I respect that people do not often have the time to watch all the Board Meetings each month as they do involve several hours, and I do attend meetings that most residents in Area D are not aware of. In an effort to promote greater transparency with the happenings at the Board Level, I will be posting a Director Report on a monthly basis's. In addition I will be posting a link on the Directors Facebook Page linking back to these Directors Reports. I am always happy hear any concerns from Residents about these reports and I am always happy to provide further clarifications as needed.
You can email me jrice@srd.ca
Now that the OCP survey has ended I know residents are wondering what is the next step.
I highly recommend to all residents that they keep in touch with the SRD Website and in particular
https://srd.ca/area-d-official-community-plan-ocp-review
Community Engagement dates will be announced soon and both myself and the SRD will make sure the community is well advised of those dates.
I cannot stress enough that this is the communities Official Community Plan and it does need a good cross section of the community to attend these public meetings when they are announced.
Thank you to all the residents that took the time to send me a detailed email to voice their concerns.
All of those concerns were raised in the meeting and they did have an impact.
The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure has an incredible amount of Bureaucratic Red tape so even incremental gains is a win.
On the positive side
1. There will be a Traffic Study that will involve SRD staff working with Ministry staff and there will be public engagement dates for the community. This study will be paid for by Provincial Money as it should be.
2. There are improvements coming for the Transit Service here in Area D. Four new bus shelters are coming this year and while they do have a cost of $120,000 the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure will be providing funding of $99,000 towards that cost.
3. Improvements coming next year to the Bus Stops at Engles and Island Highway South and the Glenmore RD Exchange. Again those improvements are being paid for with Provincial Money.
4. There was a sincere acknowledgement that snow removal was not good last year and I do expect that this year will be much better.
I am also seeing a very large improvement in responding to the daily issues that do crop up and require timely responses from Ministry Staff.
It is great to see three new development applications hit the Board over the last few months which is very encouraging as there is the potential for how many new housing starts in Area D to move forward next year.
Currently the SRD has issued Eight New Building Permits so far this year for Area D.
The statistics from the census profile for Area D are rather interesting and I encourage everyone who has the time to take a look at
What stands out for me is
• 4.4% growth in population between 2016 to 2021 which is well below many other areas even in the Strathcona Regional District.
• .9% increase in new housing between 2016 and 2021
Tell me what you think about development in Area D. Are these good numbers or do you think improvements can be made? Send your thoughts to jrice@srd.ca
Since “Day One” I have been committed to greater transparency.
For the first time in “Three Decades” Area D has a “New Advisory Panel Committee Bylaw” and a transparent process of advertising and selecting people for the “Advisory Panel Committee”.
No longer will the “Area Director” have any influence over the recommendations that come from this committee.
Thank you, to those that put their names forward for this important committee which is strictly voluntary.
It is not always easy to put your names forward and to volunteer your time.
Time goes fast and its been a decade since any advocating to BC Hydro has been done from the Area Director to possibly bring hydro to the residents of Cedar Creek and Upper Campbell River lake.
While this is still in the early stages SRD staff are looking into what possibilities exist if any that could finally bring hydro to this community.
The SRD was successful in obtaining a grant for Fire Smart services.
The SRD intends to hire a regional Wildfire Risk Coordinator that is fully funded by this grant.
Some of the key responsibilities this position will hold include:
Earlier this year I brought a motion to the SRD Board asking staff to prepare a report on ways that the Strathcona Regional District could play a more active role in housing.
Before any meaningful reports and recommended actions could be brought to the Board there needs to be a service created just for housing.
To be honest - services almost always cost tax payers, however this service will strive to be cost neutral.
Even though good things can come from this service the“Three Electoral Directors from Area A, B, and C over the last two board meetings have done everything they can to derail the creation of this service.
Now that this service is in place Area D will be applying for the Housing Accelerator Grant
The Strathcona Regional District is also looking into the possibility of creating “Work Force Housing”.
This would be a cost neutral initiative if it was approved by the Board.
Work Force housing could play a key role in attracting
More to come over the next few months on this new service.
As many residents are aware only Area D and the City of Campbell River pay for the Strathcona Gardens Facility.
The other 3 Electoral Areas A, B and C do not pay into this service.
While the other three Electoral Areas argue that their use of the facility is rather limited and they do not feel that this facility really benefits them a meaningful way, they have also failed to recognize that the Strathcona Gardens does benefit the Strathcona Regional District as a whole and they should be supporting it.
