In 2014, Transport Canada (CT) transferred administration of three wharves to the Strathcona Regional District (SRD). Owen Bay on Sonora Island, Surge Narrows on Read Island, and Port Neville on the northern shore of the Johnstone Strait are all within Area C. The SRD was also provided with $2.9 million for maintenance and upgrades that were to be completed by 2024. These upgrades have not yet occurred. Nor has a service to carry out operations and maintenance been established for Area C. In the face of local opposition, the SRD deferred discussion of this issue until next January.

At the September 21 board meeting, Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “Throughout the years, at every budget meeting that I’ve been at, we’ve been trying to establish a work service to put these in. The lack of establishment of the wharf service has delayed us carrying out the capital works. It incurs greater liability. Finally this year, we had support from the Area Director as the other electoral Area Directors were  adamant that they wanted the liability removed from the admin function. So the Area C Director made the motion,  supported all the votes on it. Then for some reason we’ve seen articles in social media that the director was supporting a referendum of the folks and subsequently saying that there was going to be increased cost of the service and lack of control. That is what we believe inspired a petition process that basically caused the service vote to fail.”

In their report drawn up for this meeting, staff presented two options to the board: 

• Option A –  seek elector assent through a vote
• Option B – abandon the service proposal and return the $2.9 million to Transport Canada.

Jim Abram, the Regional Director for Area C, took exception to Leitch’s description, “First of all, I have to say, our CAO, with respect, is completely wrong on his assessment of why this failed. It had nothing to do with me. It had to do with a number of people on Quadra Island mainly, and on Reed Island, that were completely incensed by the fact that I had put it through to move to approval process.  I was the target of the negative comments, not the SRD and it further moved to the SRD later, of course. But I have to say that the opposition to this proposal was due to a community lack of understanding and feeling that the service was being pushed through without proper consultation. That came from one of our local media and a few organizers, not me. I first heard about it when I was called by disgruntled constituents and in a letter. It was community driven, period.”

He explained that no money was being taken from any electoral area, including Area C. Only Transport Canada money had been used.

“The service establishment could be dropped at this time and reintroduced at a later date with a better information campaign to assure approval. At that time, the service could be established for the three TC wharves,” proposed Abram. 

“There’s no need to return the wharves to Transport Canada along with the funds. Transport Canada would not want, nor would they take them back. The money has been spent on the wharves and would be part of the return of the wharves should that ‘take back’ piece happen, which it won’t. I know it won’t from having talked with Transport Canada.”

Abram suggested this project be forwarded to either November or January, after which the meeting descended into a disagreement as to who should make the motion. 

Chair Brad Unger recognized Campbell River Director Claire Moglove, who said, “I was going to make a motion to defer this item to the November meeting or the first meeting in January.”

Abram appears to have opposed this because ‘Director Moglove butted in.’

To which she responded, “The Chair has the right to recognize who he wants to recognize. He recognized me first and if you want to challenge the chair, challenge the chair, but he recognized me. I made a motion to defer to the first meeting in January.” 

(You can listen to this argument in the podcast.)

The minutes of this meeting state that Director Moglove moved and Cornfield seconded a motion ‘that the matter be deferred to January 2023.’ The motion carried, with Director Abram voting in opposition.  

As Director Abram is not running in the upcoming election, the problem of funding the wharves at Owen Bay, Surge Narrows and Port Neville will pass to Area C’s next Regional Director.

Top image credit: Surge Narrow Wharf taken from the cover of Feasibility Study, Electoral Area C Wharves Service – Photo by McElhanney Ltd

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