Let’s put one of the craziest Comox Valley elections into the history book, and then close it

Let’s put one of the craziest Comox Valley elections into the history book, and then close it

by | Oct 18, 2022

Let’s put one of the craziest Comox Valley elections into the history book, and then close it

By

Well, that was fun. Or was it? On the surface, the 2022 local government election should go down as one of the most unusual, maybe even the craziest campaign in Comox Valley history.

We had gun-toting Trumpers, Freedom Convoy Truckers and climate change deniers. We had women claiming our schools were grooming children for sexual exploitation. We had long-winded rants on social media over racism and sexual health education. We had groups of wannabe players that were afraid to show their faces.

We had candidates running for office in places where they don’t live because they think they know better than the people who live there. We had two secret political action groups pretending they represented the views of the average Valleyite when they really represented no more than their little clubs.

We had signs that violated city bylaws by a candidate who displayed them recklessly. And we had candidates, mostly of the conservative, pro-development persuasion, that boycotted public debates.

It was weird.

But when the sun rose on Sunday, Oct. 16, Comox Valley voters had made it clear they liked the direction charted by our local governments over the last four years. In the municipalities, they elected all but two incumbents. In most races, the vote was a definite pat on the back for a job well done.

The rest of it was just meaningless noise.

But there was something new and disturbing this year. It was the idea that telling a lie or otherwise intentionally spreading misinformation should be considered an acceptable campaign tactic. And those advancing this idea justified it because, they said, the underlying purpose of telling lies is to start public conversations about legitimate issues.

When Take Back Comox Valley (TBCV) ran social media ads and stated on its website that some unidentified local council members are trying to defund the police and had taken money from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation via the Dogwood citizen action network, they were telling a lie. They have no proof of either claim.

In fact, a founding member of TBCV told Decafnation that he knew the defunding the police claim wasn’t true and had disagreed with the majority of the group about telling that lie. But he went along with it because, you know, the mob rules.

And they rationalized telling the lie because it’s just a big joke. Nobody actually expects it to be true. It’s just part of the game. Just like Trump claiming he won the US election. Just like Freedom truckers creating a fake letter from Prime Minister Trudeau or spreading the lie that Ottawa police officers were exempt from vaccine mandates.

It’s a reckless game that degrades public discourse. It turns voters off and diminishes the integrity of democratic elections. Those who play it sacrifice all claim to principle.

There were no meaningful community conversations created by TBCV. They encouraged no consequential dialogue and proposed no resolutions to the issues they raised. A quick look at their Facebook page shows a lot of angry and vitriolic invective thrown back and forth.

Most of the TBCV’s contempt was directed at the Courtenay council, which was wholeheartedly vindicated by voters and given a strong mandate to continue its work.

So what was achieved by telling the lies other than to have a laugh?

Fortunately, the people who cared enough to vote didn’t get the joke.

 

A CHANGING POPULACE

Has the mainstream of Comox Valley politics turned slightly left?

New Democratic Party candidates have won the last two provincial elections and the last three federal elections in our ridings. Progressive candidates won majorities on municipal councils in Courtenay and Cumberland in the last two elections and in Comox and the rural electoral areas in 2018.

In terms of which political parties voters have supported, a shift has definitely occurred. But why?

One reason might be found in this story. A Courtenay incumbent told Decafnation that they had knocked on 3,000 doors over the last four weeks and had spoken with many new Valley residents. The general consensus among those new residents was that they love it here and see comparatively fewer problems than where they previously lived.

The newcomers laugh at our traffic issues. They’ve already accepted the introduction of bike lanes. They’ve seen real traffic congestion, more serious crime and the problems associated with unsheltered people. They know these things exist everywhere.

So, maybe it’s not an ideological change that has occurred, but growth in the number of people who have had broader and more diverse life experiences. Maybe our issues don’t seem as problematic to them as they might to people who haven’t lived anywhere else.

Maybe what we’ve been labeling “progressive” is now the mainstream perspective of Comox Valley voters.

 

OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ELECTION

– It’s too bad more people don’t appreciate the difference a mayor and council can make in their lives. Voter turnout for local government elections has always been low, but this year it was really low.

We don’t know why, but the turnout was lower across the board. Perhaps it was because of an uninspiring race for mayor of Courtenay – Bob Wells didn’t have any serious competition. Or maybe because there was no mayor’s race in Comox – Nicole Minions was acclaimed.

Maybe it was because there weren’t many all-candidates debates and something like half the candidates refused to show up anyway. If the candidates don’t give a damn about the process, then why should voters?

Maybe a few of the candidates disgusted people about local politics. The Comox Valley Mainstream and Take Back Comox Valley groups might have turned people off.

Maybe it was just the nice October weather.

But you know something’s in the air when the number of eligible voters in Cumberland more than doubles from 2018 but fewer than half as many voters turn out in 2022. Voter engagement dropped by 50.9 percent in the Village, according to data from Civic Info BC.

Twenty-one percent fewer voters turned out in Courtenay. Twenty-two percent fewer in Comox. Slightly lower in the rural areas.

Having fewer candidates on the ballot might help. Too many candidates seem to overwhelm voters. It looks like too much work to find out about each candidate and what they stand for.

We could start to pare down the ballot by requiring a candidate’s residency in the jurisdiction where they seek public office.

It’s a double standard, as one Capital City voter put it. “I have to prove that I reside in Victoria to vote for a candidate who doesn’t. Huh?”

– On the other hand, interest in the School District 71 Board of Education quadrupled. In 2018, only 4,392 ballots were cast, partly because four of the seven trustee seats were filled by acclamation. But this year, 11,472 ballots were cast, and only two seats went by acclamation.

Why such a huge and sudden interest? Maybe because several incumbents retired and more seats were up for grabs.

More likely, though, it was the age-old debate over sexual health education. Several candidates strongly opposed sexual health education in our schools and made wild claims about teachers encouraging kids to become gay males or lesbians and to engage in ‘deviant behavior.’

Yeah, that campaign platform might have brought out a large backlash of voters from the bulk of people who support LGBTQ rights and policies.

– Daniel Arbour received 80.2 percent of the vote (1,807 votes) in Electoral Area A. That was the largest percentage of support for a regional district director in all of BC. Well, except for incumbent Gerald Whalley who received 96 percent of the vote (215 votes) to represent Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward in the Strathcona Regional District.

“I attribute this to being thorough and proactive on all the issues facing Area A’s five communities,” he told Decafnation. “People also appreciate my positive engagement at the provincial and federal levels on municipal-related issues, and bringing forward authentic policy proposals for our region and beyond.”

