Council met for about five hours during our Regular Council meeting and Public Hearing on November 5, 2025.
During my Mayor’s Report, I shared the following:
- I recently attended the Cowichan District Medical Society’s annual general meeting, where I was invited to provide an overview of North Cowichan’s Official Community Plan, including its purpose, legislative requirements, and how it was developed. It was encouraging to hear that the region is successfully recruiting new physicians, including some from the United States.
- Alongside local officials and youth-serving organizations, I attended the RCMP Workshop on Human Trafficking, which was led by experts from the Lower Mainland. The session underscored the growing threat of human trafficking in B.C. and the importance of community awareness and coordinated prevention efforts.
- It was an honour to receive the first poppy from Chemainus Legion Branch 191 President David Nielsen, marking the start of this year’s Poppy Campaign. Legion volunteers distribute poppies from the last Friday in October until November 11, raising funds that support veterans and their families.
- At the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance Summit in Nanaimo, I joined business leaders and elected officials to discuss the state of the regional economy and hear from sector experts. While current economic projections aren’t promising, there is optimism that new federal funding and the forthcoming provincial industrial strategy will support local priorities such as industrial land development.
A report on the implementation of North Cowichan’s response to homelessness, mental health and addictions was deferred to the November 19 meeting in order to give Council members additional time to review the report.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Acting Officer in Charge Ken Beard presented the detachment’s quarterly report for July to September 2025. The report highlighted significant arrests and seizures, as well as crime and offence statistics for the quarter. Detachment members participated in several community events including the Pulling Together Paddling Journey canoe event from Mill Bay to Cowichan Bay, and also hosted the second annual Community Safety Expo.
Council upheld a previous remedial action order for 2566 Lewis Street. On October 15 the property owner was ordered to secure and fence their vacant lot to prevent ongoing safety issues. The owner had requested that Council reconsider the order.
A zoning amendment bylaw to permit a second dwelling unit at 7999 Stoney Hill Road was adopted.
Council awarded a contract for janitorial services at Municipal Hall, the public works building, public washrooms, and sewer buildings to 13SB Building & Maintenance Services Ltd. for $652,128.24.
Councillor Findlay’s notice of motion regarding the keeping of backyard hens was discussed and actioned. The motion to amend the zoning bylaw to allow backyard chickens on all residential lots in North Cowichan will be referred to the Agricultural Advisory Committee for input and recommendations on the bylaw amendments.
Councillor Manhas’s notice of motion to appoint Councillor Findlay to the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) Board of Directors in place of Councillor Justice passed. I subsequently gave up my seat for Councillor Justice, who will now remain on the CVRD Board. While not my first choice, this arrangement will allow Councillor Justice to continue representing North Cowichan effectively at the CVRD table, while I dedicate more time to broader community advocacy.
Council endorsed my notice of motion requesting that the Province and Island Health explore redeveloping the existing Cowichan District Hospital site into a centre for addictions treatment and recovery, along with a psychiatric facility for individuals with severe mental health conditions and addictions.
Councillor Justice introduced a notice of motion that will request a comparative analysis of residential tax levels. The analysis would compare property tax rates between North Cowichan and other municipalities of similar size and service levels. This will be moved and discussed at the November 19 Council meeting.
The next Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19. To accommodate an extensive agenda, the schedule will be adjusted as follows:
- Special Closed Council meeting: 1:00pm
- Special Council meeting: 3:00pm
- Regular Council meeting: 5:00pm
Note that the Regular meeting time remains unchanged due to legislative requirements that restrict altering its scheduled date and time.
Thank you for reading and staying informed!
Rob Douglas, Mayor
Municipality of North Cowichan
T 250-746-3117
E rob.douglas@northcowichan.ca