DEPARTMENTAL UPDATE

DEPARTMENTAL UPDATE

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated January 27, 2026 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.

PURPOSE:

To provide Council with information from each department regarding material events and happenings at Town Hall.

BACKGROUND:

A report for the Committee of the Whole meeting to apprise Council of the highlights of significant activities of the Town.

INFORMATION:

Office of the CAO:

December:

The CAO continues to serve as the Owner’s Representative on the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Senior Management Team for the West Shore RCMP Facility Expansion project. The Validation Report for the project was delivered to View Royal, Langford and Colwood on December 19th.

The CAO and the Director of Development Services attended the Greater Victoria Hotel Development Working Group hosted by Destination Victoria, with the intent of putting together a prospectus to present to hoteliers interested in building in View Royal.

January:

The search for the Town’s new Executive Assistant is complete. Sydney Murphy starts with the Town on February 9th.

The CAOs work with the IPD Team on the RCMP Expansion Project extended into February.

Corporate Administration:

December:

Front counter staff continue to manage a high volume of inquiries and transactions, including business licence, dog tag, and secondary suite renewals.

On December 17, 2025, Town Hall welcomed two Kindergarten classes from View Royal Elementary School for their annual Christmas visit. Students presented handmade cards expressing their appreciation for the many ways the Town helps make the municipality an enjoyable place to live. The children sang festive songs and shared words of thanks, highlighting safe streets, the school crossing guard, Christmas lights, and the bike pump track at View Royal Park. The classes returned to school with mandarin oranges and candy canes provided by the Town to enjoy along the way.

Staff participated in a “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” earthquake drill at Town Hall. Following the drill, staff gathered in Council Chambers for an interactive session led by C. Pacholik from Logic League Consulting Ltd., focused on developing and determining incident action plans for the Emergency Operations Centre.

Staff also supported Council in delivering the festive “Light Up View Royal” contest. A total of 9 nominations were received, and prizes were awarded in both the Council’s Choice and People’s Choice categories, recognizing outstanding holiday light displays throughout the Town.

Select archival material is being digitized, described, and prepared for upload to the Archives website in the new year. Current projects include scanned images from a 1938 View Royal Ratepayers’ Association Minute Book, a sampling of local business receipts, and an Eagle View Elementary student project completed in collaboration with the Archives.

The M365 project is now more than half-way through the discovery and workshop phase. Survey forms are being prepared to reduce the number of scheduled staff sessions. The project team is developing the information architecture and system rules that will govern information flow within the M365 environment. A review and inventory of the existing electronic workspace is also underway in preparation for the migration.

In addition, staff are supporting the coordination of a recruitment process to fill the vacant Executive Assistant position.

January:

Front counter staff were busy with renewals for dog licences, type 2 secondary suite permits and business licences. Business licence deadline was January 31, while dog licences and secondary suite renewals deadline is February 28.

As Phase 1 of the office furniture project nears completion, preparations are underway for the installation of new soundproofing in the upstairs foyer and office area. This work will include ceiling-mounted soundproofing features intended to reduce noise and improve workspace conditions.

The first 2026 edition of Inside View Royal was released, highlighting key Town updates including upcoming events, timely articles, and community news. Support also continues for the West Shore RCMP Facility Expansion Project through project website updates, media monitoring, and other initiatives aimed at increasing community awareness and understanding. In addition, work is underway with the Town’s web provider on the Website Refresh project to modernize the Town’s website for the first time since its launch, with a focus on improving user experience and accessibility.

The Archives Department experienced a quiet start to 2026, but welcomed a researcher for multiple visits focused on documenting View Royal’s activities and attractions over the past seventy-five years.

The RIM365 project is approximately 12% complete. Staff surveys replaced scheduled discussions to improve efficiency and are being used to map information flows across systems and business units. Work continues on developing a database to link property files and related documents by address, while the records classification and retention schedule is being adapted for an electronic records repository.