– The loss of Arzeena Hamir in Area B will be deeply felt in the Valley, especially in her leadership relating to environmental, food, and social policy issues. She lost by 23 votes to Richard Hardy, who will be the first K’omoks First Nation member of the Comox Valley Regional District board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GET THE FULL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS HERE

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Who’s behind the shadowy Comox Valley political action groups? We shine some light

Who’s behind the shadowy Comox Valley political action groups? We shine some light

by | Oct 13, 2022

Who’s behind the shadowy Comox Valley political action groups? We shine some light

By

 

This story was updated Friday afternoon to add comments from a former Courtenay Dogwood organizing manager and remove some names from the Take Back Comox Valley supporters.

It’s tough growing up. For someone in their early teens, life can be confusing. You don’t know who to trust, who to follow, everything feels emotional and every decision, no matter how trivial, seems so important.

For communities like ours in the midst of a rapid growth spurt, life can also be confusing. New residents bring fresh perspectives that have the potential to alter historical values and ideologies. That can make it difficult for newcomers to blend in and for old-timers to deal with change.

These growing pains may be at the root of a dark subplot in these 2022 local government elections. Secretive groups have formed to resist change. A new media player is trying to facilitate more of it.

Decafnation hopes to shed some light today on these multiple shadowy organizations; a light that we hope will lead to a brighter day.

Who is behind CV Mainstream, Take Back Comox Valley and VanIsle.news?

OUR POPULATION GROWTH

The Comox Valley Regional District grew 8.9 percent from 2016 to 2021, a population increase from 66,527 to 72,445. And it’s a good bet that a large slice of those new residents is gig workers, tech industry workers and other people who can work remotely. These people tend to be young, in the 30-50 range and to lean a little more liberal than conservative.

The 2018 municipal elections seemed to reflect this shift. Voters chose more progressive candidates focused on climate change, creating urban density rather than sprawl, setting clearer rules for new developments and helping people get around by walking or cycling. And they started changing the rules and setting a course toward a different vision of the Comox Valley’s future.

This has alarmed the most conservative among us and also those who have grown up here or have been here a long time. 

In normal times, this scenario would have been seen as just a healthy difference of opinion. But not this year. Advertisements and phone calls have spread lies and misinformation. Fringe candidates have popped up in every jurisdiction, inspired no doubt by the Freedom Convoy and anti-vaxx movement. But it’s too simple to blame the anger expressed in this election on pent-up frustrations in the post-pandemic era.

Maybe it’s because Big Moneyed Outside Interests have started meddling in small-town politics.

Decafnation has been doing some digging around, so let’s see who’s really behind these shadowy Comox Valley political action groups.

 

COMOX VALLEY MAINSTREAM

As we suspected, this group is just the latest incarnation of the 2018 Comox Valley Taxpayers Alliance, and the 2014 Common Sense, but with slight differences in membership.

We now know that Dick Clancy, a well-known local conservative activist, is not involved with CVM. Which makes us sad that we can’t write about Dick and the boys anymore.

A source tells us that Mainstream was launched by Art Meyers, Mike Finneron, Murray Presley, Dave Mellin, Curtis Scoville and Sue Finneron. There were others involved, like Marg Grant, at various times who attended the meetings, some of which were at the Crown Isle clubhouse.

Our source says the group originally intended to gather names of like-minded people to make phone calls encouraging people to vote and to promote conservative candidates. The original intent was to be middle-of-the-road and non-political.

At some point, the group’s goal shifted into recruiting candidates and endorsing them, apparently with scant background checks. And that caused some members to leave the group.

Still, those involved have tried to hide their identity, although it was public knowledge that Presely registered CVM as an Elector Organization with Elections BC, and Scoville’s social media posts were a dead giveaway.

This is the Old Guard still pissed about losing control and doing a slow boil just thinking about the new kids messing up their house.

 

TAKE BACK COMOX VALLEY

This group formed out of a small gathering of people in their 30s and 40s and grew to include 12 people.

On the Take Back Comox Valley (TBCV) Facebook page, some members have revealed their identities, including the Courtenay car dealer Rod McLean.

A source privy to the group’s formation – who wanted anonymity because association with TBCV could negatively impact his business – told Decafnation that the idea was to create community conversation around five key issues: the restriction on urban sprawl and the trend toward urban density, the proliferation of bike lanes, the Courtenay updated Official Community Plan, inaction on rising crime and homelessness issues and health care.

They also wanted to shed light on the Dogwood Initiative, which they say is partly funded by the U.S.-based Rockefeller Brothers Foundation. They go so far as to infer that local incumbents have taken money from Dogwood and, therefore, by extension, the Rockefeller foundation.

Our source said the group also aligned themselves with the Pacific Prosperity Network (PPN) for support on legislation and regulation and some guidance on how to “perform our messages.”

The PPN is run by Micah Haince, a BC United Party (formerly BC Liberal Party) supporter, with the mission to “provide training and support right-wing and center-right candidates running for political office.”

And, according to an Aug. 3 article in the Vancouver Sun, PPN has been financed by Vancouver Billionaire and Lululemon founder Chip Wilson who donated $380,000 and lobbied other wealthy people by a personal letter to donate from $50,000 to $200,000 each.

The PPN group was fined $1,000 on Oct. 6 by Elections BC for two violations of the BC Local Elections Campaign Financing Act and the Election Act.

Our source says it was the Pacific Prosperity Network that made the ads and videos that ran on social media but the content came from the local members. When the ads became controversial and blew up their Facebook page, “some members stepped back personally from revealing themselves” because they could be “attacked as people and therefore their businesses.”

But, our source says, TBCV has no involvement with the phone calls being made to voters in certain areas that point-blank state the lie that incumbents in this election are taking money from the Rockefeller foundation.

“There were some phone calls done late September and earlier October that were petition-based on some of the issues,” Rod McLean told us via email.

“Businesses in Courtenay are fed up with the homelessness situation, crime, increased taxes locally, provincially and federally and how that tax money is being spent in a nutshell,” he said. “Our local council (Courtenay) has increased taxes significantly to businesses and taken away services.”

McLean said the TBCV group is “really concerned about housing affordability, and the 271-page OCP’s with vague language and an agenda that only benefits 1 segment of our community.”

McLean also said that mental health and addiction issues are being ignored. “People try to say it is a provincial issue, is it?”

Our source told us that members of TBCV are business people, Rotary Club members, volunteers in nonprofits and generous donors to Comox Valley charities.

