Council met for two-and-a-half hours during our Regular Council meeting on April 15, 2026.
During my Mayor’s Report, I shared the following updates:
- I joined Councillor Justice and North Cowichan staff to finalize the transfer of the Beverly Street Food Hub property to Cowichan Green Community following Council approval earlier this year. The Beverly Street Food Hub is a community facility that includes a commercial kitchen and cold storage to support local food production, processing, and distribution, and this transfer enables completion of the project to strengthen food security across North Cowichan and the Cowichan region.
- Following Council’s endorsed request to repurpose the Cowichan District Hospital for people with complex mental health and addictions needs, I met with Dr. Daniel Vigo, the Province’s Chief Advisor on Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders, and regional partners to discuss potential opportunities. With the toxic drug crisis causing significant loss of life annually, Dr. Vigo is leading provincial efforts to establish similar facilities in communities such as Surrey, Maple Ridge, and Prince George.
- I attended the reopening of the historic Machine Shop in Ladysmith as an Island Coastal Economic Trust board member following major renovations to the facility. The upgraded building will support arts, culture, and community use, with the Island Coastal Economic Trust contributing $300,000 to the project.
Council received a presentation from Floridor Oprea, Project Manager, Emma McWalter, Manager Terminal Strategic Planning, and Kirsten Youngs, Strategic Advisor, Fleet Renewal, of BC Ferries regarding the Crofton ferry terminal project and next steps in the construction as they move to a two-ferry service model.
Council then approved construction-related items including:
- A five-year licence agreement for 21 crew parking spaces for $10,000 per annum
- A 15-month licence agreement for a site trailer and construction crane beginning May 2026 (subject to approval from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans)
- A statutory right of way to BC Hydro for a pad mounted transformer, junction box, and underground infrastructure for $5,000
- A noise exemption for May 4, 2026 to April 30, 2027 to allow BC Ferries to do intermittent night work (8pm to 7am), which includes pile driving at low tide
Three delegations made presentations to Council regarding wood fibre security, local forestry jobs, and raw log exports in response to a motion brought forward by Councillor Justice that was heard later on the agenda:
- Arnold Bercov, past president of the Public and Private Workers of Canada and involved in the Harmac Pulp Mill restart in Nanaimo, spoke in favour of the motion and called for changes to policies on log exports.
- Brian Bull, a Chemainus Sawmill employee and member of the United Steelworkers union, spoke in favour of the motion and described how log exports affect workers in the forest industry.
- Karen Brandt, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Partnerships, and Nick Broekhuizen, Vice President Commercial of Mosaic Forest Management, spoke against the motion, outlining the company’s role in the forestry sector and their perspective on log exports.
Council then discussed, then defeated the motion on Fibre Security and Local Forest Jobs. The motion would have directed the Mayor to write to the Premier, Prime Minister, and various ministers requesting they support and action to review and strengthen policies governing raw log exports with the goal of improving fibre availability for domestic process and sustaining a strong and competitive coastal forest sector.
An amendment to the Municipal Fine and Fees Charges Bylaw to include fine and fee updates related to the recently amended Fire Protection Bylaw was adopted.
Two bylaws were introduced and given first three readings:
- An amendment to the Business Licence Bylaw, which would permit 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.
- The 2026 Property Tax Rates Bylaw, which establishes the tax rates per property class. Due to the time sensitivity of this, as it relates to property tax notices, Council will meet for a special council meeting on April 21 to adopt this bylaw.
Council authorized the execution of a five-year agreement for the supply and delivery of gasoline, diesel, and related fuel products to 4Refuel Canada LP for an estimated cumulative amount of $2,225,000, including taxes over five years.
Three notices of motion were introduced and will be discussed at the next Council meeting on May 6:
Councillor Findlay introduced two notices of motion related to the Oak & Vine venue property:
- To rescind the resolution requiring the Oak & Vine applicants to widen Lakes Road prior to consideration of final adoption of a zoning amendment.
- To rescind a requirement that a covenant outlining conditions for venue events be registered on title of the Oak & Vine property.
Councillor Justice introduced a notice of motion to extend the terms of current Agricultural Advisory Committee members one year into the 2026-2029 Council term, recognizing that the Strategic Agricultural Plan review will not be completed until fall 2027.
The next regular Council meeting will be held on May 6 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