Finance:

December:

MNP completed their 2025 interim audit remotely in late November. Leveraging existing collaboration tools including SharePoint, staff were able to track and respond to audit requests in a timely manner. Staff’s focus is working toward closure of the 2025 fiscal year end and preparation of the 2025 financial statements and year-end audit, scheduled for early April 2026. The 2026-2030 financial planning process continues with senior management budget meetings.

January:

Finance staff have been working toward preparation of the draft 2026-2030 Financial Plan for Council consideration while also being focused on preparing the 2025 financial statements before the year-end audit scheduled for early April. These annual processes are an entire team effort and Finance staff appreciate the support received from other departments who provide timely information, critical to finalizing these tasks and meeting legislated reporting deadlines.

Grant-in-aid applications are currently being accepted for consideration in the Town’s 2026 Financial Plan. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2026, and staff have begun informing potential applicants through the Town’s website and social media platforms.

Information Technology:

December:

In December, Information Technology completed a major project: upgrading the internet firewall to an automatic failover system, enhancing network reliability and resiliency. IT also completed desk moves and reconfigurations at the Town Hall.

January:

In January, Information Technology strengthened the Town’s overall security by replacing the older remote‑access system with a more modern and resilient approach. The IT Manager is also continuing to support the SharePoint (RIM) Project through ongoing technical guidance.

Development Services:

December:

The Development Services team responded to a consistent number of zoning, land use, and building enquiries, and reviewed and processed applications. In December, Development Services (Planning and Building) only received two Building Permit applications, as summarized in the table below.

The last phase of engagement on the Official Community Plan (OCP) Review and Update, prior to the consultants and staff commencing work on the final first draft of the OCP, was completed in November. In December, staff has been focussed on reviewing the survey results and feedback received during engagement from July to November 2025. Staff is preparing “What We Heard” reports on the Vision, Western Gateway Community Corridor, and Policy surveys and the feedback received at the various open houses and workshops. These reports will be presented at Committee of the Whole, shared with the OCP Review Advisory Committee and posted on the ViewRoyal2050 project webpage in the new year.

The building and housing monthly reports for November and December are attached to this report.

January:

In January, Development Services (Planning and Building) received two applications, as summarized in the table below.

At the Committee of the Whole meeting in January, Staff presented What We Heard Reports on the Vision Survey, Western Gateway Community Corridor Survey, workshops and open houses, and the Policy Review Survey and open houses. Following substantial engagement on the OCP, the consultants are working hard on preparing the first draft to be available for review and input in March.

The consultants have completed the mapping for Phase 1 of the Coastal Adaptation Plan, which is currently under review by staff. These technical maps will be shared with Council and the public at a future Committee of the Whole meeting.

The building and housing monthly report for January is attached to this report.

Engineering:

December:

Staff are providing basic asset management training to key personnel throughout the organization.

Sewer & Drain

View Royal and the surrounding region experienced two significant atmospheric rain events in December. The first occurred on December 10, 2025, and was estimated to be a 10-year rainfall event. The second rain event occurred on December 16, 2025.

The first rain event was significant due to the high volume of rainfall occurring over a short duration. As a result, stormwater runoff intensity was rapid and required an immediate operational response. All available Engineering and Parks staff were deployed to identify, address, and prioritize both potential and active issues, with Parks staff providing critical on-the-ground support. Several road and trail closures were implemented to mitigate public safety risks. Despite these challenges, the Town was successfully managed and weathered both rain events.

(coordination required with the District of Saanich on closures (Little Road))

(examples of surcharging ditches that required attention: Top Photos: before and after of debris cleanout at a culvert on Highland Road Bottom Photo: bank protection and debris cleanout at a culvert on Burnside Road West)

Streets & Roads

Annual inspections and maintenance of street lighting and traffic signal were completed, and pavement repairs were carried out on Atkins Road and Island Highway:

As well, lighting repairs were completed at both “Welcome to View Royal” signs at Admirals Road and on Island Highway:

The Atkins Road Sidewalk project signage was installed in anticipation for the start of construction in January 2026:

Development Servicing

Off-site construction at 3 Helmcken Road continues along Helmcken Road, with rock shearing required to both properly install the new sidewalk and preserve the rock outcrop as much as possible.

