A group of concerned North and Central Saanich citizens recently contacted me and asked that I post on this blog site contact information for them and a brief summary about their efforts. They are working to inform citizens about the proposed density housing development slated for the northwest corner of the Vantreight farm in Central Saanich (at the North Saanich/Central Saanich border). This development has been the subject of public controversy, given its potential impacts on adjacent neighbourhoods, the ALR and land use, the CRD Regional Growth Strategy and on local resources and infrastructure such as roads/traffic, water, waste disposal and energy consumption.
My understanding is that Central Saanich Council moved one step closer at their December 14 Council meeting and voted, among other things, to send the proposal to the CRD's Planning Department for its review. This could be significant to the future of the proposal in my view, given that if the development is found to contravene or compromise Central Saanich's Regional Context statement in its Official Community Plan, then the development proposal becomes the centerpiece in a wider discussion and approval process at the CRD Board table, under the provisions of the Regional Growth Strategy's (RGS) amending formula.
You may recall a similar situation in the Highlands about 2 years ago when a controversial application to provide municipal water to Bear Mountain Resort required an amendment because it contravened the Highlands' Official Community Plan's Regional Context Statement, requiring a referral for decision to the CRD Board. The Highlands decision became a galvanizing issue locally and regionally related to the RGS; I understand that to amend the RGS needs unanimous support of the CRD Board. The CRD Board ultimately turned down the Highlands application, the decision was appealed and mediation by the Province was attempted but failed.
North Saanich Mayor and Council have already forwarded a letter to Central Saanich Mayor and Council outlining our concerns about the proposal, given its extremely close proximity to North Saanich Southeast Quadrant neighbourhoods. To date, I understand that in addition to a variety of land use and environmental concerns, a planned road allowance into the development and lack of sufficient buffering could create significant noise and air pollution from traffic gaining access and egress right through Southeast Quadrant neighbourhoods. Naturally, North Saanich will make every effort to mitigate any impacts on its residents.
For more information about the concerned citizens group, please visit their blog site at http://saveourruralland.blogspot.com. For detailed information about the Vantreight development proposal, please visit the Central Saanich website at www.centralsaanich.ca
Go West To Find Best Municipal Accountability
In a recent article written for the Vancouver Sun, David Seymour, Senior Policy Analyst at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and author of the Local Government Performance Index in 2009 (www.fcpp.org) suggests that if you are looking for the highest local government accountability it appears to be in the western Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. He states that "in my review of 75 municipalities across Canada, 6 out of the top 10 were from British Columbia (the rest were from Alberta)."
He points out that accountability and transparency are important principles for local governments, especially when you consider that municipalities are economically significant in Canada. Seymour writes that "taken together, Canada's municipalities represent a roughly $65 billion-per-year industry, or about $1 of every $20 in GDP. He goes on to cite that "at 5 per cent of GDP, a 20 per cent increase in the productivity of municipal government would add a full percentage point to the national wealth."
It also appears that from his observations and research, Seymour concludes that "perhaps the biggest difference between BC municipalities and others...is the quality of reporting that citizens can expect when it comes to finance and service performance...When it comes to questions of providing disclosure on the value of capital assets, whether those values are depreciated according to best practice asset management, definitions are given for the line items that money is spent on or those expenditure areas are associated with measured performance compared to numerical targets, municipal reporting is the best in the West."
He goes on to say that, as with other governments, municipal government is a "natural monopoly" since it is the single source of services. He suggests that "consumers, the people who pay taxes and user fees and use roads, garbage collection and recreational services, don't have the same level of choice in who provides these essential services as they would in a competitive market." Therefore, operating in this context makes it even more of an imperative, Seymour argues, for municipalities to "help residents understand what services are being provided and at what cost, with numerical performance targets and actual performance achievements that are linked to areas of expenditure."
I encourage you to visit the website noted above for more information and detail about the Seymour report.
He points out that accountability and transparency are important principles for local governments, especially when you consider that municipalities are economically significant in Canada. Seymour writes that "taken together, Canada's municipalities represent a roughly $65 billion-per-year industry, or about $1 of every $20 in GDP. He goes on to cite that "at 5 per cent of GDP, a 20 per cent increase in the productivity of municipal government would add a full percentage point to the national wealth."
It also appears that from his observations and research, Seymour concludes that "perhaps the biggest difference between BC municipalities and others...is the quality of reporting that citizens can expect when it comes to finance and service performance...When it comes to questions of providing disclosure on the value of capital assets, whether those values are depreciated according to best practice asset management, definitions are given for the line items that money is spent on or those expenditure areas are associated with measured performance compared to numerical targets, municipal reporting is the best in the West."
