More than 660 people are asking the BC Ombudsperson to investigate evidence of systemic maladministration in the Saanich Planning Department.

The Ombudsperson’s office already has the complaint and supporting evidence. The central issue is serious: Saanich Planning appears to be approving building permits by substituting invented interpretations for the wording of Zoning Bylaw 8200 — then refusing to provide any bylaw or statutory authority when residents ask. That raises core Ombudsperson concerns: failure to follow the law, improper discretion, unreasonable decision-making, improper exercise of authority, unfairness, lack of transparency, and systemic risk.

In the specific example cited in the complaint, City staff relied on a “continuous slope” rule that does not appear in the bylaw. That interpretation allowed a building height calculation that appears to avoid the bylaw’s “highest midpoint” requirement. When challenged, staff, directors, the CAO, and the Mayor all defended the decision — but no one could cite any bylaw or statutory authority to justify it.

This is exactly why independent oversight exists.

We are asking the BC Ombudsperson to open an investigation before more questionable permits are approved, more residents are denied the protections of the zoning bylaw, and public trust in Saanich City Hall is damaged further.