Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

by | Nov 5, 2026

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Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

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Inaugural council meetings usually don’t include regular business, let alone discussions and motions about contentious issues. Most often, the mayor makes an inspiring address, councillors take the oath of office and get their assignments for the next year. Then everybody celebrates for a minute and gets to work for the next “real” meeting.

But Comox Town Council couldn’t follow that happy formula this year because of a deadline imposed by a building permit application to build a six-storey apartment complex on Comox Avenue.

Developer Rick Fisher, an owner of Central Builders Home Hardware, submitted a development permit application for the pre-zoned project on July 30, just over two months before the municipal election. It is now in the final stages of approval.

Comox voters, however, elected a new council with an overwhelming mandate to pull back the updated Official Community Plan change to raise maximum building heights along Comox Avenue from four stories to six.

That OCP was approved in February 2026 by the previous council controlled by a four-vote majority that favored taller buildings throughout the downtown core.

At the inaugural meeting on Nov. 4, the newly sworn in council needed to consider how to balance playing fair with the developer with the mandate given to them by the community.

To gather more information, Town Council unanimously decided to ask town staff to analyze the impact of down-zoning the property from RM-3 to RM-2, essentially reducing building height from six storeys to four.

In addition, council asked staff to report back on the development’s impact on traffic, the environment and earthquakes, and to provide 3-D models of how the proposed building projected onto the site to assess its effect on neighboring properties. And, also to consider revising RM-3 zoning town-wide down to five storeys.

The staff report will consider how any and all of the council’s information requests could affect the project’s feasibility and whether any potential legal implications might arise.

The 1890 Comox Avenue project already has a Development Permit and Fisher has the legal right to submit a building permit application under the current zoning, even before council receives the staff report and makes any decisions.

“This election sent a clear message”

Speaking to the motion, Councillor Jonathan Kerr said that during the OCP process, the feedback from residents (by letter, email, and in person) was overwhelmingly opposed to six-storey buildings in the downtown core.

“Despite this, the last Council did two things that went against this community feedback,” he said. “First, it included six storeys downtown in the OCP; and, second, it upzoned 1890 Comox Avenue to six storeys on the side.”

Survey data collected from the doorstep campaign by Kerr and the other elected candidates, showed a combined 32 percent, or one-third of Comox residents, said their top priorities for the next council was to preserve Comox’s community character and oppose six storeys downtown.

Kerr added that residents also didn’t like how the previous council had voted against what the majority of Comox residents told them.

“And then we had an election, with an overwhelming result,” he said. “The two councillors who voted against six storeys downtown were voted back in.
And the four councillors who voted for six storeys downtown, were not.”

“This election sent a clear message,” he said.

The new Town Council may also be relieved of the pressure to build fast and tall because the new provincial government has promised to repeal Bill 44, which had demanded tough housing targets.

 

MAYOR MINIONS’S ADDRESS

But before the Town Council took up the development question, Mayor Nicole Minions revealed that the Town of Comox has a superpower: “We show up,” she said in her inaugural address to kick off the 20260 to 2030 municipal term.

“As I look around this room, I feel proud of our community and proud of this Council. I see people who have stepped forward with a willingness to learn, to serve, and to work on behalf of the entire community,” Minions said. “In many ways, that is Comox’s superpower: we show up.”

“We show up for our neighbours. We show up and volunteer. We answer the call when help is asked of us,” she said.

Minions thanked her new council and members of the outgoing council for their service. She thanked staff. She thanked the community for being active this year.

The mayor said she felt optimistic and a strong sense of purpose about the four years ahead.

“What I see on this Council is a group of educated, compassionate, and dedicated individuals who bring a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives,” Minions said. “The reality is that the status quo is not working in many areas across North America. Many communities and individuals are facing significant social and economic challenges, and Comox is not immune to them.”

Minions also spoke about a value that is “deeply important to me: compassion.” In her two terms in local government, she has embraced the idea of radical compassion.

“Radical compassion is not something we show to only people with whom we agree. It asks us to extend understanding and respect to ourselves, our colleagues, our neighbours, and those with whom we disagree,” she said. “It asks us to approach one another with curiosity rather than assumptions and hold open minds.”

Looking ahead, Minions said this value will be important.

“In 2026, choosing compassion in the face of division can feel like an act of rebellion. Yet it remains one of the most powerful actions we may choose to take.”

 

COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS

Mayor Minions and Kerr will continue representing the town on the Comox Valley Regional District board, the Waste Management Board and the Comox-Strathcona Regional Hospital District board. They will be joined by Bourgeois on the Sewerage Commission

Councillor Meilleur and Kerr will serve on the regional Water Committee. Councillor Kerr and Bourgeois will represent the town on the regional Parks and Trails Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMOX COUNCIL
HOW THEY VOTED

Our Comox Town Council information is limited because the town has not published its meeting minutes since August. 7.

Comox council votes, May to July 2026

2 votes, from the adopted minutes

Click any vote to see how each member voted, or open the council scorecard below for attendance and dissents.