And McLean added that “TBCV isn’t going anywhere, it will be on-going.”

 

VANISLE.NEWS

Although not yet a major player in our community, this relatively new media outlet publishes stories about local, provincial and national relevance for three Vancouver Island regions: the North Island, the west coast of the Island and the Comox Valley. They are included in this rundown of political activists out of complete transparency on our part.

We happen to know that Vanisle.news was originally conceived by people at least loosely associated with the Dogwood Initiative, calling themselves Together We Win at the time and now Together News. We know that because a couple of years ago (using the first person now), I was approached by these people – one of whom was a local resident. They wanted me to share my stories with them, perhaps even blend Decafnation into their new product.

While I liked the idea of someone providing more news coverage of interesting local stories on the north and west parts of the Island, I rejected the offer simply because I didn’t want to be a part of their project. Decafnation is a proudly transparent and independent website because we have no financial support and, most of the time, it’s just me.

Reached at his home for comment, Dave Mills said that Dogwood has no affiliation with VanIsle.news, “loose or otherwise.” The Dogwood Organizing Program Manager, who was based in Courtenay but is currently on a one-year leave, told Decafnation that VanIsle.new was started by Will Horter, who was Dogwood BC’s executive director for more than a decade but left the organization in 2015.

“That is as far as any connection goes,” Mills said. And he added that Dogwood is not involved in any way in Comox Valley local elections.

Unfortunately, like the political action groups, VanIsle.news also hides behind anonymity. We don’t know who runs and supports the organization today, and neither does the public. Their website doesn’t provide the names of any staff, owners or financial supporters.

That’s not acceptable for a news organization.

 

SO WHAT DO WE HAVE …

What you have here is some well-funded BC political action groups – Dogwood and the Pacific Prosperity Network – dipping their toes into small-town politics. One works for right-wing and center-right candidates, and the other works for left-wing and center-left candidates.

The difference between the two is that the Pacific Prosperity Network went about its work by posting video advertisements on social media that contained lies and misinformation. We don’t follow the VanIsle.news websites regularly but to our knowledge, neither they nor Dogwood has published anything or made any phone calls comparable to the PPN/TBCV material.

You also have a group of the Comox Valley aging Old Gang who used to have some sway, especially when Art Meyers and the boys could count on former BC cabinet minister Stan Hagen.

Except that the CV Mainstream effort was feeble, as it has been in its past iterations. They didn’t engage in the issues or give any justification for endorsing one candidate over another. And this year they picked a couple of stinkers.

In the end, they are just the good-old-gang of yore hoping they could still hand-pick their local councils.

And then you have TBCV, a group of younger conservative, pro-development citizens who wanted to raise issues important to them, but went about it in the worst way possible. Instead of proposing specific courses of action to address their issues, they joined forces with an organization that made them look like a bunch of angry lunatics.

That strategy won’t win them any friends or respect.

Neither of the TBCV members we talked to was repentant about their negative approach that relied on lies and misinformation. They told us they had created valuable community conversations and that their methods weren’t controversial.

What we don’t understand is why people who are afraid their association with a political action group could negatively affect their livelihoods get involved with that group. This isn’t a police state and there are other ways to engage in the democratic process.

Politics is always messy. You’re always going to have people who don’t agree with you, and the more extreme your presentation, the more extreme the reaction to it.

What we need is more civil public discourse.

 

AND THEN THERE ARE THE CANDIDATES

We have MAGA hat-wearers, climate deniers and anti-vaxxers. We have a candidate who shot himself in the foot over some campaign signs and made it worse by stuffing the wounded foot in his mouth.

We have challengers who don’t live in places but feel qualified to represent the people that do. That includes one candidate currently living in Nanaimo. We have a mayor candidate so detached that he watches from the sidelines.

We have a candidate running on a personal grudge and some long-time incumbents who don’t know when to quit. And we have a whole bunch of challengers too scared to meet the public at all-candidates meetings.

Judging by some signs around town, the Comox residents flooded out of their apartments by a broken town water pipe and promptly abandoned by the Town Council would have had some pointed questions for Maureen Swift and Ken Grant.

But thank goodness, we also have incumbents with class who defended their records without disparaging the opponents. When the challengers went low, the incumbents stayed high.

Now, it’s up to the voters and how on God’s Green Earth they’re going to sort out this mess is anyone’s guess. But it will be interesting. Vote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Courtenay

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre.

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Local candidates clam up rather than speak to Comox Valley voters in public

Local candidates clam up rather than speak to Comox Valley voters in public

by | Oct 11, 2022

CAPTION CONTEST: Send us a caption for this photograph that relates to the current election campaign. There could be prizes.

Local candidates clam up rather than speak to Comox Valley voters in public

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Alert! Call in the mental health professionals at once! The Comox Valley is experiencing a severe outbreak of Glossophobia among the candidates in this year’s local government elections. And strangely, it appears to have infected only the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky candidates.

Apparently, being a progressively-minded incumbent or challenger gives you natural immunity.

Glossophobics, as I’m sure you already know, have a fear of public speaking. And what other possible explanation could the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky candidates have for avoiding almost every opportunity to answer questions in a public setting?

Assuredly, this is an odd situation. Politicians in general, and especially those on the fringes, normally drool over any chance to speak in public and drown their audiences in a stream of non-sequiturs.

But this year, a specific group of candidates has refused to participate in normally sedate all-candidates forums. They are mostly those endorsed by the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky organization that imagines itself in the “mainstream” of Comox Valley ideology. And that’s a delusionary state in itself.

For Courtenay City Council, there were only two all-candidates forums and just one for the Comox Town Council. Electoral area candidates were invited to both.

So, other than a sudden onset of Glossophobia, we can’t think of any reason why Brennan Day, Deana Simkin, Mano Theos, Michael Gilbert, Starr Winchester, Phil Adams and Lyndsey Northcott didn’t show up for the Courtenay forum on Oct. 7.

Okay, Theos was on vacation in Greece and Adams was on a honeymoon trip, so they are just bad at scheduling.

But some of the same bunch didn’t show up at the North Island College Oct. 4 forum either.

Glossophobia infections went off the charts on the peninsula. Comox candidates had only one forum on Oct. 7 to make their pitch up close and personal with voters. But Peter Gibson, Ken Grant, Maureen Swift, Steve Blacklock and Chris Haslett blew it off anyway.

Even Tamara Meggitt in Area A caught the bug, as did Richard Hardy, who is running in Area B but actually lives in the heart of Comox. Both were no-shows at the Comox event.

