Municipal Election Profile: Central Saanich

Times Colonist

Municipal Election Profile: Central Saanich

By Richard Watts

Central Saanich is often dubbed the breadbasket of the Capital Regional District, but preserving that status has led to some bitter politics.

About two-thirds of the municipality is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, which some see as being consistently under threat of development, while others see it as a mechanism to stifle growth. According to Statistics Canada, there are a total of 974 farms in the district, although the majority are small operations, many of them hobby farms.

But the big ones come with names easily recognized by most in Greater Victoria, such as Vantreight and Michell.

It's here in Central Saanich that Ian Vantreight, whose operation is one of the largest, recently tried to get council's approval to sell a portion of his land for a subdivision. The land isn't arable and is not recognized as farmland, and Vantreight said he needs the to money to modernize. Nevertheless, he has received a chilly reception from councillors, losing his first attempt for permission on a tie vote. He is now preparing a second proposal.

It's also here in Central Saanich that a longtime battle has brewed over whether to pipe in municipal water to a small enclave of homes on Senanus Drive on the Saanich Inlet. On one side are the residents who say their wells are foul; on the other are some councillors who have spent years blocking the attempt, because municipal water service is seen as a precursor to development.

Gordon Denford, a retired builder with more than 100 projects in dozens of communities, has lived in Central Saanich for more than 40 years. He argues the push to preserve farmland has turned into an opposition of growth of any kind.

"They are not really supporting farmland, they are only supporting green space," said Denford, who lives on Senanus Drive and has been a vocal proponent of extending the water pipes to his neighbourhood. But "these people are fanatic about 'I'm here and nobody else is going to come here.'"

For example, Denford says that councils have shifted the urban containment boundary in a way that puts all undeveloped land into the farming category whether it's arable or not, a move that has curbed building of all kinds.

The conflict over land use is evident in the mayoral race, in which three candidates are vying for the big chair in the Nov. 15 elections.

Candidate Sean McNulty is largely running on a platform of ending the firewall approach to blocking out development, provided it doesn't intrude on arable farmland.

If someone wants to build improvements to their property, and those improvements don't affect anybody else, then "I'm in favour of it," he said.

McNulty is a controversial figure in the race due to a brush with the law in 2004. When he was 20, McNulty pleaded guilty to two counts of assault after an incident in which he and some friends were in an SUV that chased down and rammed a car containing four teenagers. McNulty wasn't driving, but he pepper-sprayed one of the youths and once their car was disabled he struck one of the teens.

The judge called the offence "particularly ugly" and McNulty "particularly active." McNulty was handed a conditional discharge and placed on probation for three years.

When asked about the incident during a recent interview, McNulty declined to comment.

The two other candidates for mayor include Coun. Christopher Graham and incumbent Mayor Jack Mar. Eleven people are vying for six councillor positions, four of them incumbents.

Not surprisingly, Graham sees the development of farmland and its protection as a major issue in the campaign. When it comes to the urban containment boundary, the line drawn on the map separating farmland from land open for development, Graham is prepared to stand firm.

He's also reluctant to see farms broken up into small holdings. Economies of scale work in any business "and farming is a business," he said. Graham said the municipality should be tough and deny farms the necessary permits for subdividing property. "Is that the vision for Central Saanich, a bunch of hobby farms?" he asked.

The Vantreight proposal also gets a thumbs-down from Graham. The development site might not be arable land, but it's right in the middle of working farmland, which will mean future conflict between suburban homeowners and farmers, he said.

For his part, Mar, one of the largest farmers in the area, is most concerned about improvements to many intersections along Pat Bay Highway that are served by stop signs and lights.

Mar said Central Saanich has been told by the provincial government it can improve the intersections at Island View Road or Keating Cross Road and the local government should start making plans.

Mar said if the municipality can get all its plans and preferences in order, and a proposal ready to go, it will be in a good position with the province to get approval and funding after the Olympics.

An improved intersection, said Mar, is crucial to handling the thousands visiting Butchart Gardens or travelling to and from the Keating Industrial Park.

"Right now it's a bloody zoo," he said. "One of these days we are going to have a major accident."