The Highway 17 Joint Peninsula Steering Committee is comprised of Political, Staff and Community Representatives from the District of Central Saanich, The District of North Saanich, The Town of Sidney, and the Tsawout First Nation. The objective of the Steering Committee is to identify and prioritize a package of recommended intersection and access / egress improvements for the portion of the Highway 17 (Pat Bay Highway) traffic corridor located north of the Saanich / Central Saanich boundary to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. It is the intention that these recommendations be submitted to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to assist the Ministry as it works to determine its future capital requirements for Highway 17.

Over the course of the last eight months and a total of seven meetings, the Steering Committee has undertaken an extensive process of technical evaluation, consultation and prioritization. In June 2010, the Committee finalized a list of recommended `Project Priorities and Recommendations for the Saanich Peninsula Portion of the Highway 17 Traffic Corridor`. This recommended list has recently received the final approval and ratification of the four principal sponsoring jurisdictions – the Municipal Councils of Central Saanich, North Saanich, and Sidney, and the Tsawout Band Council.

Correspondence signed by the three Peninsula Mayors and Chief Allan Claxton of the Tsawout First Nation has recently been forwarded to the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, attaching the “Project Priorities & Recommendations” list and requesting a joint meeting with the Minister to discuss the matter.

Further information regarding the Highway 17 Joint Peninsula Steering Committee can be obtained by contacting the Central Saanich Municipal Hall at 250-652-4444.