Harvest Hub

Construction of the Harvest Hub continues to progress on schedule. Framing of the facility is now complete, and work is underway to begin rough-in plumbing and electrical installations.

As part of the project’s next phase, a staff report was presented to the Agricultural Advisory Committee on June 10, providing an update on facility construction and seeking feedback on a proposed Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) process to identify an external operator for the future Harvest Hub service.

Staff will incorporate feedback received from the Agricultural Advisory Committee, along with input from the Harvest Hub Working Group, and present recommendations to Council at its June 29 meeting.

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Construction has officially begun at the Harvest Hub site! Excavation work is now underway, and construction activity will continue throughout the remainder of the year.

For safety, the site has been fenced to clearly mark the construction area.

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Following from the Council adopted Project Charter, the Harvest Hub Working Group have endorsed the Harvest Hub Facility interior layout at their workshop meeting held on January 26, 2026, with the design team. This was identified as a critical path milestone in the Project Charter to ensure the project meets the aggressive project completion date.

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• Harvest Hub Floorplan PDF
• Harvest Hub Working Group – Interior Layout Review – Minutes of January 26, 2026

As a requirement outlined by the donor, the District will hold monthly meetings to provide updates on the Harvest Hub progress. Meeting minutes will continue to be posted in the Harvest Hub Documents tab listed in the side menu.

Minutes to date:

• Feb. 2, 2026 – Harvest Hub Update Meeting No. 3
• Jan. 5, 2026 – Harvest Hub Update Meeting No. 2
• Dec. 8, 2025 – Harvest Hub Update Meeting No. 1

The District hosted a workshop at Municipal Hall with 16 local farmers, six members of the Agriculture and Food Security Advisory Committee, as well as staff and members of Council. Discussion topics included a facility concept, timeline, planned use, desired services, operation considerations, and next steps.

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The District has entered into a Gift Agreement for the receipt of a gift of $750,000 for the purpose of constructing a Harvest Hub Facility. The agreement stipulates that the District is to create a Farm Hub Fund (FHF) in order to receive the Initial Contribution, as well as any additional funds that the greater community may wish to contribute for the purpose of constructing a Harvest Hub Facility.

This fund has now been created in anticipation of receiving donations for the purpose of constructing a Harvest Hub Facility. In accordance with Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) tax receipting requirements, the District is required to ensure that any donor wishing to contribute to the Farm Hub Fund(FHF), understands what the purpose of the donation will be used for, as well as what happens to the funds should the purpose, in this case the constructing of the Harvest Hub Facility does not meet the deadline as set out in Section 6 of the Gift Agreement

The Gift Agreement has a Failure of Purpose Clause (6), which states that if the Harvest Hub Facility is not fully constructed and operating by December 31, 2026, that the funds held in the Farm Hub Fund (FHF) are to be disbursed equally to the following Charities no later than January 31, 2027.

1. Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Society (848383659 RR0001), specifically to their Root Food Hub Program
2. Victoria Community Food Hub Society (818349730 RR0001)
3. Together We Stand Military Foundation (777820085 RR0001)

Any donor wishing to contribute to the Farm Hub Fund(FHF), will have their donation added to the fund (FHF) as per section 4.1 of the Gift Agreement. By donating to the FHF, the donor understands the terms of the Gift Agreement specifically Section 6 of the agreement.

For any questions, please contact Barb Webster, Director of Financial Services & Information Technology

The District of North Saanich is advancing an important community vision with the development of a new Harvest Hub at 1776/1900 Glamorgan Road, made possible through a generous gift from community member Gregory Warner.

Building on ideas first explored in 2010, the Harvest Hub represents a significant step toward strengthening local food security, supporting North Saanich farmers, and enhancing regional collaboration.

Phase I of the project includes the construction of a minimum 1,000-square-foot facility for food aggregation, processing, storage, and community food-security programming, alongside site planning, design work, and the launch of this page to ensure transparency as the project progresses. Monthly reporting to the donor, as outlined in the Gift Agreement, will guide the project’s development.

Council has expressed its deep gratitude to Mr. Warner, whose contribution is helping bring long-standing agricultural and food-system objectives to life.

Residents are encouraged to check back regularly, as this page will be updated monthly with new project milestones and progress reports.

Read the Gift Agreement