I have asked staff to bring a report back to the Regional Board with options that might see the three Electoral Areas included in this service.
I think its time for all the Electoral Areas to support the Strathcona Gardens.
It was great to meet the residents and to hear their concerns and questions on how the Strathcona Regional District might be able to help residents achieve a greater peace of mind in regards to protecting their homes and cottages in the event of a fire.
It was also nice to hear that some residents are still very interested in having a Hydro hookup.
I am already working on a motion for the next Regional Board Meeting to get this process restarted.
There was a full day spent in Campbell River with the Solid Waste Board.
For those that are not sure what this is it was a full day to talk about Garbage, Landfills, Recycling and how much we all pay on taxes for this service.
I know in Area D we all pay for our own garbage service, but we also pay on our taxes.
The money collected on our taxes is used to manage the landfills and the recycling facilities and the list goes on.
The important take is that over the last few years the tax requisitions for this service have continue to increase, which also means that homeowners are subsidizing companies that pickup your garbage.
The Solid Waste Board did decide that tax requisition will be reduced for 2023 and 2024, and that the tipping fees that are charged to all the garbage companies will be increased for 2024.
It will be interesting to see how this change will affect taxes for next year.
The meeting this month was held at the Campbell River Fire Department so all the new board members could visit the 911 call centre and the fully operational backup centre on Dogwood.
I am not sure if folks are aware but the Campbell River 911 call out centre does manage considerable dispatch calls to various fire departments in the province and Vancouver Island.
It is remarkable how far technology is coming and the new roles that will play in 2025 when the 911 service rolls out its enhanced 911 service.
The connected coast project is quickly reaching new milestones.
With an eminent agreement to be announced very soon with the Vancouver Internet Exchange connected Coast and Baylink will very soon be able to light the fibre up for Sayward, Gold River, Cortes, Quadra and other communities along the inside passage.
Lighting the fibre up just means that all that new fibre that has been installed will soon be connected to the internet.
As some are aware there is a proposal submitted to the City of Campbell River requesting an extension of the Urban Containment Boundary to allow a City of Campbell River development adjacent to Finch Rd in area d.
When this motion was presented to the Strathcona Regional Board there was information that was included with the motion that was not accurate nor relevant to the actual Urban Containment Boundary Extension proposal and that has created considerable confusion in the community.
I would highly suggest that for those who are interested in this that it would be in their best interests to attend this hearing which will be at the Sportplex July 12th from 7:00 pm to 9:00.
Just letting folks know that Area D will be having its first public hearing to obtain public feedback and or concerns on the proposed York Rd and Chantrelle Way OCP change request. More details on this will be coming out soon but I will mention that this OCP request is supported by our 27 year old OCP and the previous Director did deny this request how many years ago.
For those that are connected to this water system ( all the folks south of the Driftwood Restaurant) there is a rate review coming out.
Details of when this review is happening should be with your July billing.
This is an opportunity to provide me with any concerns or feedback that you would like both myself and the SRD to bring forward in this rate review. It is also worth mentioning that the water infrastructure is quickly approaching its end of life and significant upgrades are expected to start in 2030.
And finally my Alternate Terry Brown will be doing the board meetings on July 19th 2023.
May was a short month as many Directors were away to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) 2023 Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario. While Toronto is quite the city the contrast to living on the West Coast is quite eye opening. Our green spaces and our parks which many take for granted are so nice when compared to other cities like Toronto.
Many people continue to use Social Media to contact me and or to ask me questions.
As a public official I have a duty to maintain all my communications in the event of a Freedom of Information Request.
I encourage everyone who wishes to contact me to either call me on my cell or drop me an email.
As many folks are now aware in the Community the Strathcona Regional District at its last Regional Board Meeting on May 11th 2023 did vote in favour of this extension.
This area has always been the City of Campbell River and they have every right to eventually build in this area.
I know there are substantial concerns in the Community, but I would also like to point out to all concerned residents that there will be plenty of opportunity for public engagement.
I have contacted the City of Campbell Rivers planning department to better understand the process.
There will be 2 OCP changes that will be needed before this development moves forward so that does mean there will be 2 public hearings.
As these public hearings are held in the City of Campbell River it will be the City of Campbell River Council and Mayor that will decide what is the outcome of each of those hearings.
