Christmas is coming

And all through the hood,

A massive development

Not lookin' too good.

It's too darn big!

That, everyone knows

No time to give up,

Let's stay on our toes!

Our community comes first,

Let's keep 'in the mix'

And continue to fight

Well into '26!

For all the talent and hard work gifted this year,

Thanks Jo-Ann, Barb, and Ellie,

Your success brings good cheer. 

This petition couldn't be possible

Without any of you, our community

And to you three, we want to say: thank you. 

We wish everyone 'The Best!' 

As one would say

 And Thank You All, for supporting

 Our community of Cordova Bay!

Wishing our entire Cordova Bay Community a joyful and peaceful Holiday Season! 

 From the workshops of Jo-Ann Hopkins, Barb Wuhrer, Ellie Willing and Dan Horth

BIG FAVOR FOR THE HOLIDAYS PLEASE? While you are all out and about this Christmas season, please make an effort to discuss and inform your neighbours and friends about the development and this petition. Here is a quick summary. 

Holiday Talking Points for The Aragon Development

 Our Goal: Move from "signing a petition" to "writing a personal letter."

1. The "Why Now" (The Urgency)

We can’t wait for the Public Hearing, because there might not even be one! Even by the time a Public Hearing is scheduled, the project may already be a “done deal" negotiated behind the doors of the Planning Department.

Influence the Design: Now is the time to influence the proposal before it gets finalized. We cannot assume Council will reject it just because it feels "wrong" to us.

2. The Power of Personal Letters

Petitions vs. Letters: While petitions show numbers, personal letters to the Mayor, Council and Planning carry significantly more weight.

Your Voice Matters: Individual emails to the Mayor and Council are read and filed as part of the official record. They show a level of commitment that a signature doesn't.

3. Key Issues to Mention

Scale and Density: The current proposal is significantly larger than what was originally envisioned for our neighborhood.

Neighborhood Character: Ask if this design truly fits the long-term vision of Saanich or if it’s just a "finished deal" being handed to us.

Transparency: We want to ensure the Planning Department is listening to residents, not just the developer (Aragon).
 

4. What You Can Do in the Next Couple of Weeks over the Christmas Break.

Spread the Word: Mention the development at holiday gatherings. Many neighbors may not realize how far along the process actually is, or even know about it!

Prepare for January: In the New Year, we will be focusing on a coordinated letter-writing campaign, but we will need your help for this. We will update you all in the first week of January.

In case you want to start early – here is the list of the names that your email can be sent, to maximize our voices. If you want to copy us here at the petition so we have an indication on how many are being sent in to Saanich, that would be very appreciated! Our email is – cordovabayvoices@gmail.com

A bit of a cliché here, but this is really UP TO US at this point to send in our opposition to this development NOW! Here is a list of folks who should get this correspondence. Please let them know that we are not okay with this development in its current form.

Brent Reems, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Saanich - brent.reems@saanich.ca
Lindsay Chase, Director of Planning, District of Saanich - lindsay.chase@saanich.ca 

Andrea Pickard, Senior Planner, District of Saanich - Andrea.Pickard@saanich.ca
Cameron Scott, Manager of Community Planning, District of Saanich - cameron.scott@saanich.ca
Harley Machielse, Director of Engineering, District of Saanich - harley.machielse@saanich.ca
Sheila Allen, Director of Corporate Services, District of Saanich - sheila.allen@saanich.ca
Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs - Christine.Boyle.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South and Minister of Ag. and Food - Lana.Popham.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Mayor Dean Murdock, District of Saanich - Mayor@saanich.ca
Councilor Susan Brice, District of Saanich - Susan.Brice@saanich.ca
Councilor Judy Brownoff, District of Saanich - Judy.Brownoff@saanich.ca
Councilor Nathalie Chambers, District of Saanich - Nathalie.Chambers@saanich.ca
Councilor Zac de Vries, District of Saanich  - zac.devries@saanich.ca
Councilor Karen Harper, District of Saanich - Karen.Harper@saanich.ca
Councilor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, District of Saanich  - teale.phelps.bondaroff@saanich.ca
Councilor Colin Plant, District of Saanich - Colin.Plant@saanich.ca
Councilor Mena Westhaver, District of Saanich - Mena.Westhaver@saanich.ca

Barb Lucas, President, Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBACA) - president@cbaca.ca
Janet Munson, Planning Co-Chair, CBACA - planning2@cbaca.ca
Dave Docherty, President, Cordova Bay 55+ Group - angdave@telus.net

All the best Cordova Bay, and thank you!

Dan Horth