Some citizens have advocated to repeal the bylaw.. In September 2015 the Mayor of Saanich proposed a motion at Council that would have gutted EDPA. Elimination of EDPA protections for the environment would benefit a number of landowners who have property with subdivision potential by maximizing the number of lots without regard for the consequences Greater profit for a few landowners will come at the cost of permanent loss of environmentally significant areas in Saanich.
We think this is the wrong course of action. The EDPA bylaw provides important protections for many different and valuable ecosystems.
It now appears that some of those who campaigned to repeal the EDPA bylaw are now proposing numerous changes and creation of a committee to direct a process to improve the bylaw. We believe this is a step in the right direction. We support a fair and unbiased review of the bylaw as the basis for further improvements.
We urge Saanich Council to remain committed to protecting the environment by retaining and improving the EDPA bylaw.