When you look at this list of candidates who refused to participate there is an obvious common thread. They are the conservative, old-guard, pro-development and wacky candidates.

And when we say ‘wacky,’ we mean candidates like Erik Eriksson, who showed up for the NIC climate-focused forum but didn’t join his colleagues on stage. Bizarrely, Eriksson sat in the front row and watched. Hey, Erik, a great display of mayoral leadership qualities.

Or, wacky like Area C candidate Matthew Ellis who has been laying low since the social media hounds found that photo of him standing in front of a confederate flag wearing a Trump Make America Great Again hat and holding both a shotgun and a bottle of Tennessee whiskey.

Maybe it’s a joke. But if you’re seeking public office and you leave that photo online, in my book you’re wacky. And if it wasn’t a joke, you are definitely wacky because you’re in Canada, dude.

So, all kidding aside, by refusing to spontaneously answer questions from the public, these candidates are usurping the democratic process. It’s the equivalent of Taking The Fifth Amendment (we know, American reference, but a good analogy) because they don’t want to incriminate themselves.

What could possibly happen by having the courage to stand up and defend your beliefs? Well, you might slip up and expose your truth, and that could cost you votes.

It’s a sad commentary on the state of election campaigning in the Comox Valley when candidates of similar ideology refuse to engage with those they want to represent. Just imagine how unresponsive they’ll be if you elect them.

These people hope to get elected by default, getting throw-away votes from people who just picked a name without really knowing the candidate. Dash that hope. Please.

 

WHERE WERE GRANT AND BLACKLOCK?

We know that Courtenay candidate Phil Adams was on a honeymoon, but what important business did Comox Council candidate Ken Grant have that kept him from the all-candidates forum last Friday afternoon? Well, readers report that he was sunning himself on the lawn of Milanos coffee shop just as the meeting was getting underway at the K’omoks Band Hall.

Meanwhile, Comox candidate Steve Blacklock took a different route. He didn’t go to the All-Candidates cafe-style forum Friday night either, but he sent a proxy with a phone.

Voters at one of the Comox tables (candidates rotated among small groups to answer questions in more intimate settings) noticed a young woman texting who had introduced herself as a friend of Blacklock. She then read from her phone a text that she said Blacklock was sending her. The people at the table advised her that because Blacklock didn’t show up, it was inappropriate for her to speak on his behalf and that she should leave. Which she did.

Is this what some people think passes for meaningful public discourse these days?

Kudos to the candidates who had the decency to show up at last week’s public forums. That includes Comox Mayor-Elect Nicole Minions, who will be acclaimed, but showed up anyway to pay respect to the organizers and the tax-paying public.

 

KEN GRANT STILL MISLEADING VOTERS

This story was sent to us by a reader with access to questions sent via email to Comox Council incumbent Ken Grant. They asked:

“The urban forest is essential in making Comox the beautiful place it is and prevents overheating in heat domes or any time of excessive heat and helps regulates water flows (prevent flooding). What will you include in a ‘Tree Bylaw’ to ensure that the benefits of trees and other natural environments are maintained in Comox?”

To which Grant answered:

“We have a robust tree bylaw in Comox. We just increased the amount trees to be preserved on development from 25% retention to 30% retention. We have purchased Bay brook park a few years ago and are preserving the trees on it as well as with all of our parks (unless trees become dangerous). The tree canopy is one of the things that make Comox stand out as a livable community.”

But what Grant didn’t say was that he voted against the tree retention policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Courtenay

Advance Voting continues on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre.

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

Advance voting continues today Monday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and on Wednesday, October 12 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre.

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre. The next Advance voting takes place on Oct. 12

 

 

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Councillor Melanie McCollum’s mother dies in bicycle-truck accident in Courtenay

Councillor Melanie McCollum’s mother dies in bicycle-truck accident in Courtenay

by | Oct 10, 2022

Photo Caption

Councillor Melanie McCollum’s mother dies in bicycle-truck accident in Courtenay

By

On an unusually warm Oct. 2 Sunday, an older woman rode her bicycle to do some errands in downtown Courtenay. Just after noon, she collided with a large truck near the intersection of Fourth Street and Cliffe Avenue. People having lunch or a beer in Gladstone’s outdoor patio might have witnessed what turned out to be a fatal accident.

Jamie McCue was also riding his bike that day and rode past the scene on his way home. He saw emergency vehicles, a large white truck, uniforms and onlookers. He took it all in and rode away.

Later that afternoon, McCue was starting to make dinner plans. His wife, Courtenay Council member Melanie McCollum, was at a field watching one of their daughters’ soccer games.

At 5:15 pm, while standing on the sidelines, Melanie’s telephone rang. On the line was an emergency room doctor from Victoria General Hospital.

That was the moment Melanie learned that her mother, Ruth McCollum, 68, was the cyclist who had collided with the truck in Courtenay. She had been flown to Victoria because of the severity of her injuries. Surgery was required but there was no guarantee she would survive it.

And she would not. Melanie and other McCollum family members traveled to Victoria on Monday where they made the decision to discontinue life support.

McCollum and her family are now grieving.

“We are still in shock, and I’m turning all of my energy toward grieving and supporting my family at this time. While I’m still a candidate for Council, I’m taking a step back from campaigning and wanted people to understand the reason why,” she wrote on her council Facebook page.

McCollum may have suspended her campaign activities for the Oct. 15 election, but her council colleagues have continued to carry her brochures and her message to voters.

It is, of course, heart-wrenching that one of McCollum’s campaign messages has been a fierce defense of the council’s decision to introduce bike lanes on city streets.

The odds are incalculable that a candidate in favor of bike lanes as a means of increasing traffic safety should lose her mother to a bike crash in the midst of an election where some challengers have tried to make bike lanes a controversial issue.

It feels awkward to say right now, but doesn’t this tragically inconceivable accident highlight the value of protected bike lanes and validate the council’s actions?

There is no official police report yet about the accident. But whether the truck driver or the cyclist must shoulder the majority of blame for what happened in this particular accident makes no difference.

The point is that anything a city can do to make our roads safer for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, children and the mobility impaired should be praised, not criticized.

 

WHAT’S THE VALUE OF YOUR LOVED ONES’ LIVES?

But one or two candidates in this election have made it their goal to unseat the incumbents by shamelessly using protected bike lanes as a punching bag.

They have tried to imply that the City Council has “misspent” local taxes to build these safer bike lanes, calling it a waste of our money.

Setting aside the misinformation in that allegation – the 17th Street project was primarily funded by a federal infrastructure grant – what monetary value would you put on the life of your child, your spouse or your parent?

