Council met for about four hours during our Regular Council meeting on October 4, 2023.
My Mayor’s Report included the following updates:
- Last week I attended the official opening of Rowing Canada’s new docks and shoreline infrastructure at their National Training Centre on the waters of Quamichan Lake. It was a pleasure to join Rowing Canada CEO Terry Dillon, Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley, Cowichan Valley Regional District Chair Aaron Stone, Maple Bay Rowing Club President Susan MacDonald, and other dignitaries to celebrate these investments that will improve the accessibility, use, and enjoyment of Quamichan Lake for members of the rowing team, the local community, and visitors alike. The improved infrastructure will benefit local residents who can use the public access docks to fish and are now better able to launch canoes, kayaks, and other personal watercraft.
- On Monday, I joined thousands of local residents for the Every Child Matters March held to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We walked from the Si’em Lelum Soccer Fields and through the City of Duncan to honour all the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools and their families. I want to thank to all the organizers, including Audrey George of M’akola Housing Society, for all their hard work in coordinating this important event.
Nancy Dower presented to Council a request that the Municipality of North Cowichan develop a new noise bylaw.
The Waste Collection and Waterworks Amendment Bylaw was adopted. The updates ensure consistency with current practices and compliance with provincial legislation.
A Zoning Amendment Bylaw to add “animal shelter” to the bylaw definitions and site-specific permitted use to support the BC SPCA’s planned facility replacement at 7550 Bell McKinnon Road received first two readings and will proceed to a public hearing. The existing animal shelter requires replacement, and the existing zoning bylaw does not explicitly permit an animal shelter.
Council received a report on communications and leadership within the North Cowichan Fire Department and provided pre-budget approval for a full-time department support position, directed staff to retain the consultant who authored the report to undertake strategic planning with the Fire Department, and to also review the balance of the report recommendations as part of the 2024 budget planning process.
In response to growing challenges related to homelessness, street disorder, and the opioid crisis, Council directed staff to move forward with seven recommendations to improve community safety and better support our most vulnerable citizens, including:
- Develop a detox and/or rehabilitation facility proposal in partnership with a non-profit society and submit it to the province as a funding request;
- Strengthen all bylaws that support enforcing safety for the community and prepare an open drug use bylaw that minimizes public exposure to open drug use in parks and adjacent to school properties, while continuing to provide support aimed at saving lives of some of the most vulnerable people who use drugs;
- Reconstitute the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Committee and investigate ways to partner on more fulsome patrols in the Somenos Marsh;
- Consult with community health partners to develop a formal request to the province for additional support services in the medical and social services sector to improve outcomes for drug addiction, mental health, and homelessness issues in the Cowichan Valley;
- Include funding opportunities for a “Clean Team” in the 2024 budget discussions to increase cleanliness of public spaces and parks and prevent waste accumulation and major encampments;
- Continue to advocate to the province for funding to help manage the public disorder to support bylaw and/or RCMP resourcing; and
- Hire a Social Planner to coordinate the municipality’s response to homelessness, street disorder and the opioid crisis.
The actions follow up on the 2019 “Safer Corridor Report” by North Cowichan and the City of Duncan, and the 2021 “Community Safety Model Gap Analysis Review” by North Cowichan, and are based on the framework provided through the four-pillars approach to the drug crisis that stresses not only harm reduction and enforcement, but also prevention and treatment, recognizing the complexity of the issues and jurisdictional responsibilities.
According to the most recent point in time homeless count for the Cowichan region, there were 229 people living on the street during April 2023, a 77 per cent increase over the 2020 count. This number is considered low as it does not count the hidden homeless, including those who are couch surfing, living in vehicles, or living in remote places.
Council gave second reading to Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw and a Zoning Amendment Bylaw 3915, and accepted the applicant’s updated community amenity contributions for 1771 Robert Street. The proposal to facilitate a residential development of approximately 32 to 50 housing units will now go to a public hearing.
An amended Building Bylaw received first three readings. The amendments will incorporate the new provincial minimum Energy Step Code requirements, and the provincial Zero Carbon Step Code to Emissions Level 4 (EL-4) by July 2024. The changes will impact primary space and water heating in new construction, and are based on performance. Secondary heating sources, as well as auxiliary appliances such as stoves and barbecues, will not be affected by the changes.
The next Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 18, 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