Comox council scorecard

May to July 2026: all 92 published votes, from the adopted minutes

MemberVoted against (split votes)Votes missedMeetings attended
Nicole Minions (Mayor)0 of 227 of 8
Chris Haslett0 of 208 of 8
Jenn Meilleur2 of 2245 of 8
Jonathan Kerr0 of 208 of 8
Ken Grant0 of 208 of 8
Maureen Swift0 of 2236 of 8
Steve Blacklock0 of 267 of 8

A split vote is one where at least one member voted against. Counts cover every vote in these months, not only the ones listed in the block.

See every member's full record on the Comox tracker →

July 8, 2026 · minutes

  • Council approved a development variance permit for 941 Aspen Road East Carried 6-1

    July 8, 2026 · Regular Council Meeting

    1. THAT Development Variance Permit APPN-2026-0014 (941 Aspen – East) be approved; and THAT Administration be directed to issue the permit.

    For (6): Nicole Minions, Steve Blacklock, Ken Grant, Chris Haslett, Jonathan Kerr, Maureen Swift

    Against (1): Jenn Meilleur

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Comox vote on the full tracker →

    Opposed: Jenn Meilleur
  • Council approved Development Permit 25-12 for the 941 Aspen Road East project Carried 6-1

    July 8, 2026 · Regular Council Meeting

    2. THAT Development Permit 25-12 be approved; and THAT Administration be directed to issue the permit.

    For (6): Nicole Minions, Steve Blacklock, Ken Grant, Chris Haslett, Jonathan Kerr, Maureen Swift

    Against (1): Jenn Meilleur

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Comox vote on the full tracker →

    Opposed: Jenn Meilleur

Council vote data: Zio Advertising's BC Council Votes tracker, from the Town of Comox Council's adopted minutes. Snapshot taken November 4, 2026.

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Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

The Town of Comox held its inaugural council meeting Wednesday night so new councillors could take the oath of office and Mayor Nicole Minions could deliver her State of the Town address. But unlike traditional inaugural meetings, this one required the new council to address a development project approved by the previous council that conflicts with the election mandate opposed to six-storey buildings in the downtown core.

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Courtenay City Council majority overrules new Mayor Theos’s appointments

Courtenay City Council majority overrules new Mayor Theos’s appointments

by | Nov 4, 2026

New Courtenay Mayor Manno Theos after council voted down his list of regional board appointments  |  Photo by Leif Jason

Courtenay City Council majority overrules new Mayor Theos’s appointments

By

The battle lines were drawn early at Courtenay City Council’s inaugural meeting Wednesday night, when the new council rejected Mayor Manno Theos’s recommendations for appointments to boards and committees.

It was an open salvo for the four progressive councillors, who demonstrated their potential to control council decisions.

It’s traditional that the mayor meets individually with council members in advance of making appointments to discuss which assignments interest the councillor and if that differs from what the mayor has in mind. This is a negotiation usually sorted out prior to the inaugural meeting.

But not this year. It appears Theos had not consulted all council members and had not reached any agreement with others.

When the council voted down Theos’s list of appointments, it took the new mayor by surprise. And it was clear Theos had prepared no strategy to deal with a council majority that was not aligned with him during the campaign.

The key point of contention in the two competing lists of appointments centered on the Comox Valley Regional District board and committees.

Mayor Theos’s appointment list placed him on the top five Comox Valley Regional District boards, commissions and committees.

But the new Council Majority came with their own list of proposed assignments, which did not include appointing Theos to the Comox Valley Regional District Board of Directors, except as an alternate. The council list only put him on the Sewerage Commission and the Regional Hospital District board as a sitting director.

It was a blow to Theos, who most likely saw appointing himself to the full CVRD board as an expansion of his political influence. It also comes with significant additional compensation.

 

FOCUS ON THE CITY

Pleading with the council to approve his list, Theos said he had consulted with all the councillors and believed his appointments were fair and equitable.

“I’m hoping you’ll support this list, being as it’s our first day and this is an opportunity to have unity and to show that we’re all ready to work together for the betterment of our community,” Theos said.

But it was clear the council would not agree to giving Theos the regional district positions he wanted.

Speaking in favor of the amended list, Councillor Wendy Morin said it had been the practice for several years that the mayor did not sit on the full CVRD board. Former mayor Bob Wells chaired the board for one year and then stepped down, as promised, for the rest of his term.

“I think that being mayor of the largest municipality in the Comox Valley is a huge responsibility and warrants full attention,” she said.

Noting that the regional board requires almost an equal amount of meeting time and more than twice as much reading and preparation, Morin questioned whether a mayor, especially a new mayor, could do both jobs effectively.

“The mayor’s main role should be dealing with the challenges and priorities of the city. It is pretty much a full-time job,” she said.

Councillor Evan Jolicoeur said he agreed.

“I’m genuinely quite excited about having you as mayor focus on the important work of the city. There’s a lot of major issues and you spoke about them in your opening address. I would love the full attention of our mayor to be on that,” he said.

Jolicoeur also justified giving new council members Kelly Matthews and Thomas McDevitt regional committee assignments because of the preparation work they had done.