Why is there such vocal outrage about something that benefits so many? Studies and real-life experience show that cities with separated and protected bike lanes have reduced fatalities for everyone using the roadways.

“The most comprehensive study of bicycle and road safety to date finds that building safe facilities for cyclists is one of the biggest factors in road safety for everyone. Bicycling infrastructure — specifically, separated and protected bike lanes — leads to fewer fatalities and better road-safety outcomes for all road users,” says a University of Colorado, Denver study.

There is always room for civil public discourse about where bike lanes are most needed and where traffic safety poses the greatest risk. But with the invention and popularity of electric bicycles, there will be more and more cyclists on all of our roadways.

According to Statistics Canada, more commuters now walk or bike to work than take public transit.

Local governments have an obligation to make our communities safe for everyone. And it’s okay for people to choose to commute or get around town on bicycles. They shouldn’t be made to feel like second-class citizens.

And, yeah, we’ve all seen bicyclists roll through stop signs. But who hasn’t seen drivers doing the same thing every day?

Let’s have more compassion for people who want to use bicycles to move around out communities. It’s clean and efficient and adds a certain charm to our ambiance.

And let’s drop the rhetoric that improving traffic safety through protected bike lanes only benefits one segment of the population and that it’s somehow a misuse of public funds. That’s a bunch of nonsense from desperate candidates who run negative campaigns for personal gain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Courtenay

Advance Voting continues on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre.

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

Advance voting continues today Monday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and on Wednesday, October 12 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre.

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre. The next Advance voting takes place on Oct. 12

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Decafnation recommends these candidates as District 71 trustees

Decafnation recommends these candidates as District 71 trustees

by | Oct 8, 2022

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

Decafnation recommends these candidates as District 71 trustees

 

Unless you’re a parent of school-age children and active in your school’s Parent Advisory Committees, you probably don’t know who to vote for among this year’s candidates for the Board of Education. Decafnation rounded up an editorial board of Comox Valley people who have been engaged in the policies and issues confronting our school district. Using the candidates’ responses to our questionnaire and their performances at an all-candidates meeting, we found a consensus to recommend the following candidates.

 

Area A – Kat Hawksby

Kat Hawksby was a newcomer to the board in 2018 and has been a quiet participant for four years. Given a second opportunity with new Board of Education colleagues, we expect Hawksby to find her voice and engage in conversations at the board table. She is well-liked, so we look forward to Kat showing her strengths in a second term.

Area B – Michelle Waite

Incumbent Michelle Waite’s accomplishments and strengths are well known to parents in the Comox Valley. She comes to meetings well-prepared, well researched and always open to further conversation. She approaches each issue through the lens of transparency, with the goal of creating the greatest level of collaboration between the school district and community stakeholders.

Area C – Kendall Packham

Kendall Packham is a mom with three young children and has already shown her ability to connect with the school, staff and parents. This engagement has given her an accurate understanding of district issues and we have no doubt she will attend as many PAC meetings in person as possible. What she may lack in experience around the board table is outweighed by her knowledge and her ability to advocate on behalf of parental and other voters’ interests.

Courtenay – Shannon Aldinger

Shannon Aldinger is a tenacious, intelligent and respectful collaborator. She will bring a balanced approach to current issues and concerns within the District. She has an impressive 10-year resume of advocating for more and better sexual health education and sexual misconduct reform within the district. She has been a champion for the topic of “consent” to be included in the Physical Health Education curriculum at a provincial and local level. Educated as a family lawyer and mediator, Shannon is well-equipped for the most difficult issues.

Courtenay – Jasmine Willard

Jasmine Willard is somewhat unknown to this district but showed herself to be a competent, intelligent and strong candidate. We were impressed with her performance at the recent Candidate’s Forum and the post-event buzz was that voters really liked her. Steady, direct to the point and relatable, Jasmine is the candidate we didn’t see coming.

Comox – Susan Leslie

Susan Leslie is a well-known and well-loved 15-year educator in the Comox Valley school district who championed the Indigenous K/1 Primary program and later went on to be a District Principal and Director of Instruction in the Sea to Sky school district. She is a thoughtful thinker and a collaborative colleague, who will bring her life experience as a First Nations woman. She has not waivered on her support of SOGI 123.

Cumberland – Sarah Jane Howe

Incumbent Sarah Jane Howe runs unopposed this year because she’s so popular with parents and other voters. She has been an honest and approachable trustee that does not shy away from tough questions. She’s an independent thinker who always makes decisions based on what is best for every student in the district.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Additional voting takes place on Oct. 6 from 9 am to 12 pm on Denman Island and on Oct. 6 from 2 pm to 5 pm on Hornby Island

Courtenay

Advance Voting begins on Wednesday October 5, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Native Sons Hall, and again on Wednesday October 12, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre.

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

Advance voting begins Wednesday, October 5 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre, and on Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and again on Monday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and on Wednesday, October 12 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre.

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre. Advance voting takes place on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12

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School District 71 candidates respond to our questions

School District 71 candidates respond to our questions

by | Oct 6, 2022

School District 71 candidates respond to our questions

By

Decafnation asked this year’s candidates for the School District 71 Board of Education to answer three questions. Here are their responses.

The Candidates

Area A — Kat Hawksby (incumbent), Chelsea McCannel-Keene, Keith Porteous.

Area B — Michelle Waite, acclaimed

Area C — Christi May Sacht (incumbent), Kendall Packham

Courtenay —  two positions — Janice Caton (incumbent), Shannon Aldinger, Anita Devries, Jasmine Willard

Comox — Susan Leslie, Randi Baldwin, Vicky Trill

Cumberland — Sarah Howe, acclaimed

Challengers Keith Porteous, Anita Devries and Randi Baldwin did not respond

 

Question 1: What is your stance on the current Physical Health curriculum that includes sexual health education?

Chelsea McCannel-Keene, Area A
I feel strongly that Comox Valley Schools are on the right path with Physical Health (Sexual Health) policy and programming. In 2022, we are developing in a society where our minds will need to be informed and open to be compassionate citizens contributing to a safer world. As a school district, we must keep up and ensure that we are ahead of the curve because it is in our formative school years that we can inspire true acceptance and belonging.

Sexual Health curriculum has been thoughtfully developed for the primary and secondary years, with the desired goal of comprehensive sexual health education; Supporting students to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain healthy bodies, sexual wellbeing, healthy relationships and sexual safety for themselves and others. I support this curriculum and SOGI Policy bringing us closer to this goal.