As I am able to determine public hearing dates I will be doing a direct mail out via Canada Post to inform all those residents that are not in the immediate area of Finch Rd of those public hearing dates. Public hearings are your opportunity to voice your concerns.
The City of Campbell River has every right to build new homes within its boundaries and that needs to be respected. Already on Social Media there is misinformation which is not helpful. It is rather disturbing when uninformed people use social media to make uninformed remarks and comments. That said, this could also be the opportunity to get things for Area D.
I encourage all residents who have concerns to please contact me. Email or a phone call !
I am even happy to arrange meetings or group meetings.
The current Fire Service Agreement with the City of Campbell River was signed in late 1979 and it has had no updates or further input from the Area Director since that date.
Hard to believe that the previous Director whose career which spanned more than 27 years was not on top of this crucial and very important Service Agreement that affects how many households in the Community.
As this agreement is very old and lacks clarity in some sections it is time to resume talks on this service agreement. This will provide the opportunity for Area D Residents to contact me and voice their concerns so that they can be properly articulated in future Board Meetings.
I encourage all residents who have concerns regarding this service to please contact me via email.
Over the next 2 months staff will be updating the 2017 Draft OCP and I am expecting some dates for public engagement.
I encourage all Area D residents to participate in the public engagement dates as this will be your opportunity to ensure your thoughts and desires are captured in the Official Community Plan.
For those that might be familiar with this I have been informed by our MLA that there could be the possibility of opening York Rd to the Inland Hwy via Cranberry Lane.
Possible positive outcomes could be:
1. Improved snow plowing
2. Upgraded road similar to Hamm Rd
3. Better maintained road
4. Possibility or more traffic being routed to the Inland Hwy instead of Highway 19A
5. Better intersection at York Rd and Highway 19A
I would be very interested to hear from folks on what they think about this possibility. Please send me email with your thoughts.
The grant initiated by the previous Director back in 2021 was denied by the province in March of this year.
As I realize that water meters will play a critical role in controlling water costs for many the SRD CAO and our MLA have been working hard to ensure that Area D will obtain a grant for Universal Water Meters.
I am expecting a positive announcement will be coming soon.
Time fly's and with six months gone by these are the things that are happening in our community.
I would also like to mention that if you would like your Director to bring something to the Board for consideration please call me or email with the details.
BCOB Water System – there is a planned round table this summer that will look at the rates for this service and potential ways to improve the service. If any resident has concerns and would like to ensure that they are brought forward in this round table please contact me.
Comox Valley Strathcona Solid Waste – there is a planned round table for this summer to discuss rates and services. As far as Area D is concerned I will be bringing forward concerns on the lack of recycling, lack of public engagement when new services are being offered, the cost of the service to the Strathcona Regional District as a whole, and the fact that most of the services are south of the Oyster River. Again if any resident has a particular concern please contact me.
Work is proceeding with Nenagwas. As some are well aware considerable land has been cleared, lots of heavy truck in the community, work being completed on Henry Rd for the outfall pipe to name a few.
For those that expressed concerns over the trucks and concerns that they are speeding I did get a very good response from Wacor and their drivers have been instructed to slow down and to be mindful of safety.
This year I am told that the focus will be preparing the village with sites for the future homes, landscaping, paving entrance ways and that next year they should be in a position to start purchasing manufactured homes.
I know that Area residents expressed concern since mid Dec 2022 with regards to the sediment that was flowing in our creeks and ditches during those periods of heavy ran. I have been assured by the Tlowitsis that this will not happen again, and they have re- engineered some of there work to alleviate concerns from Area residents.
I have been asked about the water towers up York Rd and what are they for. At some point Nenagwas will be the home for 500 people and eventually they will be looking to build a firehall to not only serve Nenagwas but to hopefully also help service Area D.
March has been a busy month with meetings with our MLA, meetings with our MP and of course finalizing details with this years 2023 budget and tax implications for Area D residents.
Productive meeting with focus on the following key items
As some are most likely aware this year there is an average increase in taxes of approximately $300 per household.
With this tax increase the following initiatives and projects will be realized
1. Strathcona Gardens new swimming pool complex and significant building updates will be moving forward. This $73 million project is very welcome after the years of delay from the previous area Director and City of Campbell River Council. This project will be providing a number of local well paying jobs to boot.