“I was quite surprised to hear from two colleagues how much research and time had gone into their platform on their websites, all publicly available, with a significant amount of regional thinking,” he said. “I can’t say that I’ve heard that from others on council.”

In supporting the amended appointment list, Councillor McDevitt said he felt the mayor had other important work to do.

“I think we have to remember that 55 percent of this community did not vote for you as mayor,” he said. “So there is a lot of work to do in terms of you reaching out to the community, because over half does not feel connected.”

McDevitt said he thought being on the CVRD would distract Theos from that work.

New Councillor Dick Clancy, who ran on the slate with Theos, said he thought the mayor’s appointments were fair and well-balanced.

“To undermine that at the inaugural is beyond belief,” he said.

Morin later corrected Theos’s claim that he had consulted with all council members, saying he had not consulted her. Theos responded that he knew she was on vacation and didn’t want to bother her.

“I spent 10 hours of my vacation attending the (council) orientation meetings,” Morin said. “I was available.”

McDevitt added that he saw Morin more engaged at the orientation than “others at this table.”

New Councillor Rosanna Chamberlin, also on the Theos campaign slate, attended only 1.5 days at the orientation sessions. She has a physiotherapy business in Victoria with another office in Courtenay. She lives in the Capital City part of the week.

When the council majority’s amended list of appointments came up for vote, Theos made one last plea. He proposed the council postpone approving any appointments until a later date in order to have more discussions.

“People who voted for me want representation at the CVRD,” he said. “Please indulge me.”

Council passed the amended list of appointments with Theos, Clancy and Chamberlin opposed.

 

THEOS INAUGURAL REMARKS

Earlier in the meeting Mayor Theos gave his inaugural address. He noted that an election is one way residents make their voices heard, but he said the public’s engagement shouldn’t end on election day.

He said over the coming term, the council has a responsibility to hear from the people with different experiences and perspectives, including those who may not always feel connected to local government.

Theos said what residents want is simple.

“They want to be able to walk the streets and feel safe. They want services that are delivered affordably and efficiently. They want to be listened to and heard,” he said. “Businesses need a reduction of bureaucracy and red tape in order to remove hurdles to getting things done.”

Theos said council members will not always agree.

“That is part of the democratic process,” he said. “What matters is how we work through those differences with respect, openness and a shared commitment to the community that we serve.”

Theos concluded by saying he was optimistic about what the council can accomplish together and to build on the work already underway.

Those remarks all came before the conflict over regional board appointments.

You can watch the meeting here. 

The appointments discussion begins at the 51:00 mark.

 

 

 

 

 

HOW YOUR CITY
COUNCILLOR VOTED

Courtenay council votes, August to September 2026

13 votes, from the adopted minutes

Click any vote to see how each member voted, or open the council scorecard below for attendance and dissents.

Courtenay council scorecard

August to September 2026: all 13 published votes, from the adopted minutes

MemberVoted against (split votes)Votes missedMeetings attended
Bob Wells (Mayor)0 of 002 of 2
David Frisch0 of 011 of 2
Doug Hillian0 of 0121 of 2
Evan Jolicoeur0 of 002 of 2
Melanie McCollum0 of 002 of 2
Wendy Morin0 of 011 of 2
Will Cole-Hamilton0 of 002 of 2

A split vote is one where at least one member voted against. Counts cover every vote in these months, not only the ones listed in the block.

See every member's full record on the Courtenay tracker →

September 9, 2026 · minutes

  • Regular Council Minutes - August 26, 2026 Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council adopt the August 26, 2026 Regular Council minutes.

    Moved by Will Cole-Hamilton, seconded by Wendy Morin

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEAs) in Public Recreation Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council receive the "Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEAs) in Public Recreation Research Project: Progress Update".

    Moved by Evan Jolicoeur, seconded by Melanie McCollum

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Comox Valley Community Art Council Fee for Service Agreement Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council authorize the Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services to execute the Fee For Service Agreement (Attachment 1), funded by gaming revenue starting in 2027; and THAT Council authorize the Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services to review and update Schedule A of the Fee for Service Agreement annually, ensuring alignment with the Strategic Cultural Plan, with all other amendments to the Fee for Service Agreement requiring Council approval; and THAT Council approve the establishment of an annual Incubator Grant Program, funded by gaming revenue in the amount of $5,000 per year, and that the associated funding be incorporated into the annual operating budget beginning in 2027; AND THAT Council authorize the Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services to develop and execute the agreements to administer the Incubator Grant Program starting in 2027.

    Moved by David Frisch, seconded by Will Cole-Hamilton

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Facilities Energy Upgrades Grant Support Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council direct staff to submit an application to the Building Communities Strong Fund Local Impact Stream in British Columbia to support building energy upgrade projects in 2026 and 2027.

    Moved by Will Cole-Hamilton, seconded by Melanie McCollum

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • 1st Street Culvert Upgrades – Morrison Creek Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council direct staff to include costs to rehabilitate the Newbury Weir downstream of the 1st Street culvert for Morrison Creek, in the 2027 Financial Plan for Council consideration.

