Tag Archives: Director Area A

Housing

SRD Staff Looking Into Temporary Occupancy Permits for Tiny Homes

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At their June 11 meeting, the Electoral Areas Service Committee (EASC) heard a staff report on tiny home initiatives in the Regional District of Nanaimo. This followed an ongoing discussion that began with a motion from Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney, of Area C, last November.

Director Mawhinney:“I noticed that in other regional districts, temporary use permits are being used for a variety of purposes—potentially to permit tiny homes as long-term temporary accommodation, if you want to call it that.

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Housing

Allegations that Rural Directors Bullied Area D; Who bullied who?

At the May 27 SRD Board Meeting, Mayor Kermit Dahl of Campbell River accused Regional Directors Mark Vonesch, Robyn Mawhinney and Gerald Whalley of bullying Regional Director John Rice:    

“For example, when Director Rice was outvoted on a development in Area D by three electoral area Directors who wanted to show him, ‘Stay in line or else we’ll show you.’ They could stop him from succeeding in moving Area D forward.”

This is not the first time Campbell River Directors have made this allegation.

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Politics

Mark Vonesch Removed; Susan Sinnott New Vice-Chair of the SRD

Mark Vonesch was removed from his position as Vice-Chair of the SRD through a non-confidence vote, and Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott was elected in his place.

The voting followed what is becoming a familiar pattern: the five Campbell River Directors and their allies voted to remove Vonesch, while the Directors from Gold River, Tahsis, and Electoral Areas A, B, and C supported him.

The Alleged Plot

The vote was preceded by a roughly two-hour in-camera session, after which Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl addressed the public meeting.

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Politics

Cortes, Quadra and Read Island items at the March 25th SRD Board Meeting

At its March 25 SRD Board meeting, Campbell River and its allies passed a resolution to draft a bylaw making the average Quadra Island homeowner pay an additional $588 in property taxes to help fund Campbell River’s Recreate Strathcona Gardens project. (This fight is not over yet.) Whether the proposed bylaw will pass remains to be seen, but a large number of noncontroversial Cortes, Quadra and Read Island items were passed at the same board meeting. They pertained to: 

  • A Quadra Island Right of Way
  • Vacancies in Advisory Planning Commissions for Areas C & D
  • Squirrel Cove Aquaculture 
  • Who Pays Administrative Costs for the Electoral Areas Services Committee
  • Cortes Island’s Active Transportation Plan
  • Funding Opportunities for Active Transportation in Areas B & C
  • Legacy Gifts in Regional District Parks
  • Residency Requirement for Short Term Rentals
  • Proposed Electoral Areas Grant in Aid Service 
  • Waste Pick-up Contract on Cortes Island
  • Renewal of Post Office contract for Read Island
  • Grants-in-Aid for Quadra Island 

As these are all short items, Cortes Currents decided to use them as examples of how the SRD conducts board meetings.

Continue reading Cortes, Quadra and Read Island items at the March 25th SRD Board Meeting →
Politics

Campbell River Not Joining Electoral Area Land Use Planning Service

(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 Service →