Saanich council has recently moved forward with a study on garden suites. I’m thrilled with this initiative as garden suites will provide more needed affordable rental accommodation.

However, the study includes a 12-month timeframe, excludes rural saanich, and will cost $45,000. Do we really need to allocate that much time and money to gather information from urban Saanich on its own?

By the time Saanich allows garden suites (if they’re allowed), UVic and Camosun’s new students will already have had to struggle yet again to find a place to live. We should work to allow these suites within the next few months, which in turn would increase our housing stock with more affordable options for next year’s students.

Moving forward with this study is a positive initiative, but it should be done in a way that’s fair to rural Saanich, efficient for students, and economical for taxpayers.

Ned Taylor

Saanich