Parks

The Engineering Department extends special thanks to the Parks Department for their support as the “boots on the ground” during the two atmospheric river events. Parks staff are now focused on catching up with regular seasonal work, including park facility clean-up, fleet and equipment maintenance, and coordination with volunteer groups, in preparation for the busy spring season.

January:

Staff have applied for 2026 federal summer student grants to support the upcoming busy season for the Parks and Engineering departments. The Engineering and Parks Departments will soon begin the hiring process for summer students, to be hired in mid Spring. Staff are now starting a few select 2026 projects that was approved by Council. Doing so will help balance staffing workloads, resources and expectations throughout the year.

Sewer & Drain

Town staff and maintenance crews continue to diligently maintain Storm Drainage operations by clearing catch basins, ditches and culverts, all of which can accumulate material resulting from high intensity rain events.

The emergency replacement of a failing culvert on Herbate Road (previously reported in the December departmental update) will be deferred due to environmental permitting constraints. Monitoring throughout the winter season is being conducted in the meantime to ensure the culvert remains in an adequate condition until replacement.

Streets & Roads

Staff have been collaborating with BC Hydro on a significant electrical feeder main repair located on the Island Highway by Stewart Avenue. The impacts of inaction are significant (failure mechanisms at a regional level), and unfortunately, the work in this isolated region is expansive. Commuters can expect significant traffic disruptions and delays as part of the work, which is expected to commence on February 23 and ending on March 6. Therefore, on top of the typical traffic advisories, Staff will be:

1. Releasing press releases as a result to ensure that the public, residents and emergency services are aware of the disruptions and recommended detour routes, and to ensure that BC Hydro manages the expectations of their work.
2. Providing improved advisories including mapping on the Town’s website to better inform Town residents.

Developments

3 Helmcken – Aspire: Off-site electrical installation for street lighting along Burnside Road West is currently underway.

Parks

January has been a busy month for parks as they ramp up the new year with Town Hall grounds, parks cleanup, and holiday lights removals. Security lights for the building at Helmcken Centennial Park have been replaced to improve security. This is in addition to the repair / replacement of one of the doors to the building that experienced damage due to vandalism.

Green Team reported the following for 2025 invasive species removal events in the Town of View Royal:

9 hands-on environmental activities were delivered at Edwards Park, Portage Park, Knockan Hill Park, Nursery Hill Park, Stoneridge Wetland, Watkiss Way Park, & View Royal Park engaging local school students & community members.

Ecological Impacts

• 108 cubic meter (or 4 school buses full) of invasive plants were removed.
• 3,710 square meter (or 2.5 hockey rinks) of habitat revitalized throughout View Royal Parks.

Community Impacts

• 328 community members were engaged.
• 802 hours contributed to habitat restoration.
• 42% of participants introduced to View Royal Parks.
• 20% of participants introduced to removing invasive plants.

Protective Services:

December:

The Fire Department ended 2025 with a record number of emergency responses, receiving 1,340 calls for service. Of these, 146 calls for assistance in View Royal were attended by Colwood, Langford and Esquimalt Fire Departments. A detailed breakdown by incident type will be provided in the near future.

December saw a significant increase in structural fires, with five building fires recorded between December 24 and January 1. In all cases, families and occupants were displaced and supported by the Emergency Social Services team.

The department continues to evaluate and adjust response logics with neighbouring Westshore departments to maximize coverage. Gaps have been identified between 06:60 and 07:30 daily due to a shortage of one staff position. A total of fifty-five calls in 2025 were responded to by a three-person engine, compared to the regular four-person minimum. An updated staffing plan will be presented in early 2026 as part of budget discussions. Paid-on-call staffing remains a challenge, as many members are working above the departmental minimums.

The Bylaw Department welcomed a new Bylaw Enforcement Officer this year. Parking and noise complaints remain the most common, followed by management of homeless encampments on View Royal, Island Corridor Foundation, Capital Regional District, and E&N properties.

January:

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated January 27, 2026 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.

SUBMITTED BY:

S. Sommerville, Chief Administrative Officer