The Lorax Speaks for the Trees. Saanich Council Speaks for the Chainsaws

Between January 1 and December 18, 2025, Cadboro Bay has faced an unprecedented assault on its natural heritage. In less than a year, active permits now threaten 168 trees - ranging from protective Arbutus and Garry Oaks to majestic Pines, Cedars, Cypresses, Dogwoods, Willows, Robinias, and Cherry trees. Only four permits were denied, all tied to single-family dwellings, but the reprieve is negligible: at least 30 trees have already been cut down in favour of multiplex developers chasing profit.

These removals are not accidents of nature, nor unavoidable safety measures. They are deliberate choices, sanctioned by Saanich Council, to accommodate densification at biodiversity’s expense. The irony is bitter: while Tree Protection Bylaws exist to safeguard ecosystems, they are being undermined by the very body entrusted to uphold them.

The consequences reach far beyond aesthetics. These trees form the backbone of Cadboro Bay’s ecosystem - sheltering native birds and pollinators, regulating water flow, providing nesting sites, and sustaining fungi and lichens. Together, they support songbirds, owls, small mammals, bees, butterflies, and migratory species. To condemn them is to dismantle the very foundation of a thriving coastal habitat.

If this trajectory continues, soon there will be no trees left to define the character of this place. What makes Cadboro Bay rare, biodiverse, and beloved is being sold off, leaving behind a landscape stripped of its soul.

The question hangs heavy: what is the use of protection laws if they are wielded as tools of destruction?

The Lorax warned us. The Council approved anyway.

Author:  M Rose Munro