News

Mayor Fred Haynes has asked that we share a letter from him to Saanich citizens re the “significant progress . . . made on developing the parameters for the pilot project that would set the default speed limit to 40 km/h on streets without a continuous yellow center line”.

The letter includes interesting supporting data from other countries and municipalities that have made similar changes.

Wesbild’s redevelopment proposal for University Heights will go before Council on Monday, August 24.  Wesbild’s final plans can be seen on their website here http://universityheightsvictoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/UH-RevisionPkg-Aug2020.pdf

You can find Saanich Planning’s report to Council on the proposed development here https://saanich.ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=710&meta_id=27650

Saanich has provided the following message re community engagement during the pandemic:
Due to COVID-19 measures, Saanich is unable to accommodate the public for any Council, Committee of the Whole, Advisory, Board or Foundation meetings while maintaining the limits on large gatherings due to the public health order.

As per the Order of the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Emergency Program Act, Ministerial Order No. M192, public attendance at the meeting is not required if it cannot be accommodated in accordance with the applicable requirements or recommendations under the Public Health Act. 

To register to participate by telephone in the Public Input portion of the Agenda, please email council@saanich.ca or telephone 250-475-5501 and state your name, address and the date of the meeting at which you wish to speak. You must have access to a telephone, provide a telephone number that can be used to contact you, and an email address where instructions can be sent to you. Registration deadline is 12:00 p.m. noon on the day of the meeting.

Public input is also accepted via email at council@saanich.ca or received in the Municipal Hall mailbox up until noon on the day of the meeting.

An opportunity to phone in during the meeting will be available, please watch the web stream for details. All meetings are streamed live on https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/local-government/mayor-council/schedule-agendas-minutes.html  

The report from Saanich’s Director of Planning on the Garden Suite Study – Bylaw Amendments and Additional Information Related to Garden Suite Regulations – Bed and Breakfasts and Occupancy Requirements will be considered by Saanich Council at a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, August 17 commencing at 7 pm.  

Due to COVID-19 measures, Saanich is unable to accommodate the public for any Council and Committee of the Whole meetings while maintaining the limits on large gatherings due to the public health order. Therefore, you will only be able to attend the meeting via electronic means.

As per the Order of the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Emergency Program Act, Ministerial Order No. M192, public attendance at the meeting is not required. Verbal public input can be provided via teleconference. Please see the meeting agenda for details on how to register to speak at the meeting.

Written public input for the Special Committee of the Whole meeting will be accepted at the Saanich Municipal Hall, via mail or via email at council@saanich.ca. Written correspondence received up to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be copied to Council for their consideration. All correspondence submitted to the District of Saanich in response to our notification of meeting, will form part of the public record.

The report and agenda package will be available for viewing at:https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/local-government/mayor-council/schedule-agendas-minutes.html as of August 13, 2020.

If you write to Council on this topic, QCHCA would appreciate being cc’d on your communication so we are aware of the issues and concerns of community residents.  You can cc us at president@qchca.org.

In the dry summer months, water use in the region nearly doubles due to outdoor watering of lawns and gardens. As the most common residential landscape, lawns are the thirsty culprit, accounting for the most excess water use. Unfortunately, about 50% of outdoor water is wasted due to evaporation, improper irrigation design and over watering.
Water wise lawn alternatives like native plant and vegetable gardens can save you time and money, on top of your water savings. Forget mowing and costly lawn treatments. Native plants are adapted to our local climate and wildlife, requiring little to no watering once established and no herbicides or pesticides. They can also create an oasis for local birds, pollinators and beneficial insects.
Vegetable gardens with efficient irrigation use up to 66% less water compared to traditional lawns and provide fresh and delicious food on your doorstep. They also save the energy that’s required to transport produce to the grocery store, and then to your home.
Convert areas of your lawn into garden with this quick and easy no dig method:
1. Add a layer of light excluding mulch material such as brown cardboard or three layers of newspaper on to your desired piece of yard. Make sure the cardboard or newspaper overlaps by several centimeters as weeds can sneak through any gap.
2. Water the cardboard/newspaper layer to help kill the grass and weeds.
3. Add a 10 cm layer of lightly patted down compost. Leave an edge of cardboard surrounding your new garden bed to prevent grass and weeds from growing back in.
Now you’re ready to plant! Vegetables and herbs like kale, chard and parsley can be planted in the summer for fall and winter harvest. Native plant seeds can be planted in the fall for a spring bloom.
Contact your community association for FREE vegetable or native plant seeds from the Capital Regional District.
Extend water wise practices to your lawn and go golden. Lawns naturally go dormant in the summer and will bounce back to green with the fall rains. To stay green, lawns only need an inch (2.5 cm) of water per week, even in the driest conditions.
The Sooke Lake Reservoir, our primary water source in the capital region, supplies over 418,000 people with clean and protected drinking water. The reservoir also provides protection against wildfire events and droughts and supports a vital habitat for many endangered species. Be water wise and convert your yard this summer.
Thank you for your continued water conservation efforts in the capital region!

