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Vitally important letter coming up at Central Saanich Municipal Hall tonight at 1903 Mt Newton Road commencing at 7:00 p.m.

Check this out.

Join us if you can, on such short notice.

And thanks in advance for your continued support of this project.

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District of Central Saanich
1903 Mount Newton Cross Road
Saanichton, BC V8M 2A9

Re: Woodwynn Farms Therapeutic Community for the homeless

Dear Central Saanich Mayor and Council;

The Woodwynn Farms property of Central Saanich, under-producing for decades, has the potential to once-again significantly contribute to the local agricultural economy and simultaneously become home to a showcase solution to one of the Capital Region’s most important issues – homelessness.

The Creating Homefulness Society, owners of Woowynn Farms, has taken the opportunity to have a number of discussions with the Planning staff and Administrator over the last several months. The thrust of these meetings has been to try and establish a process that would lead to permitting the expanded agricultural uses of existing lands and adding further uses (primarily residential and retail outlet) that would support the effectiveness and sustainability of our therapeutic community for the homeless. It has become obvious that these meetings simply serve to point out to both Woodwynn Farms and municipal staff that the current bylaws do not allow for this mix of uses. In effect, a square peg in a round hole. Consequently we would like to propose another alternative.

While we know that the Agricultural Land Commission will be a large part of the approval process we would like to have Central Saanich as a supporting partner in this endeavour. To this end we would like Council’s support in establishing a site-specific Agricultural Zone in the Land Use Bylaw that would guarantee the continued primary agricultural use of the lands and also permit a small area for housing (approximately 1% of the total land area) and various scaled uses in existing buildings only, including:

• retail and indoor market;
• craft workshop;
• museum & gallery
• community hall
• restaurant & café
• outdoor area for market and stage performances
• offices;

We note that there are already several Agricultural Zones that have these features (site-specific Agricultural), including:

• a model aerodrome,
• a historical museum and,
• the fairgrounds

We also note that the current Farm Worker Housing initiative/review while welcome, will not provide for Woodwynn’s needs.

By way of this letter we are requesting that Mayor and council give staff direction to prepare a report for Council establishing this site specific Agricultural Zone. Woodwynn would be happy to work with city staff wherever we might be needed and look forward being able to apply to the Agricultural Land Commission with the support of Central Saanich Mayor and Council.

Further, we are requesting that, as a token contribution to the region’s homelessness issues, Mayor and Council waive all application fees to move this project forward.

 Regards,

Richard Leblanc

Founder & Executive Director, Creating Homefulness Society

www.woodwynnfarms.org

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Curious about Woodwynn Farm and the Creating Homefulness Society, my wife and I decided to take a drive and check it out.

We were impressed.

We asked to meet Richard Leblanc, the executive director.

He was busy at the moment helping another man unload a truck of hay, but would pop in shortly.

We decided to try the soup and a coffee at the bistro while we waited.

They were made on the premises and delicious.

Richard arrived shortly and sat down.

Once again, we were impressed.

He spoke quietly and confidently.

This was no mere sales pitch to questioners.

He and others like him are into this commitment for the long haul.

They are dedicated, focused and knowledgeable.

There is growing public support.

The "healing community" is growing in an orderly manner so it is able to integrate new arrivals effectively.

Richard said the major challenge at the moment is buying tents, single beds and equipment so cash would be most helpful.

Until Dec. 31, every donation will be matched up to $150,000 by a local philanthropist.

May we suggest when you make out a cheque for the Times Colonist Christmas Fund you use the next cheque for the Creating Homefulness Society.

Christmas reminds us of our faith, our home and our children.

It is important for children to have food and gifts.

Homes are important also.

What a wonderful Christmas it could be next year if every member of the healing community had a home and supportive family.

Don Hatfield

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Woodwynn+Farm+visit+creates+good+impression/7653608/story.html#ixzz2EDswosj7

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Every dollar donated becomes two!
(philanthropist will match your donations, up to $150,000)
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Central Saanich has been my home for over 20 years. It is a safe, friendly and quiet community conveniently located within a short commute from the city of Victoria. Like most residents, I appreciate the semi-rural qualities of our community, but despite a strong agricultural heritage, we still tend to undervalue the importance of this resource. While it's encouraging to see increasing interest in the future of farming in our community, we have much to re-learn.

One important lesson is that farming is a largely communal undertaking. Farmers share expertise, resources and labour. Historically, a farmer's insurance policy was their neighbours – ready on a moment's notice to tend to each other's chores in the event of illness or injury. Our government, driven by a down-turned global economy, continues to dismantle our social safety net. A recent survey states that half of Canadians are now one to two paycheques away from poverty. In the near future it seems entirely likely we may be relying on one another in ways we've only heard our grandparents and great-grandparents reminisce about.

The first challenge we face is to find new ways to connect with our community. Some of us don't know our own neighbours to greet them on the streets, which in this age of working couples are largely deserted for most of the week. Churches are no longer the social hubs they once were and community halls see less use as communal gathering places. It's a sad irony that while we live in such close proximity to one another, we can't seem to stem the growing sense of disconnection and isolation.

Into our midst comes the Creating Homefulness Society. This proposed therapeutic community at Woodwynn Farms offers an opportunity for people who are, for a variety of reasons – homeless and looking for a way off the streets. What most of us seem to focus on is the word "homeless". Those of us with a roof over our heads can't imagine what it would be like to not have a home. Furthermore, homeless is synonymous with poverty, drug addiction and mental illness.

Ideologically, we can applaud the Society's aims and objectives. What many can't accept is that they are wanting to bring homeless people into our community. After all, many of us choose to live outside city limits for reasons which include a desire to insulate ourselves and our families from those mean streets. Yet, similar communities like Providence Farm in the Cowichan Valley are in many ways a convergence of the very same qualities we find lacking in our own neighbourhoods: inclusiveness, fellowship, shared responsibility and a sense of togetherness.

If we choose to simply defend the status quo, we risk overlooking something of critical importance. Woodwynn might just be the catalyst that helps to bring us closer together, to serve each other and build a stronger community. Woodwynn could be as much about meeting our own needs and aspirations as it would for it's residents: a strong advocate for local agriculture, the revitalization of a heritage farm; the repurposing of agricultural land for fresh, homegrown food for human consumption; a mentorship program to pass along our community's collective knowledge to a brave new generation of farmers; a gathering place for community events where everyone is welcomed and no contribution is insignificant.

Are there challenges to overcome? Yes indeed. Despite this, these initiatives are already taking root at Woodwynn. What's still at issue is the element of trust. We need to overcome our own fearfulness so that we might recognize the potential benefits which far outweigh the perceived risks. I urge council and residents alike to consider that perhaps the greatest risk here is what we have to lose by turning our backs on these possibilities. Let's see what we can do to make this work to everyone's advantage. It may well be that Central Saanich needs Woodwynn as much as they need us.

With respect,
John Carswell
Brentwood Bay, BC

Sent to: Mayor & Council, Central Saanich
cc: Brian Underhill, Provincial Agricultural Land Commission
Colin Fry, Provincial Agricultural Land Commission

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