A North Saanich Housing Survey was completed by CTQ Consultants of Kelowna earlier this year. The North Saanich council majority endorses the survey results even though several key survey questions were biased, thus contaminating the conclusions.
But it cost the municipality a lot of money and the majority on council accept it as the community’s main voice.
I maintain that it is not.
A parallel housing survey was done at no cost to the taxpayer by the non-partisan North Saanich Residents Association. Its very different conclusion was that most North Saanich residents reject random, piecemeal and preferential development.
It finds that residents want a planned, well-reasoned and gradual approach to moderate housing stock growth. Development could then fit in with the rural, agricultural and marine character of our community.
Council does a disservice when it endorses a very questionable survey while dismissing widely-held alternative visions.
Jack Thornburgh
North Saanich