Many species are inadvertently spread by humans and pets as well as escaping from gardens to natural areas. Controlling invasive species and their impacts requires partnerships throughout the community and neighbouring jurisdictions.

If you would like to find out more about garlic mustard and other new or particularly invasive species, visit Saanich’s website at http://www.saanich.ca/resident/environment/invasive.html.

To report garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in Saanich, or to volunteer please contact: Saanich Environmental Services at 250-475-5471

To report garlic mustard in the City of Victoria, please contact: Victoria Parks at 250-361-0600.

For further information:
Darren Copley, Environmental Education Officer,
Saanich Planning Department
Phone: 250-475-5471
E-mail: Darren.copley@saanich.ca

The Municipality of Saanich is continuing to monitor and assess the risk posed to residents by the Swine Flu. As with any infectious disease, the following are recommended standard precautionary measures:

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. When you cough, do so into your sleeve if possible.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
· If you get sick, stay home from school or work and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

To obtain up to date information and bulletins regarding the Swine Flu Influenza and severe respiratory illness (SRI), please click on the Vancouver Island Health Authority link below.
http://www.viha.ca