Cumberland has been out of compliance for over 20 years. Council joined the Comox Valley Regional District and worked on a South Sewer project for Cumberland, Royston and Union Bay. Over the next four years we came to an agreement on governance, but the cost would be over $1,700 per year per resident. We had a public information meeting and listen to the residents concerns. Council passed a motion to not proceed with the project. Next, Council hired a consultant and formed a committee of residents and worked on the present plan for two years. The committee meetings where held in public and they held open houses to inform the public. Council decided to implement the Alternate Approval Process. It Failed! I supported taking the motion to a referendum for all citizens to vote yes or no. We have applied for funding and are waiting to hear. We have been contacted by Ministry staff that we are looking at having a administrative penalty if we do not treat our sewage.

Given that the village’s wastewater treatment plant is out of compliance with the Ministry of Environment and faces potentially large fines, why should voters approve or disapprove of the referendum seeking authority to borrow $4.4 million to upgrade its treatment plant?
Cumberland residents must reject and vote “NO” in the referendum for the borrowing of $4.4 million dollars to upgrade the lagoon system currently in place because it cuts the borrowing power of the Village of Cumberland for up to 20 years unsustainably. The sewer treatment system that is proposed is not guaranteed that it will comply with the Ministry of the Environment regulations. To prove this point, test results of the lagoon discharge on June 27th, 2018 at 8:15 AM show that the fecal coliforms detected were 3,500,000 MPN/100ml when the limit is only 200 MPN/100ml. Why upgrade something that doesn’t work to this degree? This water went to the Trent River during the time people in the Comox Valley and visitors use the Trent River for recreation. This same water discharges into the ocean, where oyster leases have the danger of fecal coliform contaminated the oyster growing areas that export the shellfish to California and other parts of the world, with the subsequent health hazard for oyster consumers.The borrowing of $4.4 million has been already disapproved in the AAP by the voters by 382votes, it would only pay for phase 1, requiring additional funding to be completed. The village doesn’t have the necessary funds to complete the project as it is planned. I have a degree in Chemical Engineering and believe I have an educated opinion on this matter, the lagoon system has been non-compliant for at least 19 years, we cannot be certain that the lagoon approach will work because it is weather dependent, and we must consider that the climate is changing. We need a self-contained modular system, easy to operate and maintain, and is scalable. All rainwater needs to be eliminated from the sewer system; the less water to treat, the smaller the system will be. The proposed biochar reed bed at a cost of $1 million dollars is totally irrelevant, it has never been used commercially and it would be the only one of its kind in the world, why are we being used as Guinea pigs by the proponent? The village has a permit for 910 cubic meters per day (M3/day) of effluent to be discharged into Maple Lake Creek to later go into the Trent River. The Ministry of the Environment has made clear that it will not be increased this permit, unless water conservation measures are implemented, and maybe only to 1,100 M3/day. Why are we building a 3,600 M3/day system? The regulations call for a system that is 2 times the ADWF (average dry weather flow) with capacity to provide extra treatment for future growth. The ADWF is 884 M3/day, so a processing capacity of 1,800 M3/day would be more than adequate. At least 2 quotations have been obtained that show that the project could be implemented at a cost below $3 million dollars, for which, the amount to be borrowed would be minimal and for only 5 years, not 20. The 4.4 million dollars will be borrowed because no grant funding is expected.

The Village of Cumberland is working with the planning part of MoE on the development of our wastewater treatment process. It was a bit surprising when the enforcement part of MoE sent a compliance letter threatening penalties to the Village. Council has committed to implementing a solution to our wastewater treatment, not because the MoE says we have to, but because it is the right thing to do. At the recent UBCM convention, Council met with Minister of Environment & Climate Change- George Heyman, and explained our conundrum in our dealings with MoE. Council explained that if we were successful in receiving grant funding we could complete our project and be in compliance.   I have been involved with this issue even before I was elected to Council in 2011. I was Chair of the Public Advisory Committee of the Liquid Waste Management Plan process at that time. I was also a Council rep. to the South Sewer Project. Both of those processes didn’t progress because there were limited funding programs at those times. We have an opportunity now with a new wastewater treatment process, and significant funding grant opportunities from the federal & provincial governments. Applications for that grant funding has been submitted. The Village already has $1.2 mil in wastewater reserves, and if we are successful in the grants, then the Village will still need to borrow $1.4 mil to complete our project, $4.4 mil if we don’t get grant funding.

As I understand it, the current plan includes using both our natural and augmented system, it will be cheaper than joining the south sewer project and will give us excellent waste water treatment. I think the committee worked really hard to find a uniquely Cumberland solution and it’s a good one. We need to move forward to avoid fines and stop polluting our water systems.

Given that the village’s wastewater treatment plant is out of compliance with the Ministry of Environment and faces potentially large fines, why should voters approve or disapprove of the referendum seeking authority to borrow $4.4 million to upgrade its treatment plant?
The new wastewater treatment proposal is the “made in Cumberland” solution that our community asked Council for back in 2015 when we voted against further participation in the South Sewer Project. This new treatment option makes use of our green infrastructure while adding mechanical treatment and disinfection that meet MWR standards. The new treatment option will allow for the continued flows to Maple Creek and the Trent River in dry months when the removal of these flows (as was proposed with the South Sewer project) could negatively affect stream health and fish survival. This new option will also polish the effluent to re-use quality through the use of a reed bed. This project has less capital cost and lower operating costs to the Village than the South Sewer project, it really ticks all the boxes. I am very confident that this is the right solution for Cumberland.

