Council approved a six-month pause on enforcing the business-licence rules for short-term rentals, after local hosts said they could not obtain a licence under the District’s current system. It also backed a legal review of proposed limits on public comments about staff, while one councillor warned the wording could deter criticism of government decisions. A provincial housing adviser’s recommendations prompted a sharp debate about the District’s recently adopted Official Community Plan (OCP); Council scheduled a special discussion for July 13 and asked councillors to send feedback by July 6. Council also approved $250,000 toward resurfacing McDonald Park Road and adopted a remuneration bylaw that drew three votes against it.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council added several late items and rearranged the agenda, including moving the provincial housing minister’s letter into new business. A councillor also asked to move a correspondence item for discussion. The amended agenda passed unanimously.
Agreement
Council agreed to include the late items and make the requested agenda changes.
Routine: approve the meeting agenda with the late items added and the agenda renumbered.
Official wording: That the June 29, 2026, Regular meeting of Council agenda be approved, as amended, with the inclusion of the late items, and further, that the agenda be renumbered accordingly.
7(b) D. Warner, on behalf of the Mary Winspear Centre/Saanich Peninsula Memorial Park Society - verbal presentation
community services1 public speaker6:23 Watch · Read
A representative of the Mary Winspear Centre reported average annual net income before interest and amortization of more than $278,000 over the past three years, but said the centre still cannot fund a new roof or heating, ventilation and air-conditioning upgrades. A roof leak disrupted a sold-out show, and parts of the building lack heat or cooling. The centre expects regional operating and capital funding for its theatre from 2027. It also plans to install a donor-funded playground at Blue Heron Park in late July or early August, and wants a new District funding agreement, as the current one expires at the end of 2027, to support the park as well as the centre.
Agreement
Council thanked the presenter; no councillor questions or objections were raised.
Council reported that it is exploring a lease with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the former pavilion building to support community and seniors’ programs. It also announced plans for a public information piece explaining the District officers bylaw and the relationship between Council and the chief administrative officer. Council reported the appointment of a chief election officer and deputy for the October 17, 2026 election. Separately, it reported that three advisory committees would not meet until Council reviews a legal opinion, and that staff would review whether committee members’ conduct breached the code of conduct. That announcement became a point of concern during public participation.
10(a) Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Celia Stock regarding Public Participation Period
The motion proposed a public announcement and changes to the chair’s opening statement: public comments should focus on policy, projects, bylaws or agenda items, not individual staff or human-resources matters. It also proposed treating disparaging or attacking comments about staff as a breach of meeting decorum. One councillor supported protecting staff but argued that terms such as “reflecting negatively” were too broad and could deter residents from criticizing reports or administrative decisions. Councillor Stock said the aim was to keep personal employment matters out of public meetings, not to prevent criticism of reports. Council amended the motion to require a legal review of proposed changes to the public-participation rules, then passed the main motion as amended by a 6–1 vote, with Councillor Shrivastava opposed.
Agreement
Councillors supported protecting staff from harassment and personal attacks.
Council agreed that staff should obtain a legal review as part of the review process.
Disagreement
Councillor Shrivastava argued that the wording about comments reflecting negatively on staff could sweep in legitimate criticism of reports and government decisions; Councillor Stock said the motion targeted discussion of individual staff and private employment matters.
Councillors differed over whether legal review was needed before proceeding; the motion was amended to include a legal review.
The motion would announce and add meeting guidance telling speakers not to discuss individual staff or personnel matters during public comment. It would direct comments toward policy, projects, bylaws, or agenda items, and say that disparaging or attacking staff could lead to a recess or removal of the speaker.
