CRD Watch Homepage

Saanich’s brief experiment in Town Halls effectively ending after less than a year.

That is unless one considers having brief unrecorded public input at City Hall as Town Hall meetings.


By Sasha Izard
Aug 18, 2025


The District of Saanich is effectively ending its brief experiment in Town Halls by reducing open public speaking time to 1 hour at City Hall and unrecorded for up to 3 times most years.

The action negates its previous justification that the reason for creating tri-annual Town Halls and eliminating recorded monthly Open Forums would be to have Town Halls at different locations more easily accessible to the Public than at the usual City Hall site and offer more opportunities for the public to speak openly. Open Forum in contrast, offered 12 such opportunities per year and was recorded. It was eliminated by the majority of Council last fall, despite clear opposition to the move by numerous members of the public, and without in contrast any public support for the move at the council meeting.

The Times Colonist claims that the public were boisterous at the last Town Hall held in May, while the Mayor justified the switch back to City Hall as a means to keep order at the meeting. Despite making such claims, neither the Times Colonist, nor the Mayor were present at that Town Hall.


Saanich town hall to move to council chambers – Victoria Times Colonist


————————————————————————————————–


See also:

LETTER: Saanich council limits public input – Saanich News

LETTER: Saanich should rethink elimination of open forum – Saanich News

LETTER: Loss of open forums a blow to public engagement in Saanich – Saanich News

According to Saanich’s Corporate Officer, Saanich staff researched and found the cost for holding a potential recorded town hall to be $6000-$8000 per meeting. – CRD Watch Homepage

The cost of recording a Town Hall plummets from previous estimation by Saanich’s Corporate Officer. Council rejects recording options anyway. – CRD Watch Homepage