Citizens' group recommends Victoria-Saanich amalgamation

4 month_ago 39

British Columbia·New

A citizens’ assembly looking astatine Greater Victoria’s 2 largest municipalities says Victoria and Saanich would beryllium amended disconnected if they amalgamated. The municipalities’ councils are expected to suggest a referendum connected the matter, allowing for each residents to measurement successful in 2026.

Question is expected to spell to referendum adjacent twelvemonth

Kathryn Marlow · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 07, 2025 6:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A radical of 48 radical gathers down a motion that reads Victoria-Saanich Citizens' Assembly.

After 8 months' of research, a radical of residents of Saanich and Victoria, B.C., said some municipalities would beryllium amended disconnected if they were to go one.

Saanich and Victoria are the 2 astir populous municipalities connected confederate Vancouver Island, with populations of 117,735 and 91,867 respectively (according to the 2021 census by Statistics Canada).

While they stock immoderate determination services, they are governed separately — with abstracted mayors and councils, abstracted constabulary forces, and more.

A mock-up of an envelope which reads "Help find whether Victoria and Saanich should amalgamate. effect required by May 30."

In a non-binding referendum successful 2018, residents approved of each municipality spending up to $250,000 to survey whether they would payment from joining forces.

The process was delayed by the pandemic, but yet began past year.

The Victoria-Saanich Citizens' Assembly, made up of 48 randomly-selected residents of the 2 municipalities, released its proposal this weekend.

This is Vancouver Island14:42Sictoria? Vaanich? The Victoria-Saanich Amalgamation treatment is yet astir to begin

Nearly six years ago, voters successful Saanich and Victoria said yes to an autarkic survey of the pros, cons, and costs of amalgamation — aft decades of statement and treatment of the idea. Now, invites are acceptable to spell retired to articulation the citizen’s assembly. The assemblage of randomly selected residents volition walk 8 Saturdays studying the matter, and past travel up with a recommendation: to go 1 city, oregon not. In this episode, we perceive however organizers are trying to marque definite everyone has a accidental astatine joining the assembly, including radical who are unhoused. We’ll besides get immoderate of the arguments for and against combining Victoria and Saanich.

Peter MacLeod chaired the assembly connected behalf of MASS LBP, a Toronto-based enactment that organizes citizens' assemblies astir the world.

He told On the Island big Gregor Craigie the assembly members studied however the municipalities work, and heard from residents astir what mattered astir to them.

He said they saw that Victoria and Saanich are akin successful size, spending, and services, and truthful would beryllium amended disconnected operating arsenic 1 successful everything from onshore usage to economical improvement to readying for clime change.

"So erstwhile they took a look astatine the wide swath of issues that they heard from residents that matter, they felt that the clip is present to commencement preparing for the aboriginal together," said MacLeod.

Next steps

The assembly volition present a last study to the Victoria and Saanich councils adjacent month, which volition see specifics arsenic to wherefore they made their recommendation.

Matt Dell is simply a councillor successful Victoria, and told CBC News he's excited to spot the report.

"I'm peculiarly funny to spot what they person to accidental astir occurrence and policing services, but it'll beryllium absorbing to perceive things astir parks and recreation, for example, arts and culture, backing pools, that benignant of worldly arsenic well."

Saanich politician Dean Murdock said some councils person committed to putting the question to the nationalist successful a referendum.

"It volition beryllium up to the voters connected whether oregon not we judge the proposal from the assembly, and if we're going to determination guardant with what a azygous municipality would look similar oregon not," Murdock told CBC News.

The referendum question volition apt beryllium added to the ballot during the B.C. municipal elections successful October 2026.

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