Kat Hawksby, Area A
Yes, I support the current physical health curriculum, including the sexual health component. Physical health is not limited to diet and exercise alone, it also includes the ongoing hormonal changes to the growing children and youth in our schools. It is incredibly important to be able to correctly label and identify emotions as well as body parts to ensure mental health and well being is also looked after.

Cristi May Sacht, Area C
As the current Area C Trustee, I have to share that we, as Trustees have no control over curriculum in our schools. As a mother of 4, I am in full support of sexual health education that is age appropriate and has been recommended by qualified professionals and approved by stakeholders (Teachers, parents, educational professionals). Any materials in our schools have been recommended, vetted and approved by a plethora of individuals, so I am confident in the curriculum and the benefit to the students.

Kendall Packham, Area C
I think it is a vital and important part of our education system. I am also in support of the consent portion of sexual health as being crucial to our student’s K-12 sexual health education. I have a teenage son in SD71, and I know how hard it can be firsthand to have those conversations from home, even in the most comfortable of households. I also have 2 younger children in SD71 and have always found the content being taught to be age appropriate and very easy for a child to understand and retain the information. I was always very appreciative and supportive of Dr.Claire when she taught our sexual health programs in the district, and I think she has done a phenomenal job teaching our teachers now that she has moved on from our district.

Shannon Aldinger, Courtenay
My concern is that the province’s recently revamped K-12 curriculum does not specifically include the term “consent” and there is also no obvious curriculum content relating to the interplay between sexual health and technology (ie: the rise in children’s access to and use of on-line pornography, sexting, cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking).

These deficits are disconcerting given the ongoing prevalence of sexual violence. According to Statistics Canada, one in four girls and one in eight boys will experience some form of sexual violence by age 18. Girls aged 15 to 17 report the highest rate of gender-based violence among all age groups; and youth who are indigenous, 2S-LGBTQ+ and/or have disabilities also experience higher rates.

The McCreary Centre’s Report on its BC Adolescent Health Survey revealed that the majority of students are not sexually active by the end of grade 10; however, grade 10 is the last year that physical health education is mandatory. This means that most students are not receiving any sexual health (or consent) education as they become sexually active.

Through our District Parent Advisory Council, I have advocated for age-appropriate consent education for all SD71 students (K-12) and for other measures to address sexual harassment and sexual assault. I have also advocated for similar initiatives at the provincial level.

Janice Caton, Courtenay
When it comes to curriculum and content- all grade schools in BC are required to follow the curriculum as set by the Ministry of Education and teachers have local autonomy on how they teach in their classrooms also.

Trustees and boards do not set the curriculum and honestly have little control if any over what is taught in classrooms – their roles are to set guiding principles and goals for the district. That being said our district has brought in speakers and other supports for staff and students- we also have held information nights for parents on what is being taught. Parents receive the curriculum prior to their child being taught it and they have the right and opportunity to pull their child from the course if they so choose.

I believe we have done our best to ensuring age-appropriate information is being taught to students and if there is a desire to add content such as “consent “ this can only be done at the provincial level and the board will continue to work with parents on how best to support all students

Jasmine Willard, Courtenay
The current Physical Health curriculum in SD71 has come a long way but there’s still more to do. Our schools are uniquely positioned to provide children with the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes necessary to make informed decisions that promote positive sexual health throughout their lives. The absence of consent education from the current curriculum is simply one of many examples that demonstrate the curriculum is outdated. To move us forward, the School Board must ensure that best practices are reflected in updated guidelines and are accessible and inclusive. While the School Board does not create a curriculum, it has the power to support, advocate and direct resources in prioritizing this issue.

The next elected SD71 School Board has an important role to play here. Effective physical, mental and sexual health education means an open and non-discriminatory dialogue that respects individual beliefs. It must be medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, and culturally relevant. Let me go further in asserting that it is only as impactful as the quality of resources, guidelines and policies developed for (and with) parents, teachers, and administrators. What this means to me is that the curriculum is sensitive to the diverse needs of individuals, including thoughtful consideration of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, physical/cognitive abilities and religious background.

Susan Leslie, Comox
In terms of Physical health curriculum, I believe there are gaps. The BC Ministry of Education ‘s new curriculum includes Career Education K-12 and Career and Life Education 10-12; within this framework, Physical Health curriculum and sexual health education fit beautifully. In fact, the Sea to Sky School District, where I recently retired from, uses this framework to address personal, physical and sexual (SOGI, consent, digital violations) wellness. This Career Education framework is from K-12, therefore learning about yourself, your attributes, feelings and identity is an ongoing process that deepens age appropriately throughout your K-12 learning journey. It is not a few one-hour sessions, once a year in grades 5,7,9 and 11. In these times students need an ongoing, safe, informative and supportive curriculum where they see themselves reflected as they grow and mature. Curriculum that supports them in making positive decisions for their personal, physical and sexual well-being.

Vicky Trill
Curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education. Curriculum core competencies can be found on the BC Ministry of Education’s website.

Included in the Physical Education curriculum are core competencies including, Physical Literacy, Healthy & Active Living, Social & Community Health and Mental well-being. Under each of these core competencies is a list of goals, some of which reference or relate to sexual health. I encourage everyone to inform themselves with any curriculum that interests you and to talk to your teacher and/or principal about questions or concerns that you may have.

It is not the role of a trustee to choose curriculum or to dictate to educators what type of resources they should use to reach curriculum competencies/ goals. The role of a Trustee is to monitor established policies and Board goals to ensure that they are being met. For example, if a board policy states that students and staff will feel welcome, included and safe in schools, then it is the Board’s responsibility to gather information so that they can monitor whether this policy goal is being met. As your trustee, I encourage anyone who would like to know more or have concerns to please reach out to me.

 

Question 2: What is the role of Trustees regarding the climate crisis, and what climate-action policies should the school district consider?

Chelsea McCannel-Keene, Area A
Environmental Stewardship is a pillar of our Strategic Plan, a living document that is developed and consulted by the board throughout their term. It is the role of the Trustees to ensure the Strategic Plan is considered with every decision and these pillars are at the forefront of those decisions.

To me, education is where that stewardship begins. I hope to advocate for increased Horticultural policies and programming if elected this term. Comox Valley Schools has the ability to instill a commitment to climate protection in its students. By education, community outreach, experience in activism and volunteerism, we can support climate action and lighten our footprint.

Kat Hawksby, Area A
The role of School District Trustees is to set strategic direction and advocate for the well-being of students and staff, including looking into and implementing policies on sustainable practices to do our part for climate action and to further reduce our carbon footprint. As for which policies should be implemented, that would require a deeper look into current practices and how we will move forward in a good way together.

