The Draft Tillicum Burnside Plan is ready for public input!
The Draft Tillicum Burnside Plan was presented to Council at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026. The agenda package, including the video recording is available online: Saanich.ca/agenda.
At the meeting, Council directed Staff to proceed with community engagement and consultation.
Highlights of the Draft Plan:
- Opportunities for a diversity of housing that meets community needs, including for families, renters, and seniors
- Land use policies to support new mixed-use buildings with small businesses in Villages and the Centre
- Priorities for safety and mobility upgrades along Burnside and Tillicum Roads
Creation of a future public square in the Burnside Village - Improved access to the Gorge Waterway and Curtis Point, including a continuous Waterfront Trail
- A new greenway connection along Millgrove and Seaton Streets, connecting the Gorge Waterway to the Galloping Goose Trail
We want to hear from you
We are seeking your input on the Draft Tillicum Burnside Plan (TBP).
The Draft TBP provides a long-term framework to guide growth, investment, and redevelopment through land use and transportation policies. It supports the development of a complete, connected community with diverse housing, sustainable transportation, and vibrant public spaces anchored by local amenities.
Get involved!
A number of engagement events are taking place in your neighbourhood – register or drop by:
| WHAT | WHEN | WHERE |
| Online Webinars |
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
|
Online via Microsoft Teams
You may register your attendance via HelloSaanich (optional). Use the buttons below to join the webinar on the scheduled date.
Please note if you're using a mobile device you will prompted to download the Microsoft Teams app. Please do so prior to the start of the webinar as it may take a few minutes. If you’re using a desktop browser, you are not required to download the mobile app. |
| Open House #1 |
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
|
Burnside Lawn Bowling Club (274 Hampton Rd.) |
| Open House #2 |
Saturday, May 23, 2026
|
Tillicum Community School (3155 Albina St.) |
| Open House #3 |
Thursday, May 28, 2026
|
Gorge Pavillion, Upper Hall (1070 Tillicum Rd.) |
| Online Survey | May 11 - July 13, 2026 | HelloSaanich (link to be provided at a later date) |
Stay informed
Please follow on HelloSaanich to stay involved and receive additional updates about upcoming engagement opportunities and the status of the project as we move forward.
Project overview
The Tillicum Burnside Plan will guide future changes in the area over the short, medium, and long term (30 years) to build a livable, vibrant, and transit-connected community. The long-term vision for the area will be influenced by the Official Community Plan’s direction of One Planet Living and the 15-Minute Community.
This is an opportune time to address the unique challenges of this neighbourhood and develop a more compact built environment to accommodate future residential and employment growth near the core of Saanich. Over time, it is anticipated that the Plan will influence growth and transformation in the area, shaping the homes we build, the roads we travel, the parks we enjoy, and the neighbourhoods we call home.
Purpose
Grounded in the framework of the OCP, the role of the Tillicum Burnside Plan is to prompt action and implement this area of Saanich as a compact, complete, and walkable community. The Plan promotes the efficient use of infrastructure and public services, encourages transit-oriented and pedestrian friendly environments, and supports economic development in key growth areas.
The Plan echoes the OCP’s vision of a 15-minute community and aligns with the District’s broader housing and climate goals. Building on the area’s existing strengths, including its neighbourhood grid pattern, diverse housing stock, valued community assets, and established economic anchors, the Plan provides detailed policy guidance for how land use, transportation, housing, and the public realm will evolve over time.
Serving as a decision-making tool for Council, staff, the public and interest holders, the TBP will guide how the neighbourhood grows and adapts. It ensures that future development upholds high quality urban design, supports safe and accessible mobility networks, and advances public amenities that reflect community needs and values.
Figure 1: Tillicum Burnside Plan – Centre, Corridor and Village Areas
Figure 2: Saanich's Centre, Corridor and Village Plan Areas
Figure 3: Aerial image of the Tillicum Burnside Plan Area
Past public engagement
View the Phase 2 Engagement Summary report.
Several pop-ups, community workshops, and webinars were offered in 2025 to gather input and ideas from community members and stakeholders. These sessions explored ways for introducing more housing options, providing amenities and safe connections, and designing corridors to support sustainable transportation. A survey was also available until July 22, 2025. We appreciate the input you’ve provided to date.
Plan goals
Four goals have been developed, each with corresponding objectives intended to provide clarity at the outset of the project and reflect the focused scope of the work, as follows:
Land Use
Implement the Centre, Corridor and Village growth management framework to build complete communities that foster sustainable, walkable, vibrant, and connected places.
Transportation and Mobility
Deliver complete streets in the Tillicum Burnside area and improve connections for all modes with an emphasis on car-light living, safety, enjoyment, and efficiency.
Housing Diversity, Affordability and Supply
Provide opportunity for new housing within well-serviced areas with a focus on meeting the needs of the community and providing a diversity of housing options.
Public Realm and Open Space
Enhance overall livability through providing community amenities, a safe and connected network of open spaces and distinct public realm areas.
Key plan directions
Design Welcoming & Connected Public Places
Prioritize public realm and access to community gathering places and recreation facilities to foster connection, identity, cultural expression and everyday enjoyment.
Revitalize Gorge & Burnside Villages
Support the revitalization of the G and B Villages into dynamic local hubs that offer a diverse mix of housing, shops, services and public amenities that service the needs of residents and showcase high-quality urban design.
Renew Tillicum Burnside Centre as a Community Anchor
Strengthen the role of the TBC as a focal point for community life by enhancing public facilities, expanding services, promoting local employment and creating new housing and inclusive spaces that bring the community together.
Expand Housing Diversity
Support housing options to meet the needs of residents across all life stages and abilities, with a focus on diversity, accessibility and housing choices.
Honour First Nations & Urban Indigenous Peoples
Continue to foster relationships with First Nations and Urban Indigenous Peoples and work collaboratively with a focus on reconciliation and honoring traditional knowledge and history, arts, and culture.
Celebrate the Gorge Waterfront
Ensure that development along the Gorge Waterfront prioritizes public access, ecological integrity and placemaking, while preserving its natural beauty, increasing flood resiliency and reinforcing its role as a defining feature of the area's identity.
Background
A Terms of Reference for the Tillicum Burnside Plan was endorsed by Council on November 25th, 2024, that defines the scope of work and planning process to undertake a comprehensive land use and transportation study for the Tillicum Burnside area in alignment with the Official Community Plan’s Centre, Corridor and Village growth management framework.
Centre, Corridor and Village Planning Growth management strategies and policies in the Official Community Plan (OCP) promote compact and sustainable land use, focusing the vast majority of new development inside the Urban Containment Boundary and within well designed Centres, Villages and Corridors (CCVs). CCV geographies are intended to act as hubs of the community where more services and amenities are found, along with higher density housing and more diverse employment, commercial, and public spaces.
Check out the video below for a quick explainer on Centre, Corridor and Village Plans.
The CCV planning approach intends to take broader direction in the OCP and provide detailed planning guidance at the local level for all CCV areas. The Tillicum Burnside CCV Plan will provide guidance for new development and capital investments.
The project has completed the first three of five phases, and received direction from Council to proceed with community consultation (Phase 4), on April 27, 2026.
