(Part One of the March 18, 2026 Area B Director’s Report )
By Regional Director Mark Vonesch
I’m really excited to share this newsletter with you. I have the results from the housing survey, but before we get to that, Cortes Island just had a big political win.
Continue reading Campbell River Not Joining Electoral Area Land Use Planning ServiceBy Regional Director Mark Vonesch
As we settle into the darker months of winter on Cortes, I hope this finds you warm and cozy. It’s been a busy fall so far and there’s lots to update you on!
Continue reading Area B Director’s Report: Cortes Fall UpdateFrom the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello,
We have much to be grateful for here in this part of the world, it’s nice to pause, reflect, and give thanks. I’m thankful for a bounty of garden tomatoes and squash and for the diversity of community building efforts underway throughout the islands.
Two weeks ago I did something unusual, I published two Director’s Reports rather than one. The first was about UBCM and local issue advocacy — it was printed in the Discovery Islander. The other was a time sensitive ‘Special Edition’ report which I shared with email subscribers and via Facebook, an update on municipal interest in electoral area land use planning. This report is a recap and a few further thoughts on that topic as rural SRD constituents wait to see what Campbell River and other SRD municipal councils decide.
Continue reading Area C Director’s Report: municipalities joining rural land use planning?!From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
This is a Special Edition Director’s Report with “breaking news” and an action request. Recently I reported that municipalities in the SRD were discussing joining the Electoral Area Land Use Planning Service, something which could impact the independence of our community. This item has now been referred to each of the SRD’s five municipalities & the Kyuquot-Checleseht Nation for their consideration.
As a reminder, the Land Use Planning Service controls all the land use decisions in the electoral areas. This includes applications for rezoning, official community plan amendments, development permits, and land use bylaws like our OCP.
Continue reading Special Area C Director’s Report: action needed to save rural independence
The City of Campbell River is considering taking control of the Strathcona Regional District’s (SRD) Electoral Areas Planning Service away from rural directors.
Currently, the members of that planning service are the four Regional Directors of : Area A (Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward), Area B (Cortes Island), and Area C (Discovery Islands and Mainland Inlets) and Area D (Oyster Bay – Buttle Lake ).
Campbell River’s five Directors are looking at joining the service, though it would cost the city’s taxpayers close to $500,000 per year for its share of the service’s assessments. They asked the other incorporated municipalities in the SRD—Tahsis, Zeballos, Gold River, and Sayward—to consider joining as well.
On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the Regional Directors of Areas A, B and C issued a joint press release rejecting the idea. In today’s story they outline why they believe the planning service must remain in the hands of the rural areas.
Continue reading Rural Directors against Municipalities taking over the Electoral Areas Planning Service