    Moved by Melanie McCollum, seconded by Evan Jolicoeur

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Council appointed MNP LLP as 2026 auditors and approved the 2026 audit service plan Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council appoint MNP LLP as the City's auditors for 2026; AND THAT Council approve the 2026 Audit Service Plan as presented for the year ending December 31, 2026.

    Moved by David Frisch, seconded by Melanie McCollum

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Council endorsed New Westminster's UBCM call to fund infrastructure for housing targets Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    WHEREAS the Province of BC has passed legislation that mandates housing and density targets, that places significant pressures on municipalities' infrastructure and amenity needs; WHEREAS the City of Courtenay has provided the majority of new housing units in the Comox Valley over several years, and is on track to meet mandated housing targets, but requires significant new infrastructure and upgrades at great expense to accommodate future growth; WHEREAS the City of New Westminster has submitted a resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities calling on the BC government to provide the necessary funding for infrastructure and amenities to achieve housing targets; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the City of Courtenay endorse the resolution submitted to UBCM by the City of New Westminster; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Province of British Columbia including the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, the Premier, and the MLA for Courtenay, advocating that any provincial legislation requiring housing targets or density be directly tied to infrastructure and amenities funding.

    Moved by Wendy Morin, seconded by Will Cole-Hamilton

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Council asked staff for options on a multi-year funding agreement with Citizens on Patrol Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council direct staff to report back on options for a multi-year fee for service agreement with Comox Valley Citizens on Patrol Society (COPS), to be funded by gaming.

    Moved by David Frisch, seconded by Wendy Morin

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3230 (3095 Lake Trail Road) Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council give third reading to "Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3230 (3095 Lake Trail Road)".

    Moved by David Frisch, seconded by Will Cole-Hamilton

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • Council gave Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 3246 (3095 Lake Trail Road) three readings Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council give first, second and third readings to "Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 3246 (3095 Lake Trail Road)".

    Moved by Wendy Morin, seconded by Will Cole-Hamilton

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • City of Courtenay Municipal and Regional District Tax Levy Repeal Bylaw Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council adopt "City of Courtenay Municipal and Regional District Tax Levy Repeal Bylaw No. 3247, 2026".

    Moved by David Frisch, seconded by Wendy Morin

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

  • IN CAMERA RESOLUTION Carried unanimously

    September 9, 2026 · Council Meeting

    THAT Council close the meeting to the public pursuant to the following subsections of the Community Charter: 90 (1) A part of a council meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to or is one or more of the following: (c) labour relations or other employee relations; and (i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

    Moved by Melanie McCollum, seconded by Will Cole-Hamilton

    For (6): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, David Frisch, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin

    Source: minutes · video

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

August 19, 2026 · minutes

  • IN CAMERA RESOLUTION Carried unanimously

    August 19, 2026 · Special Council Meeting

    THAT Council close the meeting to the public pursuant to the following subsection of the Community Charter: 90 (1) A part of a council meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to or is one or more of the following: (a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality.

    Moved by Melanie McCollum, seconded by Doug Hillian

    For (5): Bob Wells, Will Cole-Hamilton, Doug Hillian, Evan Jolicoeur, Melanie McCollum

    Source: minutes

    See this vote and every Courtenay vote on the full tracker →

Council vote data: Zio Advertising's BC Council Votes tracker, from the Courtenay City Council's adopted minutes. Snapshot taken November 4, 2026.

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More

Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

The Town of Comox held its inaugural council meeting Wednesday night so new councillors could take the oath of office and Mayor Nicole Minions could deliver her State of the Town address. But unlike traditional inaugural meetings, this one required the new council to address a development project approved by the previous council that conflicts with the election mandate opposed to six-storey buildings in the downtown core.

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For a Liberal government, vote for the NDP in the North Island-Powell River riding

For a Liberal government, vote for the NDP in the North Island-Powell River riding

by | Apr 12, 2025

This April 1979 editorial cartoon published in the Comox District Free Press (AKA The Green Sheet), was drawn by the legendary Frank Lewis. He was a remarkable artist whose mural work can be seen all over the Island, including Victoria and Chemainus, and who contributed cartoons for the now defunct newspaper during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

For a Liberal government, vote for the NDP in the North Island-Powell River riding

By

A friend called me the other day to ask how she should vote in the North Island-Powell River riding on April 28th. The caller said she has always voted NDP, but some of her friends and neighbors have been leaning toward the federal Liberal Party this time.

She wondered if she should get on the bandwagon to help the Liberals win enough seats to defeat the Poilievre Conservatives?

I gave her what seems like a confusing answer to this important question.

Here’s what I said in a nutshell: If you want to help the Mark Carney Liberals form the next federal government, then DO NOT vote for them in the North Island-Powell River riding.

That seems counter-intuitive at first, but the Liberals haven’t won this riding since somewhere in the middle of the last century. For more than 50 years, the riding has swung back and forth between the NDP and the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC). 

No Liberal has ever come close to winning it, even when their party enjoyed wide popularity and won a national majority. 

And here’s the most important point: the NDP has only overcome strong Conservative support by the slimmest of margins; roughly 3,000 votes in 2019 and 2,000 in 2021. In both of those elections, the Liberals had weak campaigns in this riding and diminished national popularity.

