Hello there!

We've got two big stories coming out of this week's council meetings, as Langford lays out its financial plan for the rest of the decade and Sooke stands down in its standoff with the province (for now, at least).

— Cam

NEWS

Sooke votes for zoning changes after province forces hand

On Tuesday, Sooke voted—very grudgingly, in some council members’ cases—to adopt provincially mandated zoning changes. These changes, which municipalities must adopt to comply with BC's Bill 44, enable small-scale multi-unit housing (typically 3-4 units) on land previously zoned for single-family homes. This is intended to allow for more efficient and dense housing on standard lots without the time and cost of an individual rezoning.

A similar vote had failed in a 3-3 tie late last November, causing Sooke to miss its BC-given deadline. Sooke had applied for an extension last summer, saying its infrastructure would struggle to handle increased density. It was denied in the fall along with a similar case made by View Royal, but received the mini-extension to Dec. 16.

In mid-Jan., BC housing and municipal affairs minister Ravi Kahlon wrote to council that Sooke had a month to carry out the changes or the ministry would step in and use its powers to impose them. 

This week Mayor Maja Tait did not cast a vote, but the trio of councillors present all approved first, second, and third readings of the bylaw changes. Coun. Al Beddows, though, made clear that he was voting only “because there's a gun to my head.” He finds Bill 44 “disgusting" for replacing the existing rezoning process in which council would hear and weigh various voices.

“This is a jagged one,” Tait said in her pre-vote remarks, “it’s a hard pill to swallow.”

“I feel pushed into this completely.”

She said that she has been told the district will lose grant eligibility if it has non-compliant bylaws, and personally feels that the province may be stalling on other things for Sooke due to the dispute. Losing grants and adding possible legal fees to fight the province would put too great a pressure on property taxes, she feels.

Coun. Tony St-Pierre said that despite rightly resenting the province's approach, Sooke would see benefits from the actual density policy. He said that voting for the changes gave Sooke more ability to shape them than letting the ministry step in. 

Coun. Jeff Bateman similarly felt that ultimately a “smart growth town centre” aligns with Sooke's community plan, and he confirmed that staff ultimately expect only a “trickle,” not a “gold rush,” of multi-unit applications after the zoning change is made. 

Read longer quotes from the council members in the main story.

NEWS

Today in Langford: Final public consultations on city's 5-year financial plan draft

On Tuesday, Langford held the second round of public consultations. Today's 7pm meeting will be the last full public consultation before council deliberates next month and votes in April and May.

The meeting was a surprisingly short one, which Mayor Scott Goodmanson even remarked on. For a public engagement meeting, there was very little public wanting to engage. Timing may have had an impact. The meeting was midday and coincided with the BC throne speech.

Annual tax increases will taper down

The city’s stated goal is to bring tax revenues back up to a level that funds ongoing operations and accounts for all new tax impacts. This financial approach continues the deliberate shift away from the prior council's approach of limiting annual tax increases by drawing money (around $10M, all told) from surplus and reserve funds (primarily the General Amenity Reserve). Municipalities typically use reserve funds to pay for capital expenditures.

That shift has led to large annual increases, most recently 15.6%. That put the average total property tax bill at $4,709 for an average household—which is middle-of-the-pack among Westshore municipalities. The new 5-year plan would drop annual rate raises back down: 11.2% in 2025 and then 7.9% in 2026, 8.0% in 2027, and 4.9% in 2028.

Draft identifies multiple pressure points for the city budget:

E-Comm 9-1-1 dispatch costs (newly passed down by the province): 2025 budget impact of $1.47M shifting to an annual cost of $2.1M, a 1.25% tax increase.

RCMP Staffing: The 2024 staffing salary per officer was $217K, of which Langford paid 87% in 2024. Total police services costs for 2025 will come in at $18M, $19.5M in 2026, and then $22M by 2029, the draft budget projects.

Fire Department Staffing: 9 new firefighters in 2025 at about $1M, a 1.85% tax increase. Total costs are $6.8M in 2025, $8.4M in 2026 to $11.1M by 2029.

Woodlands Park: Langford will pull $7M from the Growing Communities Fund and $2.8M already earmarked to come from 2026 property taxes. Manufactured-home tenant buyout costs will increase until 2029.

City Hall Staffing: In order to maintain its current service levels, the city has requested additional staff and has proposed a budget of $750K for 2025 to meet them.

Read the full story on the financial plan here.

Around the 'Shore

⚕ Terminal Langford girl, 9, will keep getting rare-disease meds for now while her case is under review. Charleigh receives about $1M per year in treatment for Batten Disease, but an expert panel recently concluded that she no longer qualified for the funding program. [CHEK]

💵 View Royal passes buy-Canadian motion at Monday meeting, resolving that the municipal government's purchasing decisions will show a “preference for items produced, manufactured, assembled, or grown in Canada.

🚓 Bear Mountain bust revealed hidden car compartment, police claim. VicPD say they found a large quantity of fentanyl, cocaine, GHB, methamphetamine, and money in a Bear Mountain home and a suspect's car—including in the vehicle’s professionally installed hidden chamber, which police said they located using x-rays. [Police video of compartment]

🌲 Get a free tree from View Royal if you own a home with outdoor green space. [Info]

🏛 On Tuesday: New Westshore MLAs begin their first legislative sitting as BC gov returns from 9-month hiatus. [Newsletter] Plus: Family-friendly restaurants in the Westshore. [Tasting Victoria]

📆 Last week: View Royal's 2050 plan looks at how to handle growth—its own and its neighbours’. [The Westshore]

Community Events

🏒 Westshore Wolves play on Friday. [JDF Rec schedule]

🌳 Friends of Havenwood Park 10th anniversary celebration on Sat.

🔧 Repair Cafe Westshore on Sat. at Gordon United. Let these handy locals fix your stuff! [Info]

🏒 Victoria Grizzlies host Nanaimo on Sat. [Tickets]

⚽️ Westshore rec / sport facility public consultations are coming up.

Council Meetings

📊 Public input for Langford financial plan continues today at council. [Schedule] Learn more about the budget in The Westshore's explainer story.

🏰 Colwood meets on Monday.

🐋 Metchosin has 5 committee meetings over next week. See schedule here.

What’s Offshore?

🚢🚢 Off Colwood coast: ONE Magdalena, a 2022-built container ship sailing from Tacoma under a Hong Kong flag. ONE ships often use a distinctive bright-pink hull as part of a breast cancer campaign. Wooyang Banders, a 2004-built bulk carrier with a Marshall Islands flag.

🚢🚢 Leaving outer harbour: NACC Poros, a 2012-built cement carrier going from Seattle to Richmond under Madeira flag. ALS Juno, a 2024-built container ship coming from Vancouver under Madeira flag.

Westshore Snaps

Esquimalt Lagoon’s resident Kingfisher sitting on the wire. – Glenys Pumfrey, Colwood

Remember: If you get a good glimpse of one of the ships anchored offshore, we would love to feature ship photos in What's Offshore.

That’s it!

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Westshore local.

And before you go, let us know: