Saanich Operations Centre Redevelopment

What we are doing

The Saanich Operations Centre – located at 1040 McKenzie Avenue – has served our community for more than 60 years. While we continue to deliver services from this bustling hub, we are looking to redevelop the site and replace the old facilities with new ones so our operations will function well into the future allowing us to continue to provide services that support our high quality of life in Saanich.

The quality of life that we often take for granted depends on the following services all of which are supported by staff who work out of the Operations Centre:

  • WATER: The maintenance of the water supply and delivery system that brings drinking water to our homes and businesses as well as the pipes that take away waste for treatment.
  • TRANSPORTATION: Design, management and maintenance of our streets, roads, intersections, sidewalks and bicycle paths that allow us to get to where we need to go as safely and efficiently as possible.
  • PARKS: Design, management and maintenance of our boulevards, parks, beaches and natural areas.
  • SOLID WASTE: Removal of residential garbage and organics.

As the facility report card [PDF - 4 MB] shows, our ability to continue to deliver these services is at great risk due to the condition of the facilities and their capacity to support our services. We have been developing a plan that will be a template for the future site redevelopment with an objective to mitigate these risks through a facility that simultaneously reflects best practices and looks ahead into the future anticipating growth and dynamic service delivery.

This project is guided by the Strategic Facilities Master Plan, which provides a framework that helps us prioritize strategic investment in our facilities and to see projects such as this one, planned and implemented in a robust and transparent manner. The process strives to deliver value and accountability for taxpayer dollars while ensuring that the primary goal of services delivery is being met.

Virtual open house

Below you will find some informative boards relating to the project, listed upcoming live and virtual events, present and future objectives and goals and lots of other relevant information.

Our three-fold vision:

Services Delivery: Ensuring we can continue to deliver critical services from this site long into the future that residents can rely on. The operations are required to be delivered from a safe, efficient and robust set of facilities that are built to last and accommodate changing needs decades into the future.

Healthy environment: In addition to remediating the Public Works Creek, the redevelopment will support and further our 2050 net-zero goals, climate change resiliency, energy performance and promotion of active transportation strategies.

Community vitality: Given the prime location of these facilities and the opportunity to advance the public realm of the Quadra-McKenzie Neighbourhood Centre, we are uniquely positioned to provide a template for private sector investment that strengthens the community.

What’s next?

Council approved the Business Case in June of 2022, directing staff to continue to develop the operations centre plans and to also begin to work with the private sector development community to understand the opportunities to involve external investment and other uses on the site. In the coming years, the District intends to engage a private sector partner to assist with realizing a redeveloped operations centre and to also plan for commercial and perhaps residential opportunities that are in alignment with the District’s OCP and current Council lead initiatives and priorities.

While construction on site is likely a few years away, District staff will be further seeing plans advanced that will have public engagement activities through an anticipated re-zoning process. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting project.

Need more information?

Contact the Saanich Engineering Department.
250-475-5575
engineering@saanich.ca