The CPC vote, however, has been reliably consistent through the years and mostly undiluted by competing conservative parties.

What does all of that mean? It means if too many people who used to vote NDP suddenly switch to voting Liberal, that slim margin of victory disappears. And that guarantees victory for a completely unlikable Conservative candidate.

But why? My caller asked. Couldn’t the Liberal candidate win this riding and be a strong voice for the North Island in Ottawa?

I told her that for three reasons, I believe the Liberal candidate has absolutely no chance of winning this riding. 

First, historical voting trends are crystal clear: Vote totals for NDP and the CPC have consistently relegated the Liberals to a distant third place finish. To win this year, the Liberals would have to more than triple their vote count (from about 8,000 to over 24,000). That’s not just unrealistic. It’s magical thinking.

Second, until recently, this Liberal government hasn’t been widely popular, perhaps unfairly so, but the tarnish still lingers on their brand. While their new leader has injected a strong dose of hope and enthusiasm for party loyalists, not everyone has forgotten why they were so unhappy.

Third, there’s a reason the Conservatives were topping the polls before Justin Trudeau stepped down. Right-wing support has surged around the world. The anger that surfaced in the Freedom Convoy movement still exists. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith keeps stoking federal animosity. These populist signals have drawn out candidates with questionable values. For example, Aaron Gunn in the North Island.

Isn’t it the Number One goal in this election, I asked my friend, to keep those people from gaining power and turning Canada upside down, as the MAGA crowd is doing in the United States? I think it is, because defeating the Conservatives means protecting universal health care, fighting climate change, not becoming the 51st state and everything else that makes Canada great.

Yes, yes, she said, I know all that, but I want to vote FOR something, not just against the Conservatives.

As crazy as it sounds, I said, a vote for the NDP in this riding is a vote FOR a Liberal government. By voting for the NDP in the North Island-Powell River and Courtenay-Alberni ridings, you are supporting the progressive perspective, keeping it alive and giving those ideals the best chance of being solidified and expanded in Ottawa. Not voting strategically for the NDP turns back the clock on social justice.

Because the NDP still has a strong brand on Vancouver Island and the historically proven support to win this riding – actually, the best chance – voting for the NDP’s Tanille Johnston means one less seat for Poilievre and one more MP to support a potential Liberal minority government.

Or think of it the other way around, I concluded: Voting Liberal will subtract from the NDP’s total and put both parties in a dead heat tie for second place.

And, in politics, second place achieves nothing. So, I told my friend to vote for NDP Tanille Johnston.

 

 

 

ELECTION COUNTDOWN

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ELECTION 2025 INFO

Advance polls will open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., local time 7-10 days before Election Day. Electors must vote at their assigned poll. ID is required to vote.

To find out where and when you can start voting go to this page on the Elections Canada website

The deadline to receive mail-in ballots at Elections Canada headquarters is 6:00 p.m., Eastern time, on Election Day, and the deadline to receive mail-in ballots at local Elections Canada offices is when polls close in the riding where the office is located.

The rules for voting internationally are different than voting in Canada. When you vote in Canada, you must prove your identity and address, click here.

You have three options:

  • Show one original piece of photo identification issued by a Canadian government, whether federal, provincial or local, or an agency of that government, that contains your photo, name and address (for example, a driver’s licence), or
  • Show two pieces of identification from a list authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. Both must have your name and one must also have your address (such as a health card and utility bill), or
  • You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care institutions).

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On Merville groundwater extraction it’s deja vu all over again

On Merville groundwater extraction it’s deja vu all over again

by | Jan 12, 2023

Electoral area directors deferred amended application to a future meeting, want province to explain licensing rules

On Merville groundwater extraction it’s deja vu all over again

It was standing room only in the Comox Valley Regional District Civic Room on Jan. 9 as about 80 people squeezed into the Civic Room for the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting.

This is an uncommon turnout for such meetings, but many people have uncommonly strong feelings about protecting shared local water resources.

After the new EASC chair and vice-chair were acclaimed (Richard Hardy and Edwin Grieve, respectively), and Ed Hoeppner made a presentation on Hornby Island’s composting toilet residuals, the committee heard from Bruce Gibbons, the tireless leader of the Merville Water Guardians, opposing yet another iteration of Scott MacKenzie and Regula Heynck’s application to extract groundwater at 2400 and 2410 Sackville Road.

“It was, and still is, obvious that the residents, farmers and elected officials of the Comox Valley do not want the water from the Comox Valley aquifer to be extracted and sold for commercial profit.”  — Bruce Gibbons, January 9

As we reminded you last week, way back in 2017 MacKenzie and Heynck received a conditional license from the province to extract water for bottling. Their 2018 zoning amendment application to the CVRD board, requesting that the Board add “water bottling” to the list of permitted uses on the property, was denied.

The initial conditional license was supposed to expire Dec.31, 2020, if the project wasn’t up and running by then. As Gibbons explained, “On January 4th, 2021, … I was told the licensee would be given 30 days notice and then the cancellation process would commence.”

