2025 Year in Review

2025 saw a continued investment in infrastructure across the District of Oak Bay. Infrastructure like water, sewer and storm mains go unseen, but are the backbone of a healthy community. 

This past year saw over: 

This past summer, the District set out to create a new Community Engagement Framework to help guide staff, Council and our community on when and how we engage. Endorsed by Council in September 2025, this new framework helps ensure community needs, interests, values and preferences are considered early in projects where we seek community engagement.  

Over 600 respondents shared their values and ideas about community engagement in a questionnaire that helped shape the new framework and our principles: 

Council and staff have worked tirelessly this year to update our Official Community Plan (OCP). The OCP helps guide where residential, commercial and other types of development occur while focusing on infrastructure and policies on the environment, economy, community health and more. 

Throughout robust community engagement and countless hours of work from staff, Council adopted the Official Community Plan Bylaw 2942, 2025, on December 11, 2025.  

Key themes of the 2025 OCP include: 

Housing: The OCP introduces policies to enable new townhouse and multi-unit housing in strategic locations, and a new mixed-use neighbourhood at Cedar Hill Corner (UVic vacant lands). These changes directly support provincial housing targets and will lead to housing options for families, seniors, and young residents. 

Complete Communities: Policies prioritize proximity to transit, services, and amenities, ensuring new housing contributes to vibrant, walkable neighborhoods.  

Climate Action and Resilience: Stronger climate change-related policies and strategies to adapt to climate impacts such as sea-level rise.  

Transportation and Mobility: Enhanced active transportation networks and improved transit connections to reduce reliance on personal vehicles and promote walkable neighborhoods.  

Community Amenities and Public Spaces: Policies aimed at protecting and enhancing biodiversity and plans to upgrade parks and amenities. 

Character and Design: Updated design guidelines aim to preserve Oak Bay’s unique character while accommodating thoughtful growth. 

This fall saw a milestone for a pillar of our community, the 50th anniversary of Oak Bay Recreation Centre. Opened in October of 1975, on October 24 this year, community members gathered at Oak Bay Recreation Centre to see memorabilia, take part in ’70s themed swims and skates, music trivia, and a ceremony to mark the anniversary.

On Connect Oak Bay, community members came to share their memories of a recreation centre that means so much to many. 

This year saw Oak Bay progress supporting active transportation, whether you’re walking, cycling or taking transit. 

359 metres of sidewalk were replaced including the installation of 10 curb drops to improve pedestrian accessibility. The McNeill Avenue Traffic Calming and Utilities project will see improvements to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure from Transit to Foul Bay Rd. Construction is underway and will continue in 2026. Other pedestrian focused projects underway include the Oak Bay Avenue and Wilmot crossing and the Windsor at Transit Crosswalk. 

This summer, the Henderson and Haultain-Estevan cycling facilities were approved by Council, and construction is tentatively planned for Spring 2026. These two facilities will provide cycling routes with access to Oak Bay Avenue, High School, Oak Bay Recreation and Haultain Street’s cycling infrastructure in the District of Saanich. 

The District has wrapped up community engagement on future cycling routes in Oak Bay with our Active Transportation Strategy and Cycling Implementation Plan. Engagement this fall saw over 1,000 community members sharing input on their priorities for active transportation. An updated strategy and plan will be presented to Council in 2026. 

Over the past ten years, technology and the internet has changed drastically. It was due time for us to launch a brand-new website this past spring!

The website, over a year in the making, presents a fresh, modern user experience so residents can find relevant information faster.

For those who love numbers, this website supports over 1,000 active users per day (November 2025) with over 4,000 page views daily (November 2025). 

This year saw the District of Oak Bay’s first Accessibility Advisory Committee, following the adoption of the District of Oak Bay’s Accessibility Plan (2025). 

The District of Oak Bay strives to support an accessible, diverse and inclusive community for people of all abilities, identities, ages, and backgrounds. Some of the initiatives underway or planned for the District include: