Happy New Year, Cordova Bay! We wish everyone the best in 2026.
Just wanted to point out that the attached picture of the traffic sign above is literally 31 paces from my property line on Santa Clara. It finally dawned on me that if the completely inappropriate Aragon development gets approved, it would be rather poetic, right? And insult to injury, it is a Saanich sign!
"Limited Vision" - you really can’t make this stuff up, can you?
A little bit of local irony to start off the new year. Hopefully we can change “this sign”
As we enter 2026, our efforts to protect Cordova Bay from the Aragon proposal are entering a new, more strategic phase.
We are no longer just asking to be heard; we have done that and Saanich is well aware of our concerns. Now we are hitting this proposal squarely with the Rule of Law. We have shifted our focus to the specific statutory requirements within:
The 2024 Saanich Official Community Plan (OCP);
The Cordova Bay Village Plan (Schedule E to the OCP);
The Cordova Bay Local Area Plan (LAP).
Unlike general neighborhood feedback, the Cordova Bay Village Plan is a lawful attachment to the OCP. Under Section 478 of the Local Government Act, all bylaws enacted by Council must be consistent with the OCP. Currently, they are NOT!
Aragon does not want us to know this! Heck I'm sure even Saanich doesn't want to us to know this.
By centering our fight on the law of the OCP, we move from "neighborhood opinion" to "indisputable non-compliance." We are holding Council to task by proving that this 11-storey "urban spike" is not just a bad fit—it is a violation of the very bylaws they adopted in May 2024.
In Saanich, the Cordova Bay Village Plan is not just a suggestion—it is Schedule E of Bylaw 10000. It is the law. Our Unified Community Front is now focused on these indisputable policy inconsistencies:
The Law (OCP Policy 10.3.1): Requires a "sensitive transition" from the Village Core to the residential edges to protect neighborhood character.
Extreme Over-Densification: A proposal for 1,160 units is an unprecedented spike that ignores the "low-rise, gentle density" model promised in the OCP.
The 4-Storey Legal Limit: The Village Plan explicitly mandates a 4-storey maximum. An 11-storey project is a 175% violation of the law that Council adopted just last year.
The Infrastructure Mandate: The OCP requires that growth must be supported by "adequate infrastructure." We are demanding engineering proof that our 1970s-era sewers and the "S-curve" roads can handle thousands of new residents and their vehicles. Without it, this density is technically and legally unsupported.
The Inconsistency: The Village Core is capped at 4 storeys. This proposal puts an 11-storey tower on the edge of the core. In professional planning, the "core" is the peak. Reversing this hierarchy—placing the tallest building on the periphery—is a textbook example of bad planning that violates the "sensitive transition" mandate.
Because this project is so aggressively non-compliant, the developer is forced to ask for an "OCP Amendment." This means Saanich is legally required to hold a Public Hearing. Despite what you may have heard about new housing laws, Council cannot quietly bypass a community of 8100 neighbors on a project that seeks to break this many rules.
We have never been more organized:
The CBACA (Community Association) has unanimously opposed this development in its current form. We are here to help supplement and support them.
Our Petition has nearly 2,200 signatures—a massive block of residents that Council must answer to.
Our Strategy is now anchored in the law.
What We Are Doing Now: Working on some questions for Saanich right now to hold them accountable to these current laws that they have created.
The first real concern right now, is the commitment and confirmation for a Public Hearing on this development, and that they are by law, according to Bill 44, they MUST PROVIDE. Yet to my knowledge I have never heard anyone at Saanich actually indicate that one will be given. You would think that after a year of us asking for “transparency” that someone would have actually said to us, or me, hey chill out because we have to legally provide a public hearing and you can present your issues then, right?
I find that strange.
Second, is the request for a complete rejection of this development in its current form. Under section 478 of the Local Government Act, Saanich can at any time (like now), reject this development -
“If Council determines the development is inconsistent with the OCP (Section 478, and which it is!) because it compromises community safety or character, they can defeat the bylaw immediately.”
And thirdly, since an OCP amendment is required for this development to make it “legal”, what happens if us residents in Saanich don’t want to amend the recently completed OCP? Who says we have to?
We are prepared, we are organized, and we are ready to defend the character of Cordova Bay by holding our leaders to the rules they themselves put in place.
Please stay tuned—our community alliance is moving forward with purpose in 2026!
Let me leave you with a quote right from the “Cordova Bay Village Plan” document which is a Legally Binding Schedule E Document that forms our Official Community Plan.
“Building form refers to new buildings and building additions in the private realm. The plan aims to guide building form to ensure that new buildings fit well into the existing built environment, activate and define the public pedestrian realm, and reflect community character, scale, and identity. Design should reflect the cottage and beachside roots of Cordova Bay.”
Please continue to send letters to the Saanich Mayor, Council, Planners and Legislative services. It is also best to use your own words, and a personal letter is the BEST way to be heard. All emails are found below for your reference and use.
We have the power here if we hold Saanich to this! PLEASE send in your concerns about this development that so obviously breaks the current laws on the OCP and of this our community.
It is not a simple issue of disrespect and inappropriate development in our community, but one of incompliance with our municipal laws that our own Mayor and Council signed off on!
It is now up to us, ALL of us to fight this! Please send in your own thoughts to the list of Saanich staff below. It can be both short and respectful, but that is the power we have. Our community is calling you to do this, please.
Please use the SUBJECT LINE for your letters and correspondence –
"OPPOSITION to The Aragon Trio Lands development located at 755 Cordova Bay Road – Conflict with Cordova Bay Village Plan (Schedule E)"
Brent Reems, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Saanich - brent.reems@saanich.ca
Angila Bains, Director of Legislative & Protective Services/Corporate Officer - angila.bains@saanich.ca
Lindsay Chase, Director of Planning, District of Saanich - lindsay.chase@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
Shelia Allen, Director of Corporate Services, District of Saanich - sheila.allen@saanich.ca
Barb Lucas - President, Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBACA) - president@cbaca.ca
Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs - Christine.Boyle.MLA@leg.bc.ca.
Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South and Minister of Agriculture and Food - lana.popham.mla@leg.bc.ca
Mayor Dean Murdock, mayor@saanich.ca
Councillor Susan Brice, District of Saanich, susan.brice@saanich.ca
Councillor Judy Brownoff, District of Saanich, judy.brownoff@saanich.ca
Councillor Nathalie Chambers, District of Saanich, nathalie.chambers@saanich.ca
Councillor Zac de Vries, District of Saanich, zac.devries@saanich.ca
Councillor Karen Harper, District of Saanich, karen.harper@saanich.ca
Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, District of Saanich, teale.phelps.bondaroff@saanich.ca
Councillor Colin Plant, District of Saanich, colin.plant@saanich.ca
Councillor Mena Westhaver, District of Saanich, mena.westhaver@saanich.ca
Thank you Cordova Bay! We are not going to sit idly and hope for the best, we have the law on our side and this development is simply not right!
All the best for a successful 2026!
Dan Horth