Official wording: The District of North Saanich will:
1. issue a public announcement outlining that discussion or comments regarding individual staff, staffing issues, and employee human resource issues will not be tolerated during the Public Participation Period of the District's open Council meetings; and further,
2. make an addition to the Rules of Procedure preamble, which is read by the Mayor or Chair of the Council meeting prior to the Public Participation period, a statement that Public comments must focus on policy, projects, by-laws or Agenda items, and further, that members of the Public are not permitted to refer to or speak about specific Staff personnel issues at open Council meetings, and indicate that disparaging, attacking or reflecting negatively on Staff is considered a breach of meeting decorum and will lead to a meeting recess or the speaker being removed.
Before bringing proposed changes to the public-comment rules back to Council, staff would obtain a legal review of them.
Official wording: That the Main Motion be amended to add "3. and further, that Council direct staff, as part of the review of the Rules of Procedure of the Public Participation Period, to obtain a legal review of any proposed amendments prior to presenting the revised draft to Council for consideration."
Sixteen members of the public spoke. Several challenged Council’s decision to pause three advisory committees and review committee members’ conduct, raising concerns about fairness, confidentiality and the loss of community advice. Other speakers discussed the OCP and provincial housing recommendations: some urged Council to protect rural and agricultural land and the urban containment boundary, while another resident stressed that North Saanich also has established urban neighbourhoods and can accommodate some development. Five short-term-rental operators or supporters urged Council to pause enforcement while the District develops a licensing framework, describing notices, possible fines and cancelled bookings. Speakers also raised a bike-crossing safety request for McDonald Park Road and other local matters. Council extended the period first by 20 minutes and then by three minutes.
Agreement
Speakers on both sides of the housing debate expressed support for providing housing, while disagreeing about where and how growth should occur.
Several short-term-rental speakers said they wanted to comply with District rules but could not obtain the required licence under the current framework.
Disagreement
Speakers disagreed about the scale and location of growth: some called for strict protection of rural and agricultural lands and the OCP, while another speaker argued that existing urban neighbourhoods should not be overlooked and that some development is appropriate.
Speakers disagreed with Council’s public handling of the advisory-committee review, questioning its fairness and confidentiality; another speaker supported keeping individual staff complaints out of open meetings.
Routine: approve the minutes of the June 15 special and regular Council meetings.
Official wording: That Council:
1. adopt the minutes of the Special meeting of Council held June 15, 2026; and,
2. adopt the minutes of the Regular meeting of Council held June 15, 2026.
Council adopted the 2025 annual report by a 6–1 vote. Councillor Shrivastava opposed it, saying the report did not provide the fuller ISO categorization of work across departments that he had expected from earlier discussions.
Disagreement
Councillor Shrivastava said the report lacked the promised detail on ISO categorization across departments and would not support adoption; the other six councillors voted in favour.
Carried 6 to 1253Item 10(a)(i)1:52:19 Watch · Read
Council would adopt the District’s 2025 annual report.
Official wording: That Council adopt the District of North Saanich 2025 Annual Report as outlined in Staff Report No. CS-26-027.
Council approved seeking an external operator for the new Harvest Hub. Staff estimated the annual tax impact at about $185,000 under a staff-operated model and $96,000 with an external operator; the lower estimate reflects less District staffing. The District would still cover building maintenance and utilities. The operator would manage day-to-day service and regulatory requirements. The business model includes food aggregation, distribution and retail, as well as honey processing requested by local beekeepers. Staff said the gift agreement requires the District to operate the facility for five years, but does not require it to be profitable. The project was reported to be tracking on budget.
Agreement
Council unanimously approved the request for expressions of interest for an external operator.
Councillors recognized the work of the Harvest Hub working group and agricultural community.
Council would receive an update on the Harvest Hub and invite outside operators to express interest in running the new service.
Official wording: That Council:
1. receive FIN-26-015 Harvest Hub Facility & New Service Update for information; and further,
2. approve the Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) for an external operator to operate the new Harvest Hub Service.
Council approved $250,000 for resurfacing work on McDonald Park Road as part of a joint project with the Town of Sidney. Staff clarified that the work covers the District’s side of the road, from the centre line to the curb beside the existing multi-use path; a suggested bike-crossing marking upgrade is not part of this project. A councillor asked whether nearby development could damage the new surface. Staff agreed to check for active development permits and report back.
