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Saanich council has made the decision to rename Christmas Hill Park after former councillor Vic Derman.
Derman passed away in March at the age of 72. He was first elected to Saanich council in 2002 and became the Capital Regional District (CRD) director in 2005. He was part of various committees, including active transportation, water conservation, and sustainability.
Saanich council chose Christmas Hill Park to memorialize Derman due to his commitment to sustainability. Derman became an executive member of the North Quadra Community Association in 1990 and stayed with the association until he was elected to council. He worked to acquire parklands on Christmas Hill and campaigned to improve greenbelts and commuting trails. The association put forward the proposal to dedicate Christmas Hill Park in honour of Derman.
Christmas Hill Park is a 3.29-hectare park next to and west of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. It contains Garry Oak trees and their associated ecosystems.
The name change and park dedication ceremony will take place in July.
Alexa Huffman
