Brentwood Bay Open Water Management Updates

To progress management of the issues in Brentwood Bay, the District proposed a collaborative approach with other jurisdictions. The CRD has agreed to manage a service and work with the peninsula municipalities.

In March 2021, the CRD Board adopted Bylaw 4391: Saanich Peninsula Waterways Environmental Action Service Establishment Bylaw No. 1, 2020 at the request of North Saanich, Sidney and Central Saanich.

The new service will provide a forum to bring First Nations, community groups and all levels of government together to collaborate on solutions and coordinate roles and responsibilities for action.

The service will not have regulatory authority but will dedicate effort and attention through public outreach and engagement, advocacy, pursuit of specific projects and coordination of any local government actions.

You can read about the service on the CRD's website.

Council has directed staff to meet with Tsartlip First Nation to discuss a proposal to collaborate with other Saanich Peninsula municipalities and to join the Capital Regional District Harbour Program for management of open water moorage areas.

Council also directed staff to contact the District of North Saanich and Town of Sidney to review OCP’s collaboratively to address mutual concerns about the harbours in the Saanich Peninsula.

As background to this decision, Council has previously made application to acquire a Licence of Occupation (LOO) and this new proposal to work with other municipalities and to join the Capital Regional District Harbour Program will be undertaken concurrently with the LOO process. The District of Central Saanich remains committed to working together with Tsartlip First Nation and other levels of government to address community concerns about Brentwood Bay in a coordinated and collaborative approach.

Central Saanich has received an offer of a Licence of Occupation from the Province. The District is working to ensure the language in the licence supports the District’s intent, which is to be able to manage the number and placement of mooring bouys and be proactive with issues in the bay and not to assume other governments’ responsibilities. Our goal is to supplement the responsibilities of the federal and provincial government, not assume them.

If you own or lease a mooring buoy in Brentwood Bay and have not made application, you are encouraged to do so. Council has established a list of priorities for the mooring buoys, including liveaboards and length of tenure in the Bay.

For more information on the District's management plan for the Bay, please see FAQs.

As we await a decision from the province on the District's application for a Licence of Occupation, we are reminding anyone who owns or leases a mooring bouy to register with the District of Central Saanich.

Registration forms are available on this site. It is currently voluntary; however, over 40 owners of mooring buoys have made application.

Council has established a list of priorities for the mooring buoys, including liveaboards and length of tenure in the Bay.