Agreement
Council unanimously approved the resurfacing funding.
Staff agreed to check whether nearby development activity could affect the timing or useful life of the road work.
Council would approve $250,000 for road resurfacing work supporting Sidney’s McDonald Park Road improvements.
Official wording: That Council receive Staff Report No. IS-26-011 and approve $250,000.00 for roadway resurfacing works to support the Town of Sidney project to for McDonald Park Road improvements.
Councillor DiBattista reported that municipal associations had been advocating for a new funding stream so local governments are less dependent on property taxes. He said progress toward direct federal funding had stalled after the provincial government declined to reopen the Constitution to discuss municipal funding models. He also highlighted conference sessions on artificial intelligence and climate.
Routine: receive Councillor DiBattista’s report on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference.
Official wording: That Council receive the liaison report from Councillor DiBattista regarding the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference held June 4 - 7, 2026, for information.
Council received committee minutes for information. A councillor noted that the Community Planning Advisory Committee had unanimously recommended that Council not support a proposed recreation facility in Central Saanich until residents receive more information about its costs, benefits and implications. Councillors also noted ongoing committee work on the Harvest Hub and agricultural policies.
Agreement
Council unanimously received the committee materials for information.
Routine: receive for information the draft minutes from the four listed advisory and variance committee meetings.
Official wording: That Council receive the following items for information:
1. draft minutes of the Board of Variance meeting held June 18, 2026;
2. draft minutes of the Community Planning Advisory Committee meeting held June 9, 2026;
3. draft minutes of the Agriculture and Food Security Advisory Committee meeting held June 10, 2026; and further,
4. the draft minutes of the Healthy Community Living Advisory Committee meeting held June 11, 2026.
Council adopted the remuneration bylaw, but three councillors opposed it. Councillors Marshall and McConkey said the proposed increase of about 29.9% should instead be phased in, as the working group had recommended; Councillor McConkey also compared it with typical collective-agreement increases of about 3%. The bylaw passed 4–3.
Agreement
Councillors acknowledged the work done by the remuneration working group.
Disagreement
Councillors Marshall and McConkey opposed adopting the increase without phasing it in; the majority supported adoption.
A councillor asked what testing and certification applied to the voting tabulators and whether British Columbia Elections recommended them. Staff said the District uses a widely used supplier but could not provide the requested details at the meeting. The transcript moves on to the housing correspondence without capturing a declaration of the bylaw vote.
Carried, unanimous259Item 11(b)
Council would adopt the bylaw authorizing automated voting machines.
Official wording: That North Saanich Automated Voting Machines Authorization Bylaw No. 1607 (2026) be adopted.
Council discussed the provincial housing adviser’s report and the minister’s directives, including a possible regional growth strategy amendment to extend the urban containment boundary around three development nodes. One councillor welcomed that the report did not call for development in rural communities such as Ardmore and Lands End, but questioned the proposed boundary change around Dean Park Estates. Other councillors argued that the province’s direction conflicted with the OCP and left too little time for public input. Council voted 5–2 to receive the correspondence and make the July 13 Committee of the Whole meeting’s sole item a discussion of the housing direction. Councillors were asked to send staff their points by July 6 so they could inform a draft response.
Agreement
Council agreed the provincial direction needed further discussion and that staff should prepare material for a July 13 discussion.
Council agreed to receive the minister’s correspondence.
Disagreement
Some councillors supported proceeding through the scheduled July 13 meeting because of limited staff capacity; Councillors McConkey and Shrivastava opposed the plan, arguing the issue was too consequential to proceed without more time and public input.
Council would receive the Minister’s letter about the District’s Adviser Report and discuss it, with public input, at the July 13 Committee of the Whole meeting instead of deciding on it now.