Cristi May Sacht, Area C
As an individual, I have to take responsibility for my part in the climate crisis, do what I can daily and work to be an example for our children. As a Trustee, our board identified Environmental Stewardship and reducing carbon emissions as a strategic priority in the Strategic Plan created in 2018. I would love to see that taken to the next level in the next strategic plan. I would love to see greater recycling programs, more composting, more healthy food programs & continue to pursue energy efficiency in our buildings. Our current board supported the review and establishment of school gardens as well as outdoor educational spaces, in each of our schools, which is a huge win for students.

Kendall Packham, Area C
I know many of our district schools have “Green Teams” or similar which have created climate crisis protocols for their own school. I think our district has been doing well when it comes to lowering its carbon footprint and engaging the students in education around recycling, reusing and waste. Many schools also have their own garden which teaches and encourages food sustainability and composting.

We do have a few rural schools which require bussing or parent drivers as the roads can be unsafe for many students. Improving the safety of rural routes to encourage more walking, cycling and active transport would help alleviate the gas emissions those parents would use to drive their students and increase student physical activity. I think as a Trustee, working together with our schools to see what they are doing and how it is going is a great start and further implementing policies or procedures around climate action as needed.

Shannon Aldinger, Courtenay
Trustees can and should take a leadership role in addressing the climate crisis – in part because of the urgency of the climate crisis and in part to provide hope and leadership for our increasingly climate-anxious youth. These youth need to see adults leading the way, rather than hearing the message that it is a problem to be left to their generation to solve.

Trustees can and should take a leadership role in addressing the climate crisis by including it in the Board of Education’s Strategic Plan as well as considering the impact of climate change in its decision-making.

The school district can also continue to develop and promote curricular and extra-curricular educational opportunities about climate literacy, climate advocacy and climate justice; continue to reduce GHG emissions in relation to facilities its operates and land it owns; continue to reduce GHG emissions in relation to other ongoing practices of students and staff – such as encouraging active transit to schools, transitioning to electric school buses, establishing local purchasing practices, growing food through school gardens); and, join a national network of school districts seeking to develop and implement climate policy.

Janice Caton, Courtenay
the Board of education recently passed a motion acknowledging that we are in a climate crisis.
The board also identified in their strategic plan – environment stewardship as a priority and have put in place a plan to ensure that we continue to reduce our carbon emission and environmental footprint

Is there more to do absolutely – the costs of going green needs to be fully funded by the ministry
We will continue to support our outdoor classrooms and school gardens and other initiatives that schools and students continue to do in their own way of dealing with the current climate crisis
The district has made a commitment to go green in upgrading schools, converting to LED lighting, etc, and will continue to work with limited budgets on that process.

As for what climate action policies should we consider- that certainly needs to be a discussion with all educational stakeholders on what should be considered- do we ban all plastics from our schools, do we convert all of our vehicles to electronic only, do we look at going paperless also, and how do we pay for the changes that are needed to support these initiatives – we need to have those conversations and I am committed to doing so.

Jasmine Willard, Courtenay
I am committed to a healthy, climate-resilient future for our kids. Like any parent, I want our kids to be safe. That’s why school infrastructure upgrades to mitigate climate risks, from poor air quality to earthquakes, are so important. As SD71 continues to see a rise in enrolment, and families like my own find their forever homes in the Comox Valley, our infrastructure is facing additional pressures. Leading with a sustainability mindset, we have an opportunity to take a balanced, future-oriented approach to growth, find more efficient and sustainable energy sources and solutions for our local schools, while ensuring our kids are food secure and learn environmental values.

If elected, I will seek innovative partnerships and funding opportunities to green our schools and make them climate-resilient, support food security solutions and ensure that all School Board policies are examined from a sustainability lens.

Susan Leslie, Comox
The role of the trustee is to represent the best interests of every child. Our children are facing the effects of climate change daily and it is their generation and the generations to follow that will be living in an ever changed natural environment that will impact their lives. As there is no policy on climate change, just a nod to environmental stewardship in the District’s Strategic Plan as a Strategic Priority, I would like to be a part of creating a policy supporting practices that inform, connect and are actionable in connecting all learning back to the land. In Sea to Sky I was part of a senior team that opened 2 new land-based learning schools where all learning was centered on place, through an Indigenous lens.

Vicky Trill

As mentioned in the previous question, the role of Trustees is to set policies and a strategic plan. One of the current SD71 strategic plan goals is, “Organizational stability & Environment Stewardship”. Some of the actions around this goal are, “To reduce carbon emission & environmental footprint”, “To reduce the use of single-use plastics throughout the district”, Implement strategies for zero waste by increasing recycling & composting efforts in all facilities”, and “Augment the Active Travel Program & public transit commute initiatives”. This is a good start for climate action and I believe we should continue with these goals as well as enhance environmental stewardship. One way that we can continue on this path is to collaboratively work with local partners including the Indigenous keepers of the land to find more ways to care for the environment.

 

Question 3: With the Comox Valley experiencing steady growth putting most of our schools at capacity, what are your ideas to alleviate this pressure?

Chelsea McCannel-Keene, Area A
Rapid growth in our valley is a constant pressure that requires creative thinking and action planning from this board. In this coming term, we will need to consider many factors including, but not limited to the following: affordable housing, infrastructure, transportation, staffing and adequate support, possible grade adjustments per school and in Area A – continuing septic challenges. I am hopeful we can work with the CVRD to ensure each of the current schools are equipped to operate at full capacity with modular additions where possible. We will also need to consider which capital expansions are necessary and take priority.

In Area A specifically, I hope to collaborate with K’omoks First Nation as any plans go forward south of Royston. The parcel of land owned by the school district between Royston and Union Bay is situated nearby KFN Treaty Lands and offers an opportunity for partnership as the South Comox Valley expands, particularly in Union Bay Estates development and surrounding areas.

Kat Hawksby, Area A
The steady growth in the Comox Valley is a challenge. As Trustees it is our job to advocate to the ministry for additional funding for seismic upgrades and the funding of new classrooms to our schools adding more spaces as required. As it stands pressure on enrollment in our schools requires us to look at all possible options prior to requesting more funding. While looking at boundaries and catchment areas to relieve pressure points the last few years, we have purchased property on Idiens way for the future board office in an effort to recapture more classroom spaces in schools that are being used for additional resources and student services.

