From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello,
This report is a round-up of info on road concerns & related advocacy, SRD committee news, and a bit about kelp.
Tag Archives: Director Area C
The Battle Over DRIPA & Land Claims
(The first in a series of articles about Indigenous consent, property rights and the future of DRIPA)
British Columbia is currently navigating a widening divide. On one side, the courts are handing down historic decisions affirming Indigenous rights. On the other, a growing wave of anxiety over private property and economic certainty. Today, we look at the fallout from the Gitxaala and Cowichan Tribes decisions—and the political battleground forming around the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
These are actually three separate topics: two court cases regarding the duty to consult before registering mining claims (Gitxaala versus British Columbia and the 2025 appeal); a court case regarding the Aboriginal title to an ancient village site that was sold out from beneath the Cowichan Tribes (Cowichan Tribes v. Canada); and DRIPA, the provincial legislative framework that formally adopts and implements the the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
Continue reading The Battle Over DRIPA & Land Claims
SRD Looking into developing two Provincial lots on Quadra Island
Strathcona Regional District (SRD) staff will be asking the Ministry of Forests about the possibility of obtaining two provincial lots on Quadra Island for development. Three of the four Regional Directors at the Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Electoral Areas Services Committee meeting voted to proceed.
Meredith Starkey, Manager of Planning for the SRD, brought a list of 13 Federal, Provincial and Regional properties to the meeting. She explained that the report provides an overview of public land available near Quathiaski Cove and Heriot Bay on Quadra Island which could be considered for future affordable housing.
“There’s really only three sites that are currently undeveloped in a suitable size and some other conditions that make them more suitable than others. They all have constraints.”
Continue reading SRD Looking into developing two Provincial lots on Quadra Island
Area C Director’s Report: primary care recruitment & positive e-petition policy shift
From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello,
This report shares some recent learning about primary care provider recruitment and news about a Board decision regarding receipt of electronic petitions.
Area C Director’s Report: wharves, OCP engagement & more
From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello,
Amid November’s bluster, I hope this finds you cozy and warm. This report invites you to engage in the upcoming Official Community Plan sessions and has an update on wharf happenings in the Outer Discovery Islands.