2. All of the area D community parks projects now have the appropriate budget to proceed.
Those projects are
I. Parks Master Planning
II. Hagel Park Greenway North and Storie Creek Trail
III. Hagel Park Drainage problems
IV. Salmon Point Trail Head Development V. Storie Creek New Bridge
VI. Oyster River Nature Park trail and Signage upgrade
VII. Hagel Park Public Washroom
VIII. Mittlenatch Park and furniture
3. Suitable budget was approved for Area D to update the Official Community Plan (OCP) and start tackling zoning changes.
4. $75,000 has been budgeted for a comprehensive traffic study.
5. Gas tax money has been moved to support the Northern Area D water infrastructure upgrades. In the past few weeks alone there have been how many problems with the aging water infrstructure.
6. Should the grant application to the province for bus shelters fail as the last application did area D does have some funding to start purchases. A single bus shelter for the most basic shelter is over $27,000.
Please check out
https://www.johnforaread.ca/Progress.htm
as there has been progress on existing motions and there are a few more in the works.
How happy are folks with BC Transit bus service in Area D?
I have requested a review of this service schedules and I would love to hear from those that are using the bus service.
I am also keen to learn how many people use the bus stop located at Engels Rd and are heading North into Campbell River. I am looking at whether this bus stop can be improved to accommodate a future bus shelter so it would be nice to know how much this bus stop is used.
Please contact me with all your concerns regarding the transit service. Email me jrice@srd.ca
One of the first items that I did tackle last year as soon as I was sworn in was the lack of bus shelters in Area D. The first grant application for bus shelters was not successful. SRD staff have applied for a provincial grant which I am hoping will be successful and will provide Area D with enough funds to purchase 4 bus shelters. Over the next few months the SRD should know if this grant application will be successful. If this grant application is not successful there is some budget to start purchasing bus shelters 2023.
How many think about the 911 service?
For many we only think about it when we need it.
The Campbell River Fire Department provides 911 services to a large portion of BC. Supported by North Island Communications the North Island 911 service has been busy updating equipment, and providing much need redundancy to its systems. While the yearly operating budgets continue to increase for the Strathcona Regional District there is no question how valuable this service is to the entire North Island.
As part of a Federal Government Initiative 911 services are moving towards Enhanced 911 services that will see many improvements to the system. Currently the North Island 911 service is on track to see these new enhanced services to begin in late 2025. It is very exciting to see the City of Campbell River as the hub for 911 services for the North Island and to be able to service a large portion of BC.
Just a reminder to the folks that are connected to the Northern Area D Water Service provided by the the City of Campbell River that this water service continues to encounter challenges with changing weather patterns that continue to put a strain on water management. I encourage every to think about water conservation all year round as our water sheds are still recovering from last years drought that continued into Dec 2022.
I know there is a lot of interest to get going with the Official Community Plan ( OCP ) much needed update and the desire to tackle zoning changes and I have been asked whats the hold up getting going. I can insure everyone in Area D that Official Community Plan Updates are a priority and now that budget has been approved for 2023 I do expect that over next several months there will be progress on this very important plan that will satisfy all those in the community. My understanding is that staff will be preparing a report which will be brought to the board which will outline the update process that some of the Electoral Directors are requesting.
If you have questions or concerns that you would like to discuss with me please call me @ 250.203.1598 or send a detailed email to jrice@srd.ca
Thank you for the emails and inquires from all the residents in Area D.
It is important when you have concerns to reach out to me as often as needed.
Many have asked where certain issues are at and those are fair questions.
However please keep in mind that most items need to start with a motion to the Electoral Committee (EASC) first for deliberation and from there it might need further information from SRD staff before proceeding to the Regional Board Meeting for a final vote. The EASC committee only meets once a month and so far this year there have only been two meetings.
In an effort to keep all those in the community informed on the progress for all issues brought to the board please see
https://johnforaread.ca/Progress.htm
In addition to progress in board meetings I have also created a news page on my website. Check here often as this will be the place to find out current news in the community.
https://johnforaread.ca/News.htm
I have managed to secure a meeting with our MLA later this month. I have a long list of items that will be discussed at this meeting and I will have a future update after the meeting.
Budgets are still progressing. Again to early to provide further comments at this time on how this years budget will affect our taxes.
OCP Planning and Zoning and Bylaws – many are asking where is this at. After budgets are completed SRD staff will be working with all the Area Directors to develop their plans. Staff are aware this is a considerable priority. I hope to have further information in March on this.
Directors Report Jan 2023
The best to all for 2023.