Cristi May Sacht, Area C
The current board has already been taking steps to alleviate the pressures on our district due to new families moving to the area. Currently, we have plans for a new school board office, in order to bring all student services together in one location and offer spaces in our schools back for student use. We have services currently spread all over the district in various schools, which will open up classroom spaces again. We have completed a boundary adjustment to reduce pressures from the southern areas and continue to monitor the situation. There are various ways to deal with overpopulation, but our goal is always the least impact on our families and students as possible, while balancing our numbers.

Kendall Packham, Area C
This is a very big question and while it is in my opinion the most important, I can’t speak to what I would do to alleviate it. I do know we need to make some big changes in a few specific catchment areas and have some hard talks around shifting likely boundaries and students within existing schools. I also know we need to be looking ahead to new developments and areas that will be of great concern in 2-3 years that we might not have on our radar already. This will no doubt be an ongoing struggle over the next few years as the Valley becomes a hot spot for new families. I will say, as a parent who has gone through the boundary consultation process and understands the huge impact it makes on our students and families, nothing about this process will be easy. I am committed to hearing the public’s suggestions and concerns throughout any process we take to try and work on this issue. I would also love to have conversations around the choice programs in our district and how we can make them more accessible for all students and families.

Shannon Aldinger, Courtenay
I think that an obvious starting point is to continue advocating for more funding from the province – for modulars in the short term and for additions to existing schools, as well as larger replacement schools for those slated for seismic upgrading/reconstruction and if necessary a new school over the longer term.

The district could also consider staggered school start and end times. This may be better suited to high school students given the change in teens’ circadian rhythm which often results in staying awake later at night and sleeping longer into the morning – or alternatively to accommodate jobs and extra-curricular activities. This could also be combined with increased opportunities for online learning on a course-by-course basis (rather than full-time enrolment in NIDES/Navigate), and would have the additional benefit of reducing traffic and bus congestion. The district could also consider increased use of outdoor nature classrooms.

Admittedly, none of these ideas are ideal and teachers would need to be consulted about overcoming the challenges of any given approach. The district should also continue to pay close attention to municipal land use – and not only new development of bare land, but also rezoning changes to monitor the development of higher story/density residential buildings.

Janice Caton, Courtenay
there is not going to be an easy fix or simple solution on this matter. The board will be required to make some difficult and hard decisions after a lot of consultation with the community. The board will need to connect with municipal and regional governments to look at growing and new subdivisions- they will have to consider boundary changes and school catchments before those subdivisions are developed.

You can add portables to some schools for more classrooms- but each portable costs the district a minimum of 300,000 that the ministry does not fund and the district pays out of our scarce operating funds. The only way to seriously alleviate those pressures is for the government to fund all capital projects such as portables, building new schools and additions to current schools in a more timely manner. But the government does not fund new capital projects nor new schools until districts can provide proof they are indeed in need of these and then it will take years before any relief is provided to alleviate growth pressures on neighbourhood schools.

We need to continue to advocate to the ministry and treasury board to fully fund all capital costs and consider growth projections as a valid reason for doing so.

Jasmine Willard, Courtenay
Our community is growing and since 2015, SD71 has witnessed increasing student enrolment. Our School Board has a chance to show real leadership in addressing the growing year-over-year enrollment trends. I’m someone who balances innovative solutions with responsible financial stewardship, applying a range of tools to uncover the most viable options for better public policy. As an economist who has managed many operational budgets for federal government departments, I am well-equipped to make strategic and fiscally-sound investments in our SD71 schools.

One of Comox Valley’s strengths is its welcoming attitude. We can balance this with our need to mitigate the issue of overpopulated schools and infrastructure, ensuring a safe, modern learning environment for students and teachers alike. All School Board infrastructure projects must be examined through a risk-informed and sustainability lens. This means gathering and applying current data and analysis while prioritizing meaningful and transparent consultation and developing well-consulted options. The key decisions entrusted to the School Board must be met with actions, accountability, continuous communication and follow-through. Fundamentally, School Trustees must be stronger advocates for SD71 with provincial and community partners, identifying innovative partnerships, and targeting policy windows to move us forward.

Susan Leslie, Comox
In terms of facilities, it would be important to look at land holdings, buildings not being used, construction costs and government capital projects. This link provides the process that school districts follow in order to access funds for a new capital project.

At the bottom of the directive, it states that there are no funds available right now for any schools due to budget restraints. Therefore it is more important than ever to be resourceful, innovative and mindful of ensuring students have access and opportunity to learn in healthy learning spaces that align with the values of the Strategic Plan.

Some ideas are boundary changes, facility repurposing, facility collaborations, flexible learning hours (shifts) and there are many more… But more importantly, all aspects of the best interests of every child have to be carefully considered with community input in order to make the best possible informed decisions.

Vicky Trill
This year there were about 500 more students in SD71 than the year previous. Some of this was due to students returning from online learning, while others were new to the Comox Valley. Some schools are over-full, while others are close to capacity. Consultation with parents, staff and local communities must occur so that the best solutions can be implemented. Before any decision is made regarding boundary changes or in deciding what to do with vacant school buildings (such as the Comox Elementary School) the Board must hear from all of you. I live in Comox and my daughter attends Highland Secondary. I look forward to having lots of conversations as I regularly connect in the community and at the schools.

The other part of the challenge is that the School Board must have the financial ability to address the challenge. The School Board must advocate to the Ministry of Education to ensure that SD71 secures the capital grants needed to be able to expand our capacity for the growing student population. I am an experienced School Trustee and understand how to and have established relationships in place that will allow me to be a strong advocate for School District No. 71.

This post was updated early Thursday afternoon to include late responses from Vicky Trill

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 15 for all local government positions.

Comox Valley Regional District

General Voting Day and advance voting take place at the CVRD building in Courtenay from 8 am to 8 pm.

Go to this link for General Voting Day locations in the three Electoral Areas.

Additional voting takes place on Oct. 6 from 9 am to 12 pm on Denman Island and on Oct. 6 from 2 pm to 5 pm on Hornby Island

Courtenay

Advance Voting begins on Wednesday October 5, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Native Sons Hall, and again on Wednesday October 12, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre.

General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8 am to 8 pm at the Queneesh Elementary School, and at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Comox

Advance voting begins Wednesday, October 5 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre, and on Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and again on Monday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Genoa Sail Building at Comox Marina, and on Wednesday, October 12 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the Comox Community Centre.

General Voting Day runs from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 15 at the Comox Community Centre.

Cumberland

All voting in the Village of Cumberland takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre. Advance voting takes place on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12

 

 

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