However, it was never cancelled. As noted in the CVRD staff report on the matter: “In 2022, the applicant applied to the province to amend the above-noted conditional water licence to change the purpose of the water use from ‘industrial (fresh water bottling)’ to ‘waterworks (water sales and water delivery).’”

The CVRD staff report prepared for the meeting recommended that the amended application, which would essentially accept this enterprise as a “home occupation” under OCP bylaws, be accepted: “The activities of bulk water treatment, storage, transport, and sales are permitted on the subject property, under conditions of a Home Occupation which is a permitted accessory use within the subject property’s Rural Eight (RU-8) zone.”

“We can’t live without water”

Gibbons reminded the committee of the recent droughts experienced on Vancouver Island:
• Total rainfall from July 4th to Oct 22nd was 7.8 mm; normal is 155 mm.
• A Stage 4 drought was declared for East Vancouver Island again from mid-September to mid-October 2021, and a Stage 5 drought from mid-October to early November.
• Total rainfall for October was 22.2 mm. The normal is 122.8 mm. October is historically one of our wettest months of the year, so 18% of normal rainfall should be a serious concern.

“Combine these drought statistics with the rapidly and significantly receding Comox Glacier, and water security in the Comox Valley is at risk,” he said.

He wrapped up by imploring the committee to deny the application for the amendment to the original water license, which drew a standing ovation from the audience.

“The CVRD has been transparent, thoughtful, respectful and thorough” in handling this case, which has generated much interest from the public, said CVRD CAO Russell Dyson, after reminding attendees that the CVRD has jurisdiction only to regulate use and development on the surface of land; groundwater extraction and water licensing are a provincial matter.

What is a home occupation?

CVRD senior planner Jodi MacLean explained that the zoning bylaw doesn’t prohibit bulk water treatment, storage, transport, and sales on the subject property if it is designated as a home occupation.

Edwin Grieve stated that “We have an obligation to follow our own zoning,” but questioned why the K’ómoks First Nation had not been consulted on this latest amendment. “I’m very underwhelmed by the [lack of] support we’re getting from our provincial government,” he said, referring both to this matter and the issue of ship-breaking in Royston.

Director Daniel Arbour questioned whether staff were taking too broad a view. If carried to extremes, he wondered, “Could a nuclear facility be considered a home occupation?” under this kind of interpretation.

He was being facetious, but the point was made. He listed a number of activities that are explicitly acceptable on RU-8 properties like MacKenzie and Heynck’s: agricultural use, plant nursery and greenhouse, riding academy, etc. “I see water processing as a much more industrial/commercial kind of activity that has broader impacts,” he commented.

Dyson noted that a home occupation is general in nature, and that the CVRD could get a legal opinion on the matter.

MacKenzie allowed to speak

Toward the end of the discussion, Scott MacKenzie, who was participating remotely, was invited to speak, to the initial displeasure of Gibbons and the audience (MacKenzie had not made an official delegation request).

MacKenzie’s remarks included the words “bias and slander,” “defrauded,” “coercion,” “lynching,” and “outraged,” as well as a demand for Edwin Grieve to recuse himself.

The committee voted unanimously to defer the matter to a future meeting of the EASC to obtain a legal opinion regarding the definition of home occupation and to request the province of BC to come before the committee to explain its role and responsibility regarding water extraction. The EASC directors also want to confirm the position of K’ómoks First Nation on the amendment.

 

 

 

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Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

The Town of Comox held its inaugural council meeting Wednesday night so new councillors could take the oath of office and Mayor Nicole Minions could deliver her State of the Town address. But unlike traditional inaugural meetings, this one required the new council to address a development project approved by the previous council that conflicts with the election mandate opposed to six-storey buildings in the downtown core.

Courtenay City Council majority overrules new Mayor Theos’s appointments

Manno Theos may have won the Courtenay mayor’s office but he lost the first battle with the City Council this week, as four councillors objected to his proposed appointments to the regional district board and other assignments. Instead, the council majority passed their own list of appointments, leaving Theos off the CVRD board.

Merville water bottling issue returns to the CVRD, highlights provincial water policies

Merville water bottling issue returns to the CVRD, highlights provincial water policies

by | Jan 5, 2023

The Merville issue is about land use but draws attention to outdated provincial water policies

Merville water bottling issue returns to the CVRD, highlights provincial water policies

By

The long-awaited rain finally began to fall on Vancouver Island this week, but it’s the drought that extended from summer through fall that has geologists, water system managers and homeowners who depend on wells worried about our groundwater supplies.

The driest fall in decades shut down the BC Hydro power generator on the Puntledge River for the first time in more than a half-century. Mt. Washington aquifers were so depleted, the resort asked skiers not to bathe and bring their own drinking water.

All around the world, and particularly in the American southwest, water shortages have reached dire levels. And that will ultimately concern Comox Valley residents when California and Mexico can no longer supply us with abundant fruits and vegetables.

If this trend continues – and an irreversible climate change insures that it will – we will need Island farmers to fill that gap, which in turn means a higher demand for groundwater supplies by local agriculture.