He goes on to say that, as with other governments, municipal government is a "natural monopoly" since it is the single source of services. He suggests that "consumers, the people who pay taxes and user fees and use roads, garbage collection and recreational services, don't have the same level of choice in who provides these essential services as they would in a competitive market." Therefore, operating in this context makes it even more of an imperative, Seymour argues, for municipalities to "help residents understand what services are being provided and at what cost, with numerical performance targets and actual performance achievements that are linked to areas of expenditure."
I encourage you to visit the website noted above for more information and detail about the Seymour report.
What Do Canadians Value?
Royal Roads University recently announced the results of its Canadian National Values Assessment, conducted by the Todd Thomas Institute for Values-Based Leadership. The survey of 1,251 Canadians reveals "a widely shared set of personal values that emphasize relationships and qualities that contribute to social cohesion, such as honesty, family, and caring." Marilyn Taylor, PhD and Director of the Institute, goes on to say that survey results "also show a high level of agreement among Canadians that our culture is being compromised by a serious level of dysfunction in the form of social risks, economic vulnerability and institutional ineffectiveness."
Other indicators of dysfunction were "bureaucracy, unemployment, crime/violence, wasted resources, corruption, and uncertainty about the future." These results cut across gender, age, regions, public and private sectors and ethnicity. The survey also suggests that respondents are calling for a reduction of bureaucracy, better government accountability and a stronger social safety net. Asked to choose "ten values that they would like to see reflected in Canadian society, the highest responses went to accountability, caring for the elderly, affordable housing, effective health care, caring for the disadvantaged, concern for future generations, poverty reduction, employment opportunities, human rights and governmental effectiveness."
It wasn't all negative however; human rights, freedom of speech, law enforcement and quality of life were identified as significant strengths of our current national culture.
"The results of this assessment will be widely distributed so Canadian individuals, organizations and governments can use this information to help realize our desired future for Canada," said Taylor. It seems that values-based leadership is the mark of a new way of moving all of us toward a kinder, more effective and more responsible social system, one that truly serves Canadians no matter who they are or where they live, work or gather.
The Institute is also planning to facilitate public dialogue, provide subsequent national values assessments and support ongoing applied research on values and their relationship to communities and organizations. For more information about the survey and the Todd Thomas Institute for Values-Based Leadership, please visit (www.royalroads.ca/tti)
Other indicators of dysfunction were "bureaucracy, unemployment, crime/violence, wasted resources, corruption, and uncertainty about the future." These results cut across gender, age, regions, public and private sectors and ethnicity. The survey also suggests that respondents are calling for a reduction of bureaucracy, better government accountability and a stronger social safety net. Asked to choose "ten values that they would like to see reflected in Canadian society, the highest responses went to accountability, caring for the elderly, affordable housing, effective health care, caring for the disadvantaged, concern for future generations, poverty reduction, employment opportunities, human rights and governmental effectiveness."
It wasn't all negative however; human rights, freedom of speech, law enforcement and quality of life were identified as significant strengths of our current national culture.
"The results of this assessment will be widely distributed so Canadian individuals, organizations and governments can use this information to help realize our desired future for Canada," said Taylor. It seems that values-based leadership is the mark of a new way of moving all of us toward a kinder, more effective and more responsible social system, one that truly serves Canadians no matter who they are or where they live, work or gather.
The Institute is also planning to facilitate public dialogue, provide subsequent national values assessments and support ongoing applied research on values and their relationship to communities and organizations. For more information about the survey and the Todd Thomas Institute for Values-Based Leadership, please visit (www.royalroads.ca/tti)
Affordable Housing as National Policy
I wanted to express my gratitude to Mayor Alice Finall who fulfilled my request and, on behalf of North Saanich Council, sent this week to the Federal Government a letter urging Parliament to support a private member's bill, Bill C-304, calling for a national affordable housing strategy.
Victoria City Councilor Charlayne Thornton-Joe, who Chairs the CRD's Regional Housing Corporation Board (of which I am a member) is leading the charge and canvassing member municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, public and private sector organizations and others to write Federal leaders and MPs with letters of support for this Bill, which will be voted on sometime after December 8, 2009. I understand that it has already passed first and second readings and only needs a third and final reading to be adopted.
For more information about Bill C-304, please visit publications@pwgsc.gc.ca or http://publications.gc.ca
If you are interested in supporting Bill C-304, please send a letter to that effect to MP Dean Allison, Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA), as follows:
Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Person with Disabilities (HUMA)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Victoria City Councilor Charlayne Thornton-Joe, who Chairs the CRD's Regional Housing Corporation Board (of which I am a member) is leading the charge and canvassing member municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, public and private sector organizations and others to write Federal leaders and MPs with letters of support for this Bill, which will be voted on sometime after December 8, 2009. I understand that it has already passed first and second readings and only needs a third and final reading to be adopted.
For more information about Bill C-304, please visit publications@pwgsc.gc.ca or http://publications.gc.ca
If you are interested in supporting Bill C-304, please send a letter to that effect to MP Dean Allison, Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA), as follows:
Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Person with Disabilities (HUMA)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
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