Letter from the UDI to Saanich, subject: “Working together with UDI”
By Sasha Izard
March 3, 2025
As the District of Saanich was on the cusp of withdrawing its UDI membership after numerous members of the public voiced concerns about conflict of interest regarding the municipality being a paying member of a registered lobbying organization for development and real estate interests, the UDI (Urban Development Institute) sent a letter to the District of Saanich dated March 11, 2023. The letter (below) reveals that it hoping to maintain a close working relationship with the District in the event that its membership with the organization ended.
The relationship did continue afterward with the UDI writing to Saanich that they are “committed to a partnership with Saanich” and Saanich’s CAO also writing in response when asked about this: “There is no formal partnership – there is collaboration on a range of issues.”
On December 17 2023, I emailed Saanich’s CAO with the question: “If there is no formal partnership with the UDI, is Saanich in an informal partnership with the UDI?”
The CAO never responded to the question.
Unrecorded back room meetings continue between the lobbying organization and the District that the general public are forbidden from attending and Saanich Councillors can still spend up to $500 annually of public funds to attend UDI events including their seminars and luncheons.
The following is the letter obtained by Freedom of Information, sent by the UDI to Saanich’s current Director of Planning on March 11, 2023.
See also:
Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes wants municipality to join chamber, Urban Development Institute – Saanich News
Saanich bails on membership in developers’ organization – Victoria Times Colonist
CRD Watch Homepage 
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