Official wording: That Council:
1. receive the correspondence dated June 16, 2026, from the Honourable C. Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs regarding the District of North Saanich Adviser Report; and further,
2. defer consideration of the correspondence to the Committee of the Whole portion of the hybrid Committee of the Whole/Regular Council meeting scheduled for July 13, 2026, to allow for discussion and public input.
Council received correspondence about accessibility at Wain Road Park and directed the Director of Infrastructure Services to attend the next Saanich Peninsula Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting, expected in September, to present the overall park plan.
Agreement
Council unanimously supported having the Director of Infrastructure Services present the park plan to the advisory committee.
Council would receive the letter and ask the Director of Infrastructure Services to present information about Wain Road Park accessibility at the next meeting of the Saanich Peninsula Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Official wording: That Council:
1. receive the correspondence dated June 12, 2026, from C. Froom regarding Wain Road Park Accessibility; and further,
2. direct the Director of Infrastructure Services, Asset Management and First Nation Relations to attend the next meeting of the Saanich Peninsula Accessibility Advisory Committee to provide a presentation regarding Wain Road Park Accessibility.
Council supported considering an October 15, 2026 illumination of municipal hall and directed staff to draft a proclamation recognizing Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Day. Staff said lighting equipment was available, subject to checking the colours.
Agreement
Council unanimously supported the request and directing staff to prepare a proclamation.
Council would receive the request, consider lighting the municipal hall on October 15, and have staff draft a proclamation recognizing Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Day.
Official wording: That Council:
1. receive the correspondence dated June 18, 2026, from K. Pichoskie, founder of Oak's Tree Love, regarding Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Day 2026;
2. consider marking the occasion by illuminating the municipal hall on October 15, 2026; and further,
3. direct staff to proceed with drafting a proclamation in support of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Day 2026.
Council received a request for traffic calming on Chalet Road and Lands End Road and directed staff to consider it when assessing future traffic-calming measures.
Agreement
Council unanimously agreed to receive the request and have staff consider it in future traffic-calming work.
Council would receive the request and ask staff to take it into account when considering future traffic-calming measures.
Official wording: That Council:
1. receive the correspondence dated June 22, 2026, from C. Davis regarding a request for traffic calming measures on Chalet Road and Lands End Road; and further,
2. direct staff to consider the correspondence when exploring traffic calming measures in the future.
After asking why short-term-rental operators were receiving non-compliance notices, Council heard that provincial rule changes had removed a previous non-compliance allowance. Staff said Council could direct a pause in enforcement while the District updates its zoning and licensing rules. Council unanimously waived enforcement of the short-term-rental business-licence provisions for six months.
Agreement
Council agreed operators needed time while the District’s new rules were being developed and the current licensing gap remained.
For six months, the District would not enforce the business-bylaw rules that apply to short-term rentals.
Official wording: That Council waive the enforcement provisions of District of North Saanich Business Bylaw No. 1349 (2013) relating to short-term rentals for a period of six (6) months.
Council received the groups’ letter and directed staff to keep it on file and bring it back for consideration if a lease agreement is pursued. The discussion included questions about when the matter became public and whether councillors had contacted the organizations; the Mayor said the organizations had contacted him. The transcript also records a councillor’s question about the proposed use of the pavilion for the groups’ activities.
Agreement
Council unanimously agreed to retain the letter and bring it back if a lease agreement is considered.
Council would keep the letter on file and bring it back for consideration if a lease agreement comes before Council.
Official wording: That Council:
1. receive the letter dated March 24, 2026, for information; and further,
2. direct staff to retain the letter on file and bring it forward for Council's consideration should a lease agreement be presented to Council.
Council received the remaining correspondence listed for information, including a letter from the BC Nurses’ Union and correspondence from the Sidney Guide and Scout Hall Society.
Agreement
Council received the correspondence for information without recorded debate.
Council adjourned the meeting. The official motion records an adjournment at 9:54 p.m.; the transcript’s closing vote report appears to identify one councillor as opposed.