Much has happened thru Dec 2022 and into 2023.
All of the New Electoral Directors have now sat in the Inaugural meetings for both Solid Waste and Hospital Board Meetings and while we are all still coming up to speed with the issues I have to say that the response from other members on these boards has been very positive. Many existing members are looking at the new directors and council members for new energy and ideas for these important assignments.
Other Boards, Commissions, and groups that I will be sitting on are
BCOB water and fire service
BC Hydro Group
Connected Coast Commission
911 Commission
VIRL Trustee
Strathcona Gardens Commission
I have started the following initiatives for 2023 that SRD staff are looking into
Recent EASC Board Decisions
In the Inaugural EASC committee meeting on Jan 11, 2023, Director Whalley from Electoral Area A was voted as Chair, and Director Vonesch from Electoral Area C was voted as Vice Chair. Director Whalley with his years of experience will be valuable in helping the new Directors navigate their new roles in local government.
With a focus on Area D there was three Development Variance Permits to consider which were all approved, one development permit which was approved, and one rezoning application that was approved. The staff reports that were included with each of these items did indicate that there was no reason for not approving these items.
Water Meter Grant
There has still been no response from the Province on the “Water Meter Grant” for those on the Northern Water System.
Budget Discussions
Budget Meetings will continue through the month of Jan and into Feb. While it is still too early to make any formal announcements, I am confident that the community will appreciate this first budget and perhaps one that represents a new vision for Area D.
Strathcona Gardens Committee
The Inaugural Meeting was held on Jan 11 2023 and it was decided that Commissioner Sinnott would be chair and the Area D Director would be vice chair.
There was a presentation for the “New Swimming Pool” that has been in the works for the past few years. This new pool if approved will come at an approx. cost of $53 million with less than a third being covered in a possible grant at this time. For those that are not aware the existing pool is leaking and is reaching its end of life.
I respect that very little information has been filtered to Area D residents over the years regarding Strathcona Gardens and I also recognize that for many they are most likely in the dark as to what has been happening with the Strathcona Garden. There are other upgrades that are in the works for this facility and of course the all important budget meetings will be happening later this month. Expect more information in Feb 2023 regarding the Strathcona Gardens.
BCOB Water System
For those that are on the southern water system a new well has been dug on “Shelter Point Farms”. This new well will be coming online later this year and it is expected that new water connections will be available in Sept 2023. This new well should service the BCOB Water System quite well.
With high expectations I have already discussed in very “High Level Terms” that Area D will be looking to expand the water service in the future.
Over the coming months I will have more to say on this new addition to the BCOB water system.
Directors Report Dec 12th 2022
As budget meetings are just starting to happen, I would have to say that it is disappointing to learn in the first meeting that some cash reserves for some services have been depleted for this election cycle. Looking at historical financial data it was easy to see that this trend has been happening for many years. Moving cash reserves (which is money raised from taxes in previous years) to help pay for services that should be paid for from new incoming tax money does not make any financial sense for the community. I hope everyone can see that this is not a tax break or even an effort at keeping taxes low.
I will have more updates on Budgets in the new year.
It was great to see the Oyster River Fire Department out on Sat Dec 10th fund raising over at Discovery Foods. Thank you to all those in the community that supported this fund-raising event and thank you to the Fire Chief and staff that made this possible.
One of the tasks that all Directors need to complete shortly after taking office is to name an Alternate Director. I am very happy to announce that Terry Browne has agreed to be my Alternate Director. Terry is well known in the community, and is very like-minded on all the critical issues here in Area D. I am very confident that Terry will represent Area D with integrity when needed. Thank you Terry for saying yes!
With the holidays quickly coming I do wish to remind people that while Area D does have several popular walking trails including those that are used by dog owners all these trails both private and public do have some general common-sense rules that the public does need to follow. Popular walking trails such as the waterfront trail at Shelter Point Farms is a privately owned trail that the owners of Shelter Point Farm keep open for the public to enjoy. While this is a popular trail for off leash dogs, please keep in mind that all off leash dogs must be always in control of their owners. Let’s all use some common sense as this will ensure that privately owned trails such as this one will remain open for all to enjoy.
If you have concerns or questions please contact me by email jrice@srd.ca or call me 250-203-1598. Have a Happy and Safe Holiday
Disclaimer Notice
Any views expressed on this website are those of the director and do not necessarily reflect those of the corporation or the full board of directors