What this all adds up to is that water for drinking and growing food are destined to become the center of controversial public policy. Who has access? How will water supplies be rationed equitably?

That debate will take center stage at Monday’s meeting (Jan. 9, 2023) of the Electoral Services Commission when regional directors consider an amended application for a water bottling and distribution operation in Merville.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) – now known as Land Water and Resource Stewardship (LWS) – issued a conditional water license nearly five years ago to Christopher Scott MacKenzie and Reugla Heynck. The license permitted the couple to extract up to 10,000 litres of groundwater per day on their Sackville Road property.

The license required the couple to “make beneficial use of the license” by Dec. 31, 2020. But when the Comox Valley Regional District denied a rezoning application to vary existing land use regulations, it stopped the couple’s original business plan.

Bruce Gibbons, the founder of the Merville Water Guardians that opposes this groundwater extraction, learned last April that LWS had received an application to amend the couple’s water license. The ministry referred the application for an amendment to the Comox Valley Regional District to determine if the amended purpose of the license would now meet existing bylaw and zoning requirements.

Neither the LWS nor the CVRD has disclosed the details of the application for amendment. But sources within the regional district say the issue will be on the agenda for the Jan. 9 Electoral Areas Service Commission (EASC), which would normally be released on Friday, Jan. 6 before the meeting.

Our sources also say that the regional district staff has passed the application to amend the water license on to the K’omoks First Nation and other affected groups, and also that the Merville Water Guardians will make a presentation at the same meeting.

The extent of the regional district’s authority in this issue is limited to its land use regulations. Does the proposed amended use meet current zoning laws? It cannot rule based on the larger issue of protecting groundwater supplies or other universal water issues.

MacKenzie is perfectly within his rights to pursue the use of the water license he was given by the provincial government.

That said, some serious questions should be asked of the LWS ministry why an application to amend his license was accepted and why his license remains valid nearly two years after not complying with the major condition of his original license.

And given the acceleration of climate change causing water crises all over the world, doesn’t it seem prudent, even urgent for our provincial government to put a moratorium on issuing any new groundwater extraction licenses and to suspend the licenses that haven’t been activated?

Knowing the difficult political and ethical discussions looming over provincial water policies, the government must initiate a full-scale review of our approach to water that reflects our new reality. To do otherwise will open a deluge of trouble.

 

There are numerous citizen action groups focused on water, including the Canadian Freshwater Alliance, which has supported the work of the Merville Water Guardians. There is also the Vancouver Island Water Watch Coalition. Here’s a link to some others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 WATER FACTS

Compared to today, five times as much land is likely to be under “extreme drought” by 2050.

Unless measures are taken, California will demand three times more groundwater than can be supplied over the next 100 years.

By 2035, the world’s energy consumption will increase by 35 percent, which in turn will increase water use by 15 percent according to the International Energy Agency.

In 2050 increased population will result in a 19% increase in agricultural water consumption.

Water demand is projected to grow by 55 percent by 2050 (including a 400-percent rise in manufacturing water demand).

According to satellite images, the Colorado River Basin has lost about 65 cubic kilometers (15.6 cubic miles) of water from 2004 to 2013. This is twice the amount stored in Lake Mead.

For decades the Ogallala Aquifer in the United States, one of the world’s largest aquifers, has tapped at rates thousands of times greater than it is being restored.

Over the past 40 years the world’s population has doubled and use of water has quadrupled.

According to the U.S. Intelligence Community Assessment of Global Water Security, by 2030 humanity’s “annual global water requirements” will exceed “current sustainable water supplies” by 40%.

By the year 2040 there will not be enough water in the world to quench the thirst of the world population and keep the current energy and power solutions going if we continue doing what we are doing today.

Source: Seametrics.com

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More

Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

The Town of Comox held its inaugural council meeting Wednesday night so new councillors could take the oath of office and Mayor Nicole Minions could deliver her State of the Town address. But unlike traditional inaugural meetings, this one required the new council to address a development project approved by the previous council that conflicts with the election mandate opposed to six-storey buildings in the downtown core.

Courtenay City Council majority overrules new Mayor Theos’s appointments

Manno Theos may have won the Courtenay mayor’s office but he lost the first battle with the City Council this week, as four councillors objected to his proposed appointments to the regional district board and other assignments. Instead, the council majority passed their own list of appointments, leaving Theos off the CVRD board.

The Week: Ken Grant fined by Elections BC and Parksville confronted by development, water issues

The Week: Ken Grant fined by Elections BC and Parksville confronted by development, water issues

by | Dec 6, 2022

The Week: Ken Grant fined by Elections BC and Parksville confronted by development, water issues

By

This week, we learned that another candidate for the Comox Town Council was fined for misdeeds under the Election Act and Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, that Alberta wants to give the finger to Ottawa and Ontario wants to neuter municipal governments and that some people in Parksville are worried about an 800-unit housing development along the Englishman River. That’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started.

—

Elections BC, the provincial election watchdog, has fined Comox Councillor Ken Grant for using lawn signs that lacked a complete authorization statement. While the violation would not have likely misled readers of the sign and stickers were used to correct the omissions, Director of Investigations Adam Barnes nevertheless spanked Grant for being a careless numbskull.

