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Why does SCAN (Saanich Community Associations Network) not have a website?

By Sasha Izard,
April 25, 2026


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The Saanich Community Associations Network (SCAN) is an umbrella network for the community associations of Saanich.

SCAN is listed on the Community Associations page on the District of Saanich website at the time of writing: Community Associations | District of Saanich

The organization has existed since at least 2016.

SCAN receives funding from the District of Saanich. As I found through Freedom of Information, over $5000 in 6 years:

SCAN has also served as a stakeholder on the Province’s Development Approvals Process Review (DAPR) along with various lobbies for development and real estate and other corporate entities.

It is from the DAPR program, that the housing bills 26 (2021), 43 (The Housing Supply Act which enabled provincially mandated housing targets/appointed advisors for municipalities, Bills 44 and 46 and 47 (2023) were the result.

The equivalent of DAPR at the local government level, and also an offshoot of DAPR is the Local Government Development Approvals Process Review (LGDAP).

The DAPR program has resulted in vast amounts of public hearings being eliminated across the Province of BC, and vast pre-zonings/blanket upzonings across the Province, as well as the delegation of powers from elected officials to staff. Hardly a community-led initiative, but definitely a response to industry lobbying.

dapr_2019_report.pdf

Yet, the organization which is the umbrella group for the Saanich community associations and thus supposedly representing them at the municipal and provincial tables, is remarkably untransparent. There is no website for SCAN, only a gmail address listed on the Saanich website.

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On April 24, 2026 – I emailed that address: saanich.scan@gmail.com with the following question:

Hello SCAN,

I am wondering why the Saanich Community Association Network does not have a website, but only has a gmail address for a contact.

Thank you,
Sasha Izard
Saanich Resident

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SCAN’s Chair promptly responded:

Hi Sasha, 

Short answer is there has been no concensus from membership to date. fyi SCAN is a network not a society. 

Under my Chair, have started a branding exercise, it now has a logo and banner for events. 

I’m travelling – hope this answers your query.

Cheers, 

Hollis Hodson,

SCAN, Chair.

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Hello,

Thank you for your response.

When you say that “there has been no consensus from membership to date”, by membership I take it that you are referring to the community associations of Saanich?

 Has the question ever been tabled by the membership that SCAN have a website?

– Sasha

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I look forward to the answer.

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Index of articles regarding community associations. – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of articles revealing major lobbying influence on B.C. Provincial Housing Bills and Housing Targets. – CRD Watch Homepage