From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello, It sure seemed a bustling August long weekend with parked cars lining roadsides in many popular locations. It’s nice sharing our island with visitors here to appreciate it; we are so fortunate to live in this beautiful community. The July 24 SRD Board meeting resulted in several decisions and items to report on: the Schellinck proposal, wharves, short-term rentals in the Outer Discovery Islands, and two upcoming public hearings.
Schellinck Proposal, Bylaws 535 & 536
Gowlland Harbour Views, known to many islanders as the ‘Schellinck application’, has been an application to amend the Official Community Plan and Rezone 158 acres near April Point. This proposal generated a large amount of public interest and input: at the close of the Public Hearing there were over 500 submissions from the public. These were included amongst the close to 800 pages of information considered by Directors prior to the vote at the July 24 Board meeting. At the meeting the vote on third reading of the proposal was defeated, meaning this proposal will not be moving forward.
According to Statistics Canada the population of Area C is 2,737, indicating close to 20% of the population took the time to share their thoughts. After reading every submission at least twice, my calculations found 73% were opposed to the proposal and 27% in favour. Through this, clear themes emerged.
Reasons the application had merit include the value of centrally located parks, the opportunity for trails and an expansion of the trail network to connect neighbourhoods, and the protection of special old growth. As well, adding 22 five-acre lots would expand the tax base, add opportunities for more housing, and provide well-paid construction jobs.
There were also themes from those submissions opposed to the application. Many identified the island’s need for a diversified development, that this proposal didn’t include affordable and middle-income solutions. Water was a concern, including the carrying capacity of the island as climate change increases drought conditions, protection of wetlands, and neighbours concerned with potential effects on their wells.
There was concern with the precedent this application may set for other large, centrally located parcels and therefore the need to get it right. As well, the land’s Silviculture designation and provision of wildlife habitat and corridors, sporadic employment, and aquifer replenishing areas were frequently mentioned.
Thank you to Mr. Schellinck for this second attempt at meeting the community’s desires. This proposal resulted in a 25% increase in community support over the previous application. The community refined and defined their hopes for this parcel. It will be interesting to see what Mr. Schellinck chooses to do next.
Area C Wharves
The Bylaw divesting the Port Neville wharf to the Tlowitsis First Nation has been adopted and transfer of ownership between the Regional District and the Tlowitsis First Nation can now proceed. This is a great fit for the Nation as they’ve recently purchased a 60-acre property adjacent to the Port Neville Wharf.
The Surge Narrows Revitalization Project is continuing at the planning level and an application to the Province has been submitted to increase the size of the water tenure area to accommodate the project’s infrastructure. Read the report and see the graphic illustration here: https://bit.ly/4dwNdyq
The funding agreement between Transport Canada and the Regional District for maintenance and safety improvements to the divested wharves has been extended by two years, to November 2026. This extension, according to staff, will allow sufficient time for completing the wharf improvements identified for the Surge Narrows, Owen Bay & Port Neville wharves without risk of losing the federal funding which accompanied the divestiture.
Short Term Rentals (STRs) in the Outer Discovery Islands
The Province’s Bill 35 has mandated local government changes regarding short-term rentals, including that Zoning Bylaws define STRs and indicate zones where STRs are/are not permitted to operate. Electoral Area C has two separate Zoning Bylaws, the Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw, and the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw.
How should STRs be regulated on the islands of Read, Sonora, Maurelle, Penn & Rendezvous’? Public consultation is underway with a survey on STRs for those areas of Electoral Area C within the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw. Historically, short-term rentals have been considered a commercial use, and the language in the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw only permits STRs in commercial zones where a resort or other tourist accommodation is permitted. Please take the time to weigh in: srd.ca/str-desolation-sound/. Survey closes August 23.
Two Public Hearings, one evening
Wednesday September 11 there are two Public Hearings scheduled at the Quadra Community centre. The first is at 5:30pm, Bylaw 564, regarding changes to the Zoning Bylaw which will permit Short-Term rentals in all zones as an accessory to residential use. The staff report including STR survey results is available here: bit.ly/AreaC-STR-report
A second Public Hearing at 7pm is regarding the Quadra Island Bulk Water Regulation, Bylaw 510. There was a public information meeting regarding this bylaw in February. Staff have addressed some concerns raised at the February meeting and made changes to the draft bylaw. Read the updated draft bylaw here: bit.ly/510-qiwater.
Thank you for reading! You can also find this report with links to the referenced SRD reports at robynmawhinney.ca/directors-reports (and in your inbox if you’re a subscriber). You’re welcome to connect and share your concerns or questions with me, you can email rmawhinney@srd.ca or call 250.203.2468.
Until next time,
Respectfully and sincerely,
Robyn Mawhinney
Images in this edition are from a recent walk through Main Lake Provincial Park. – Courtesy Robyn Mawhinney