Victoria Hospice invites you to share a wonderful  local garden tour, exploring some truly inspiring gardens and meeting their enthusiastic owners for some great insights and fun….all free!! You can enjoy a peak into their wonderful gardens and listen to some lively behind the scenes interviews as Victoria Hospice welcomes you to their first Virtual Garden Tour.  www.victoriahospice.org/events/teenytinygardentours/ 

Victoria Hospice has been providing compassionate palliative care to our community for 40 years and, to celebrate, they have created a video of their annual garden tour. The Teeny Tiny Tour has created the opportunity to discover hidden backyard gardens for the past 14 years, but due to Covid 19 restrictions they have gone virtual. These private gardens offer ideas for blending art, flowers, sheds and edible plants and feature two gardeners who  live in our Quadra/Cedar Hill neighbourhood. Admission to the tour is free, but donations are appreciated and a garden calender can be purchased.

The Quadra Cedar Hill Community Association stands in solidarity with the Black community, including our neighbours and community members. 

We see you.  We hear you.  We stand with you.  Black Lives Matter.

Violence and discrimination to our Black, Indigenous, Asian and marginalized neighbours reminds us that we have more work to do in order to stop discrimination in all its forms.

Our community is committed to inclusion.  We are here to listen and to be an ally.   We want to be part of the solution.

#StandTogetherAgainstRacism

As many of us know, many pollinators are under threat from habitat loss, pesticide, and disease. Sometimes it can seem a daunting task to find ways to help these vital insects, but one way to  help may be  to provide homes for our solitary bees known as Mason Bees.  Many people are buying  or making ‘Bee Hotels’. One great thing about this is that you can do this without even having a garden.  A wall or a fence on which to mount the hotel will work also.

But are bee hotels a fad? Do they actually work?  Since they are expensive, it seems worthwhile doing a little research before you embark on this venture. I was fortunate to find a pack of two in my local thrift shop (aren’t thrift stores amazing?!!), so, for $5 I thought I would give it a try. Well, once in place it was like New York Central, with bees pretty much lining up to lay their eggs. Both are now full, no room at these Bee n Bees!! This particular type is available for $39.95 for two, which may seem expensive but they are reusable after cleaning. (https://www.pollenbeenest.com/)

We also bought another type, insect hotels, and placed one on the same wall. Apart from a small number of bees, most of the holes were not used. Researching further, I have discovered that most mason bees prefer the smaller holes; those large holes are just too much work for these Queens. That’s a lot of space to fill with mud when you don’t have worker bees to help out! Ever hopeful, we tried making some of the holes smaller by adding straws in some holes, but there was minimal interest. It appears the bees voted with their wings and took their eggs elsewhere.                                         

Then Susan (our President) sent a photo of her bee hotel; now that is truly impressive. I have Bees Nest Envy!

What about you? Have you tried to attract mason bees? What did you use, what worked, what didn’t? Have you tried to make one? Are you a Mason Bee Expert? What’s the best thing we can do to help these vital pollinators? Send us a short (250 words) summary and of course some pics if you have them, or just some pics! We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at editor@QCHCA.org