Saanichton Water Main Replacement

Water main installation is finishing up this week near Lisnoe Avenue. Next week, crews anticipate working near Blossom Park to begin installing new service lines. Homes that will have a planned disruption to water service will receive further information from Despard Contracting about specific arrangements.

The southbound bus stop (Stop 102066) on Wallace Drive, just south of Lisnoe Avenue, will be temporarily closed starting April 8, 2025. Please plan extra time for your trip and board at the next stop (Stop 102033), just south of Cultra Avenue.

The western section of Cultra Avenue at Wallace Drive is now open to traffic. Stay tuned for updates on BC Transit and school bus routes as work approaches Lisnoe Avenue. Single lane alternating traffic continues during road work.

Water main installation is scheduled to continue this week. Crews anticipate working at the Cultra Avenue intersection, where the water main crosses under the road. Access at Cultra Avenue on the east side of Wallace Drive will be temporarily closed during work hours, until road work progresses north. Please plan to use East Saanich Road as an alternate route. 

With students back from Spring Break, crews will continue to prioritize school buses and transit along Wallace Drive.

The northbound bus stop (Stop 102052) on Wallace Drive, just north of Cultra Avenue, will be temporarily re-located on March 22, 2025. Please plan a bit of extra time for your trip.

Despard Contracting sent a letter to properties with frontages on the east side of Wallace Drive, between Cultura Avenue and Lisnoe Avenue, to confirm the start date for removing hedges and vegetation within the municipal right-of-way. The letter included anticipated dates and timing, what to expect and how to contact them in case of questions or concerns. These landscaping changes are anticipated before the bird nesting window begins near the end of March.

With the site now prepped, water main installation is scheduled to begin Monday, March 17. Crews are working to make this as smooth as possible for everyone, including prioritizing school buses and transit.

Initial prep is nearly complete and road work is anticipated to start Monday, March 10. Starting Monday, vehicles can no longer be parked on Wallace Drive between Blossom Park and Lisnoe Avenue. Please see the What to expect section on this project page for changes to road use.

Despard Contracting sent a letter to nearby residents to outline project details, what to expect and how to contact them in case of questions or concerns. The letter included anticipated timing and reminders about:

• Parking: This section will match Wallace Drive sections above and below, where on-street parking is not available.
• Landscaping: Within the municipal right-of-way, necessary hedge and vegetation removal will improve sightlines for road safety and accommodate curb and sidewalk additions.
• Utilities: Homes that are directly affected (like by a possible disruption to water service), will receive further information from Despard Contracting about specific arrangements.

With the contract awarded, the District kicked off the project with Despard Contracting on Thursday, February 27. The project schedule was confirmed, with a start date of Monday, March 3.

The District delivered invitations to residents with frontages along Wallace Drive and held an information session to share details and answer questions about the project.

The Engineering team delivered notification letters to properties with frontages along Wallace Drive. They spoke with residents about the project and anticipated permanent changes to road use (like on-street parking no longer being available between Blossom Park and Lisnoe Avenue, matching the sections of Wallace Drive above and below) and to the municipal right-of-way (like cutting back hedges and vegetation within the municipal right-of-way, where necessary).

Update on Mar. 31, 2025: Please note for clarity that the project team spoke with local residents who were at home when they delivered notification letters on a Friday afternoon (Nov. 15, 2024) and invitations on a Thursday afternoon (Nov. 21, 2024). The invitations were for the information session held on a Thursday evening (Nov. 28, 2024). We did not speak with everyone. The notification letters invited local residents to email the project team with questions.