Council met for about an hour and a half during our Regular Council meeting on June 19, 2024.
My Mayor’s Report included the following:
- Earlier this month, I joined Constable Wes Richens and Constable Jordan Symon from the North Cowichan-Duncan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment for a ride along, where I had a chance to see firsthand the issues that local police are responding to daily. These increasingly involve problems related to homelessness, street disorder and the opioid crisis, especially in the Trans-Canada Highway Corridor between the Silver Bridge and the Cowichan Commons.
- Along with North Cowichan staff, I recently visited the Cedars Recovery Centre, located on a 60-acre rural site in Cobble Hill. During the site tour, the Cedars leadership team provided insights into the center’s operations and emphasized the significance of recovery for individuals dealing with mental health and addiction issues. The facility currently has 75 licensed recovery beds, with 31 beds funded by the Canadian Mental Health Association and Island Health, and is now expanding to 95 beds, with a new 20-unit wing currently under construction.
- On June 14, I joined leaders from North Cowichan, City of Duncan, Cowichan Tribes, RCMP and the provincial and federal government, as well as more than 100 other attendees, to celebrate the official opening of the new North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Detachment. Located at the corner of Ford and Drinkwater roads, just north of the Cowichan Commons shopping centre, the 50,000-square-foot, three-storey building serves as an integrated hub for regular RCMP members and police support staff, plus forensic identification services, victim services, south island traffic services and Indigenous policing.
- In early June, I joined North Cowichan Councillors Mike Caljouw, Christopher Justice and Tek Manhas at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Calgary, which was an opportunity to discuss our common concerns with elected officials from other cities and towns across the country, hear directly from the leaders and representatives of the federal parties including the Prime Minister, and discuss how communities can jointly advocate to the senior levels of government for support to tackle our growing challenges.
The 2023 Annual Municipal Report was received. The report contains the significant achievements and activities of the municipality as well as financial reports for 2023. North Cowichan’s 150th year included approvals for an additional 900 housing units in the community, taking steps to respond to the opioid crisis, and replacement of critical infrastructure including water mains, road improvements, and a new flood gate. The report can be found at northcowichan.ca.
The Development Procedures Bylaw was adopted, following first three readings on May 15. This bylaw outlines the procedures for processing land development applications, Official Community Plan (OCP) and zoning bylaw amendments, permit applications, and Agricultural Land Commission applications. The bylaw also reduces the timeframe an applicant must wait before resubmitting an unchanged version of a previously submitted application to six months (12 months in the case of an OCP application).
The Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw was also adopted, in order to reflect updated development and permitting fees by adding refunds to incomplete, inactive, and withdrawn applications, and for when an early consideration application is denied.
North Cowichan’s Zoning Bylaw was amended in order to comply with new provincial legislation (Bill 44) aimed at increasing density through small scale multi-unit housing.
Three to four dwelling units are now permitted on most lots within the Urban Containment Boundary including:
- permitting a detached accessory dwelling unit on parcels with a single-family dwelling within the Urban Containment Boundary wherever a zone allows for three or four units per lot,
- changing the definition of single-family dwelling to include manufactured homes that are on a permanent foundation, and
- removal of the floor area limit for secondary suites.
People can learn more about the new regulations and how it impacts properties in North Cowichan by visiting www.connectnorthcowichan.ca/bill44. North Cowichan’s planning staff will be hosting a series of events over the summer to provide information and answer questions about the changes.
The Council and Committee Procedures Bylaw was given three readings. The bylaw was previously given three readings but was rescinded in order to add a section related to statutory hearings.
Council received a presentation by staff and the consultant, Urban Systems, on the draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The strategy will help North Cowichan respond to the effects of extreme weather on our local infrastructure, natural environment, economy, and community well-being and will build on recent work completed by the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The draft report outlines adaptation pathways and supporting actions in order to address findings from previous phases of work on this project. This included engagement with the public, interested parties and First Nations, as well as a climate change risk and vulnerability assessment.
The draft report will now go to the Environmental Advisory Committee and Agricultural Advisory Committee for feedback before returning to Council for final consideration and adoption. To learn more about the strategy, please visit: connectnorthcowichan.ca/climate-adaptation
A Development Permit with Variance for 1935 Maple Bay Road to increase the height of an accessory building was granted.
The BC Bike Race was granted a Temporary Use Permit for 1658 Robert Street and the Crofton sports field Park to allow the race to stage their event for a maximum of six consecutive days per calendar year for the remainder of the permit (2024 and 2025). The BC Bike Race, which involves more than 650 athletes, has included the premier mountain biking trails of North Cowichan as part of their staged event since 2018. A recent economic impact study indicated the 2023 race brought more than $1.8 million to the Cowichan and Comox valleys.
Council approved significant repairs to Genoa Bay Road. Historic settlement of a 110-metre section of the road was further impacted by the November 2021 atmospheric river, which necessitated the closure of the northbound lane. This section of the road is built adjacent to a steep mountainside slope on one side, and a steep drop to Genoa Bay on the other, and also serves as the right-of-way for the village’s water main. Repairs to stabilize the embankment and return the roadway to two lanes is expected to cost $3 million which will be funded through transfers from other road project budgets. Work on the repairs is expected to begin in fall of 2024.
A revised Permissive Tax Exemption Policy was approved. Permissive tax exemptions are granted to organizations that contribute to the community good and align with Council’s goals and objectives. Organizations must meet eligibility criteria that includes enhancing community well-being through programs, services, or contributions, enhance or compliment municipal programs or services, and a commitment to fostering diversity, promoting inclusivity, and/or championing conservation efforts.
Two zoning amendments to permit detached accessory dwellings on properties were considered:
- Zoning amendment for 2524 Ashcroft Road was adopted.
- Zoning amendment for 6531 Bird's Eye Drive was given first three readings. The property requires a covenant to restrict the size of the accessory dwelling unit to 90 m² gross floor area prior to consideration of adoption.
The next council meeting is on Wednesday, July 17 at 5pm.
Thank you for reading and staying informed!
Rob Douglas, Mayor
Municipality of North Cowichan
T 250.746.3117
E rob.douglas@northcowichan.ca