From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello, In this report is news on two recent meetings, the first Official Community Plan meeting at Surge Narrows and a recent SRD-SD72 Liaison Committee meeting, as well as a link & reminder about the Area C Active Transportation survey.
Surge Narrows OCP meeting
Area C’s Official Community Plan review process was kicked off at the Surge Narrows Bunkhouse on October 16th. Attendance was great, with close to 30 people attending… there was also a community Thanksgiving lunch, which may have contributed to the excellent turnout. Four SRD Planning staff were in attendance, explaining the OCP process, asking big picture questions, taking notes, and mind-mapping the conversation.
Official Community Plans are mandated by the Province to include a response to an array of topics; additional areas can be added as identified by community. Amid the robust conversation on a variety of themes were thoughts on how to increase the full-time community; the need for housing & services for seniors to be clustered; that the benefits of economic development need to accrue back to the community; and that nature is a unifier, it requires residents to be supportive of each other.
Read Island residents have previously organized some independent OCP meetings and brought a draft Principal OCP Aim to the meeting with SRD staff; this aim reads “To support an interdependent & cooperative community that holds high regard for an individual’s choice of lifestyle while protecting ecological integrity and maintaining respect for other members of the community”. Next step in the process is SRD staff working the community meeting input into a framework to be discussed at a future meeting.
SRD & SD72 Liaison Committee
The Strathcona Regional District and School District 72 have a Liaison Committee to discuss mutual interests. At their October 15 meeting, I attended and spoke to the recent SRD Board motion inquiring about the possibility of SD72 disposing of a license of tenure on a parcel of Crown land, for the SRD to use for housing.
The Regional District has a Housing Service, making it an excellent candidate for this consideration. I learned that currently, School District 72 is working on a long-range facility plan. Completion of this plan, likely within the school year, will provide a basis for a more fulsome conversation. I’m looking forward to further investigation of this as the wheels of ‘government time’ grind slowly along. I’m grateful to have Quadra resident & School Board Trustee Jan Gladish on the Liaison Committee and representing the best interests of the Discovery Islands at the School Board table.
Island walkers, cyclists & more: a survey for you!
There’s an SRD survey looking for input on how often folks walk/cycle/mobility scooter/roll, how safe they feel, and what the barriers are when actively transporting oneself around the island. It has a map where you can pin areas you think need a solution. Local knowledge & input is what will build a solid active transportation plan, including determining priority areas for improvement. Please take the time to share your thoughts at this link: srd.ca/area-c-atnp This project is grant funded, with thanks to BC’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Connect
Thanks for taking the time to read this report. You’re welcome to connect with me with questions or concerns, you can email rmawhinney@srd.ca, or call 250.203.2468. If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a meeting at calendly.com/robynmawhinney. Catch up on SRD meeting agendas and minutes here: bit.ly/SRD-agendas-minutes.
Until next time,
Respectfully,
Director Robyn Mawhinney