Re: Opportunity for Inter-Municipal/Regional Cooperation on Deer Management

Re: Opportunity for Inter-Municipal/Regional Cooperation on Deer Management

I am writing to provide an update on Oak Bay’s work on deer management, recent Provincial policy changes, and to invite you to consider a collaborative approach to deer management.

As many of you may know, from 2017 to 2025 the District of Oak Bay undertook a deer management research project in partnership with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society supported by the University of Victoria. This work was primarily funded by the District, with annual grants provided by the Province in most years. Our project, allowed under the provincial “experimental” track for wildlife management, was intended to determine whether Immuno-Contraception (IC) injections would reduce reproduction. Provincial staff have reviewed the research results and found immune-contraception vaccines sufficiently effective that they will now consider operational permits for Immuno-Contraception (IC), not just research permits. We see this as a very positive change as the non-lethal approach has had broader public support than culling the deer, which was the only other operationalized approach allowed by the Province until this change.

Deer management remains an issue of concern for many of our residents, but because deer migrate across municipal boundaries, a regional program would be more effective and efficient than isolated efforts. For these reasons, Oak Bay Council asked that I write you to determine whether you would be interested in exploring joint delivery and funding of a deer management IC project in 2026 or beyond.

Oak Bay Council has asked staff to include operationalization of deer management in our upcoming (2026) financial plan. While grants have been available in the past, we understand there are no Provincial or external grants for urban deer management in 2026. Assuming Council approves the 2026 budget as directed, it is expected these funds will be used for contracted IC deer management services: these can be used just in Oak Bay or as part of a more regional approach. Oak Bay’s goal is to, within the next few months, resolve how the program will be delivered (i.e. Oak Bay alone or in partnership regionally), secure contracted services, and attain Provincial permits, all leading to undertaking IC deer management work during Fall 2026.

We would welcome an opportunity to discuss how we may be able to collaborate and understand your level of interest in a regional approach. Please reply by the end of February if you are interested in exploring a joint / regional approach to deer management.

For further discussion, please feel free to contact me at mayor@oakbay.ca or through staff at 250-598-3311.

Sincerely,

Kevin Murdoch, Mayor District of Oak Bay

c. District of Oak Bay Council Michelle Hunt, CAO