Many thanks to the more than 50 waterfront owners who gave up a glorious summer evening to take part in PROW’s 2023 AGM at the Mary Winspear on June 27th. After the President’s Remarks and Treasurer’s Report, the following Directors were elected to the PROW Board:
- Dorothy Hartshorne
- Steve Heddle
- Alex Hyndman
- John Izard
- Ted Izard
- Sam Johnston
- Peter Kerr
- Mike Lazic
- Carolyn Stout
- David Tonken
Introduction of By-Election Candidates
All three candidates for the vacant seat on North Saanich Council attended the AGM. Raymon Farmere, Ryan Lay and Kristine Marshall made brief presentations, then stayed to chat with residents over refreshments after the meeting’s conclusion.
Special Guest Speakers
Bob Peart presented a summary of the Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s Bioregional Framework. Bob voiced his support for PROW and our efforts to protect the waterfront. See the Bioregional Framework here.
Mayor Peter Jones had been called away unexpectedly to a meeting with Provincial officials, so Councillors Celia Stock and Sanjiv Shrivastava stepped up to “pinch hit” for him. They brought members up to speed on the timeline and organization of the new Official Community Plan, then responded to questions and comments from the floor.
Attendees shared their experiences in dealing with a culture at the District that has seemed in the past to be adversarial, and in facing complex and costly regulations that often seem out of touch with the realities faced by waterfront property owners. There was vocal support for the hope that the new Official Community Plan would take a positive – not a punitive – approach toward encouraging owners to protect their properties from erosion caused by wave action and storm surges. Other topics included dealing with yard waste and debris from boats which wash up on shorelines, seeing owners face often major disposal challenges without assistance from any order of government.