He didn’t actually say it like that. Here’s what Barnes said, “You have participated in 6 local government elections as a candidate, and should be aware of the election advertising requirements.”

New Councillor Steve Blacklock was fined earlier this year for a violation of the Campaign Financing Act during his unsuccessful run in the town’s byelection last year.

Neither councillor committed a major crime, but the public expects their council members to pay attention to the rules and details. A similar approach to council business could result in woefully wrong decision-making or expose taxpayers to unnecessary financial liabilities.

—

After reading our comment about record low water levels in the Puntledge River, a representative of the Greig Greenway Society in Parksville contacted us about similar concerns for the Englishman River.

Waterfront Properties, a bare trustee for the PCI Group, a Vancouver developer, wants to build an 800-unit subdivision on 140 acres of forested land along the river and within a fragile ecosystem. The land at 1465 Greig Road is part of the Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystem and borders on the salmon-bearing Englishman River.

At first glance, this sounds a lot like the subdivision proposed by 3L Developments for the triangle of land between the Puntledge and Browns rivers in the Comox Valley. And, in fact, urban sprawl is one similar concern of the Parksville society because grocery stores, schools and other services are more than three kilometers away from where the housing would be built.

But the preponderance of issues in Parksville are different and mostly relate to the city’s low water supply in Arrowsmith Lake and its inability even now to meet the provincial requirements for water levels in the river necessary to sustain salmon habitat.

A retired Nanaimo Regional District engineer has told the Parksville council that the city hasn’t been able to meet the provincial water flow target during the summer months since the Arrowsmith Lake dam opened in 1999.

The society worries that the additional 56 million liters of water necessary to serve 800 new households during the dry months of June through October would stress the city’s drinking water supply and the river’s marine life to unsustainable levels. Further, because the trees, shrubs and grasses that cover the Greig property now capture rainwater and filter it through the soil to the Englishman River aquifer, clearing the land and replacing nature with concrete curbs and gutters would rob even more water for household use.

The society has also pointed out to the city council that the development is proposed for a floodplain, fragments a wildlife corridor and, while the development is primarily a mixture of multi-family housing, it does not include affordable housing below market rates.

A key question for the Parksville council is that if the city’s water supply isn’t sufficient to meet current provincial regulations, how will it provide water for such a large development? Will they need to dam additional lakes? Impose California-style water restrictions during the summer months?

We don’t usually report on issues outside the Comox Valley, but water supply problems are on a non-stop train headed toward every BC community – indeed, everywhere around the world.

—

BOO – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wants to unfriend the rest of Canada but retain the benefits. The province’s new sovereignty legislation would allow Smith and her cabinet to choose what federal rules and regulations to follow and ignore the rest. Oh, she still wants Alberta’s share of every Canadian’s federal income taxes, but when Ottawa slows her party’s imposition of the conservative agenda, she will instruct provincial entities, like Crown Corporations, to break those federal laws. Sounds like a dictatorship. Sounds unconstitutional.

BOO – Ontario Premier Doug Ford has implemented his own coup to overthrow democratically elected local governments. The province plans to dictate permitted land uses, densities and building heights to municipal governments, in effect taking over local zoning and removing municipal authority over its planning process. Imagine if Victoria issued permits for 14-story condo buildings in the Comox Valley and disregarded the wishes of local residents. Couldn’t happen in BC … could it?

YAY — At least we don’t live in Indonesia where the government has adopted a new criminal code banning sexual relations except within marriage and prohibitions against insulting the president or the national identity. All the new crimes carry mandatory prison sentences. You might want to cancel that trip to Bali. 

Thought du jour
“A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”
– Henrik Ibsen

 

 

 

 

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More

Inaugural meeting: Comox Council considers a six-storey project, Mayor Minions’s address

The Town of Comox held its inaugural council meeting Wednesday night so new councillors could take the oath of office and Mayor Nicole Minions could deliver her State of the Town address. But unlike traditional inaugural meetings, this one required the new council to address a development project approved by the previous council that conflicts with the election mandate opposed to six-storey buildings in the downtown core.

Courtenay City Council majority overrules new Mayor Theos’s appointments

Manno Theos may have won the Courtenay mayor’s office but he lost the first battle with the City Council this week, as four councillors objected to his proposed appointments to the regional district board and other assignments. Instead, the council majority passed their own list of appointments, leaving Theos off the CVRD board.

Overwhelmed by so many candidates? Just vote for the ones you know and like

For many Valley residents, it’s difficult and time consuming to gather the necessary information to make thoughtful selections in municipal elections. And paid trolls and fake posters on social media pages make it even more difficult. Public candidate forums help, but there is a simple solution for frustrated voters

“Liberal Rush” tricked voters in NDP ridings and exposed an electoral system flaw

Despite the positive big picture outcome, this election exposed a glaring vulnerability within our electoral system. And that vulnerability caused otherwise smart people to forget how our Canadian parliamentary system actually works. Namely: We do not have a proportional representation form of government. But there is a simple solution.