It seems our provincial government is busy behind closed doors with the recent creation and possible implementation of Bill M216.

What is Bill M216?

Bill M216 also called the Professional Reliance Act was recently introduced by MLA, George Anderson, from Nanaimo-Lantzville and had its First Reading on October 21 2025.

It is estimated that the second reading and debate will occur November 17, 2025.

So, please act on this!

What does Bill M216 do and what is its purpose?

The bill aims to streamline development-project approvals by local governments by leveraging certifications from provincially regulated professionals, thereby reducing duplicative reviews and administrative costs. 

This new Bill is building on and ESCALATING our earlier and existing provincial legislation such as Bill 44 – Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, Bill 46 – Housing Statutes (Development Financing) Amendment Act, and Bill 47 – Housing Statutes (Transit‑Oriented Areas) Amendment Act.

As if these bills previous bills weren’t enough!

What does this mean for Cordova Bay?

Our Aragon development is one of the highest seismic-risk sites in the CRD and could move ahead without proper checks, while our voices are pushed aside.

You think the odds are stacked against now?  This is not accountability. This is both a threat to public safety and local democracy.

Why Bill M216 is Dangerous for the Cordova Bay Gravel Pit Issue.

Bill M216 would further take power away from our community and Saanich when reviewing the Aragon Trio Lands redevelopment. Here’s what matters most:

• Developers’ own hired professionals can “certify” their plans — and Saanich would have to accept them unless something is obviously missing.
• Independent peer reviews could be blocked, meaning fewer chances to question seismic, liquefaction, and contamination risks on this unsafe site.
• Approvals may move faster with less public input, making it harder for residents to raise technical concerns or slow down the process.
• The municipality gets legal protection, while the responsibility shifts to private professionals — leaving us with fewer ways to hold decision-makers accountable if something goes wrong.
   

So, if this bill is so apparently devastating, then why haven’t we heard about it?

This is because it is sponsored by a back‑bench MLA, George Anderson, who is not a cabinet minister, so it doesn’t receive the full promotional or media push that major government bills get. Back bench member bills often receive less media attention until they become more controversial or reach debate/committee stages.

Bottom line:

This bill gives developers EVEN MORE control and weakens our community’s ability to push back even further especially on major dangers like seismic risks and toxic fill as well as issues around traffic and road safety which many professionals may not be qualified to speak to in the first place. 

Hardly democratic!

What can you do now?

Contact MLA Lana Popham

Contact George Anderson - MLA for Nanaimo-Lantzville

Contact the Premier

Contact Mayor Murdock and Council

Contact our BC Ombudsman Jay Chalke

Please also see below the recent Facebook posting of Saanich Councilor Nathalie Chambers. One of our organizers have also sent this in to the Times Colonist and Saanich News. Here it is below – 

Public FYI: Bill M216 set for debate November 17, 2025

By Saanich Councilor Nathalie Chambers 

Throughout my time on Saanich Council, I have consistently advocated for environmental sustainability, genuinely affordable housing, civic engagement, and local democracy. I opposed Provincial Bills 44, 46, 47, 14, and 15 because they shifted billions in infrastructure costs onto local governments, driving up property taxes while providing no long-term affordability guarantees.

Of greatest concern right now is private member’s Bill M216 – 2025 (the Professional Reliance Act), scheduled for second reading and possible vote on November 17. If passed, it would allow qualified professionals to certify certain development applications, bypassing municipal review and further eroding local control over land use, environmental protection, and infrastructure costing. Despite repeated calls from municipalities the bill still lacks independent fiscal analysis, environmental impact assessment, or First Nations consultation.

Saanich residents deserve better. Local government used to be the most effective level of government for environmental sustainability and affordable housing through thoughtful, community-led planning.

Today that authority has been sharply curtailed. Council decisions are increasingly prescriptive, constrained by one-size-fits-all provincial rules. Our detailed Local Area Plans — representing over a century of community vision — were paused and then decoupled from the Official Community Plan.

This is our moment to push back against a pattern of provincial overreach that too often prioritises speed and profit over people, planet, and place.

If you share concerns about losing local democracy, rising taxes, strained infrastructure, and irreversible pressure on greenspace, farmland, and community, please act today. Contact Premier David Eby and your MLA before November 17. Urge them to withdraw Bill M216 or amend it substantially by restoring municipal authority, mandating independent cost and environmental assessments, and requiring full public and First Nations engagement.

Your voice matters. Use it now.

(The views in this op-ed are my own and do not represent an official position of Saanich Council).

Well said Nathalie! Thank you for standing up for the residents of Saanich and British Columbia, and thank you Cordova Bay for keeping engaged!

Dan Horth