Council met for just over four hours during our Regular Council meeting on May 6, 2026.
During my Mayor’s Report, I shared the following updates:
- I attended the Vaisakhi celebration at the Gurdwara on Sherman Road alongside Councillor Christopher Justice and appreciated the warm welcome from the congregation. Vaisakhi celebrates the spring harvest and the establishment of the Khalsa, while also reflecting values of compassion, integrity, respect, and selfless service.
- Members of Council attended the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) convention in Victoria alongside elected officials from communities across Vancouver Island and Coastal BC. Highlights for me included a tour of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt and facilitating a session focused on the future of Vancouver Island and coastal communities.
- I joined the mayors of Summerland and Pitt Meadows for a meeting at the BC Legislature with Agriculture Minister Lana Popham to discuss support for farming and food-producing communities. The discussion included a proposal for targeted provincial funding for agriculture-based communities, similar to support provided to resort municipalities.
- The Maple Bay Yacht Club marked the start of the boating season with its annual opening ceremonies. I had the pleasure of attending and joining Bob and Ann James aboard their boat, Hat Trick, for the sail past, a long-standing tradition. Founded in 1925, the club remains one of North Cowichan’s oldest community organizations.
- I met with representatives from Knightway, a Vancouver Island–based company operating a 26-acre industrial site in North Cowichan with modular housing, transportation, and crane service operations. The company’s planned expansion is currently limited by water servicing, reinforcing Council’s priority to support industrial land development and local job creation.
Council adopted the 2025 audited financial statements of North Cowichan and the Joint Utilities Board. The item included a presentation by KPMG auditors Daniel Healey and Cameron Rice-Gural. The financial statements will be published in the 2025 North Cowichan annual report that will be received by Council in June.
Stephen Slawuta, RC Strategies, and Neil Pukesh, General Manager, Community Services, Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), presented a summary report of the CVRD’s Recreational Needs Assessment. The assessment was compiled through public feedback (a survey in 2025), discussion sessions with 49 community organizations and interest groups, facility utilization and capacity analysis, a review of recreation trends, and service level benchmarking with other regions. The assessment is a resource that will help future decision making around new or renewed regional recreation amenities and includes recommendations for 1-2 new ice sheets by 2040, concept planning and costing for a third regional indoor aquatics facility to serve the south, and options for a smaller scale performing arts venue.
Jerry Deol presented ideas to create an indoor sports facility. He noted a lack of all-weather space for baseball, soccer, and other field sports in the area, with parents and athletes having to travel to Nanoose or Victoria. Council passed a resolution to refer this presentation and delegation to the CVRD for their consideration.
Two development variance matters were heard and then both permits authorized during a statutory hearing:
- To regularize the siting of two buildings and eight fenced outdoor pens for use as dog kennels for 4065 Sahtlam Road.
- To relax the minimum side yard setback and minimum landscaped area requirements of the Zoning Bylaw to facilitate a commercial building addition at 3070 Henry Road.
An amendment to the Business Licence Bylaw was adopted. This amendment permits conditions that include hours of operation and use of amplified music, and on-site parking to be attached to the issuance of a business licence.
Two bylaws were introduced and given first three readings:
- An amendment to the Fees and Charges Bylaw which will reduce administrative fees for credit cards from 2.75% to 2.1%. In 2024, North Cowichan expanded list of payments that could be made by credit card including utility fees and property taxes. The administrative fee is a cost recovery for the fees charged by credit card companies. An administrative fee is not added to transactions on credit card transactions at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre, Fuller Lake Arena, or for wharfage fees.
- An amendment to the Reserve Funds Establishment Bylaw which will establish a dedicated reserve for Community Amenity Contributions that are collected through zoning applications to fund infrastructure.
Council received a ‘What We Heard’ report along with recommendations to mitigate pickleball noise at Andy Hutchins Park (Maple Bay). Earlier this year pickleball court users and people that live nearby the courts were invited to share feedback on options to mitigate noise. These courts were converted from tennis use before clear guidelines were developed by the BC Recreation and Parks Association to address noise concerns. One guideline recommends siting courts no closer than 75 metres, which is considerably further than the 20 metre distance between the Andy Hutchins courts and the nearest residence. This location would not easily accommodate built mitigation options such as sound barriers or vegetation. Council directed the courts hours of play be 9am to 5pm, ensure on-site signage is clear about the hours and to direct players to other nearby court options for early morning or evening play, and to report back on alternative locations for pickleball courts as part of the 2027 budget process. Read more about the engagement at connectnorthcowichan.ca/pickleball
Council approved a recommendation to the Agricultural Land Commission to decommission an existing house and construct a new single-family dwelling in its place at 4098 Cowichan Lake Road.
Three notices of motion that were introduced at the last meeting were discussed and passed:
- Councillor Findlay’s motion rescinding the December 17 Council resolution requiring the Oak & Vine applicants to widen Lakes Road prior to consideration of final adoption of a zoning amendment.
- Councillor Findlay’s motion rescinding a January 21 Council resolution that a requirement that a covenant outlining conditions for venue events be registered on title of the Oak & Vine property.
- Councillor Justice’s motion to extend the term of the current Agricultural Advisory Committee one year into the next council term (2026-2029), in order to support the work underway on a Strategic Agricultural Plan.
Three new notices of motion were introduced, and will be discussed at the next council meeting:
- Councillor Findlay introduced a notice of motion requesting a report outlining approaches to update, streamline, simplify, and/or eliminate bylaws, policies, and plans to reduce red tape.
- Councillor Findlay introduced a notice of motion requesting a staff report outlining options to provide Council members with earlier notice, advance information, or additional briefings on upcoming planning applications, new bylaws or policies, and other complex or substantive reports, in order to address the typical approach of providing information in agendas, typically published the week prior to a meeting.
- Councillor Justice introduced a notice of motion that council reaffirms its commitment to the goals and policies of the Official Community Plan that support farming, the protection of agricultural land, the preservation of rural character, and the promotion of food security, including the maintenance of the Urban Containment Boundary as a limit to residential growth in North Cowichan.
The next regular Council meeting will be held on May 20 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