The plan outlines what the future of Panama Flats would look like if approved. (Saanich.ca)

Spanning over nearly 46 acres of natural land, nestled in the heart of Saanich, Panama Flats Parks is often recognized as a regional gem for neighbouring communities and birders alike.

However, the area's future has remained in limbo for the past decade after Saanich determined that the 11-year-old restoration plan was unfeasible, largely due to its high cost and its emphasis on large-scale agriculture.

Following a concerted push by community advocates and nature conservation groups, Saanich staff worked to develop an updated concept plan for the area.

Presented at the Oct. 20 committee of the whole, council unanimously endorsed the document, which lays out a future for the green space - one rooted in environmental protection, stormwater management and passive recreation over agriculture.

Following rounds of public engagement, which began in 2024, the district gathered input from residents, First Nations, environmental organizations and community associations to guide its design, explained a staff report.

What came out was a resounding support to protect biodiversity and wildlife habitat, particularly for migratory birds and wetlands. The updated plan also features new trail connections, bird-viewing platforms and a designated disturbance-free wildlife zone.

The WSANEC Leadership Council and the district explored opportunities for traditional plant harvesting, youth engagement and potentially renaming the area to reflect Indigenous heritage.

Despite widespread support from both council and residents, the questions surrounding off-leash dogs sparked the most concerns.

Under the plan, dogs would be allowed off-leash on the 1.2-kilometre stretch of the Colquitz River Trail, from Roy Road in the north to Hyacinth Park in the south, once fencing and signage are installed, starting next year. Additionally, leashed dogs will be forbidden on the east side of the park along Carey Road.

"We understand this isn't exactly what the environmental stewardship groups are asking for, but we felt it was a reasonable compromise," said Paul DeGreeff, Saanich's manager of park planning and development.

For Rosa Munzer, president of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory, the plan should ban off-leash dogs given the nature of this sensitive ecosystem.

Considered one of the region's birding gems in an area often called "Canada's birding capital," Munzer described Panama Flats as a "critical area" for both migrating and breeding birds.

"About 15 per cent of all North American birds rely on wetlands, and 70 per cent of those have already disappeared in Canada," said Munzer, who is president of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory. "It's a serious issue, so this is an invaluable habitat."

"It's really important for (birds) to be able to rest without being interrupted, which is why we feel strongly about the dogs being on leash in the wetlands area."

Victoria resident and nature advocate Brent Bitz recommended zoning the wetlands as a conservation park (P-5) and the remaining land as a natural park (P-4N) to ensure long-term protection of the area.

Following a period of public input, Coun. Judy Brownoff, Mena Westhaver and Nathalie Chambers questioned staff on the points raised by Munzer and Bitz.

DeGreeff and his team explained that the future zoning of Panama Flats will need review and clarification, adding that these changes will happen alongside updates to the animal bylaws and the installation of infrastructure.

As of now, no immediate changes will occur, and future strategic fencing of sensitive areas will be implemented incrementally, pending available budget.

After hearing from an "overwhelming majority" of residents and environmental groups who opposed off-leash dogs in the park, Coun. Karen Harper sided with them, saying that canine companions could lead to the "destruction" of the habitat the district is trying to protect. She added that a compromise isn't a viable option in this case.

"This site, which has over 228 bird species, makes it an extremely precious and unique site in Saanich," she said. "If we're going to be called the bird-friendly city, I think we need to protect the site.

"This is such an environmentally sensitive area."

For his part, Mayor Dean Murdock expressed gratitude to staff and community members for their efforts in conceiving the updated plan, noting that trust was at the forefront of this collaborative process.

"I don't think that everybody's perfectly happy... but I think that's reflective of a really thoughtful process that has done a lot of work to hear people," said Murdock. "If we got it wrong, we can go back and fix it, but I think we ought to try to implement what's in front of us."

Coun. Colin Plant concluded the night by asking for a rough timeline on the plan's implementation.

While impossible to provide specific dates, staff will consider both community and council input to figure out the next step moving forward.

"We're in the process of capital planning for next year, so we'll... have a conversation about what items we feel we should put forward," staff said. "(Until then) we'll be working on an implementation plan and what that looks like short, medium, long term."

Implementation of the plan is expected to cost approximately $100,000 annually over five years according to the staff report.

Until then, Plant welcomes the news to protect this green space.

"I'm not sure what the future of this area is going to look like," Plant said, "But I'm certainly happy to hear that Saanich is protecting it further and that there will be more work to come. I do think this is the sort of work that our residents will support us spending money on when the opportunity comes."