A partial answer is in the Question, we need to be in compliance, But morally we need to make the needed improvement to ensure that the village is not pat of the problem where environmental issues need to be addressed. We may like or dislike growth but the fact of the matter is more growth is happening and we need to improve our infrastructure (hopefully utilizing Development Cost Charges). starting with Waste Water.

The Waste Water Treatment referendum needs to be supported. We have applied for an infrastructure grant from the government. If we do not get it, we will have to borrow to build the first phase of the project. We may need to borrow $4 million, it may be less. We need some flexibility. We have been out of compliance for some time now even though the Waste Water Advisory Committee and the consultant have been working hard to come up with a plan that is cost effective and within budget. We have no choice but to fix our waste water treatment facility so that we no longer pollute the Trent River. We tried to find a solution with the South Sewer Project but Cumberland deemed it too costly. Now we have a plan that’s that is half the cost yet residents are not prepared to support it.

Voters need to approve the borrowing because this is, simply and absolutely, our best option. Financially and environmentally, this option is hands down the winner. We don’t have any more options and soon we will begin to get fined by the Ministry of Environment. The price tag for our new Liquid Waste Management Plan will be HALF the cost of the Regional “South Sewer Project” the Village did not support two years ago. Residents demanded a better, “made-in-Cumberland” solution. The Village answered by creating the Wastewater Advisory Committee and getting to work. As the council representative to the committee, I sat with engaged citizens, staff, and consultants as we spent two years and some 20+ meetings to find the answer that is financially responsible, environmentally beneficial and the “made-in-Cumberland solution” we were tasked with. This is that answer.

The Council has continued to engage residents by having a question period at the end of each council meeting. Most communities do not do this. At our Town Hall meetings we do not set the agenda, residents are asked to come and speak about anything they would like to. We do newsletters that are sent out quarterly with the water bills. We use Currently Cumberland and the Comox Valley Record for advertising. I have spoken on the local radio stations with each press release. Shaw cable films every council meeting.

Disclose and justify in detail all expenses incurred by the municipality, like travel expenses, payroll, unnecessary work at the Peace Park, capital projects, etc. Establish priorities based on the opinion collected from the residents via surveys Publish an electronic municipal newsletter with the relevant information on current issues under consideration before a decision is made by council Upgrade the website and search interface to improve the current the system and provide residents with access to all public documents Provide workstation and assistance at the village hall for the no-so-computer savvy residents to access the information or the ones that don’t have a computer. Publish the Council meeting agenda on the website one week before the meeting so residents and council members can have time to read, research and assess the information to have an educated opinion on the issues at hand Change the time of the Council meetings to a time different than dinner time when family time is more important, so more people attend the meetings and participate Allow the public to ask questions at the time the presentation and/or delegation is taking place and provide an answer to the question at the time of the meeting; if the answer is not available, determine if the question triggers a delay on the decision making pending a satisfactory answer.   Allow people to ask questions that are not related to items on the agenda during the question period at the end of the meeting Implement the use of referendums for all important decisions, including policies and expenses Implement the use of surveys to gather the opinion of residents on the items to be discussed at a council meeting or when a major project is being considered Maintain a Village Mayor and council members open door policy, so the residents can communicate their opinion directly to the elected official of their choice Inform well in advance of information events and open houses so residents can plan their attendance in advance

This is one of the main reasons that I ran for Council in 2011. During my 2 terms on Council I have worked to establish public advisory committees. Currently we have: Accessibility Committee, Advisory Planning Commission, Economic Development Steering Committee, Heritage Commission, and Homelessness & Affordable Housing Committee. I support a review of these bodies to enhance their work. Other committee’s that Council has struck to deal with specific issues for specific terms are: Coal Creek Historic Park Advisory Committee, Economic Development Strategy Committee and Wastewater Advisory Committee. I also advocated to have civic engagement in the Village’s Strategic Priorities. There is still more to be done here, things like enhance presence on social media and streaming of meetings.

I like the open houses, it gives residents an opportunity to connect with Mayor and Council on a more informal basis. Consultation is an important piece of local governance and I am a keen proponent of gathering as much feedback as possible from the people of Cumberland and using a variety of ‘tools’ to do that effectively and efficiently. I also believe that the committees (Advisory Planning, Heritage, Accessibility, Homelessness and Affordable Housing, Wastewater etc) that have been set up over the past few years have done a lot to bring a more open government and involve more residents in decision making.

I think Cumberland does a very good job of not just seeking public input but incorporating those ideas into legislation and initiatives. However, there is always room for improvement and one of the areas that we have received feedback on is the timing of public engagement. Making sure that there is enough opportunity for public input before decisions are made. This can be a challenge for Council and staff as often times we have to meet deadlines set by other bodies, such as funding, but I believe that we can do better. As far as transparency, I really don’t feel that there is an issue with that in Cumberland. All the Councillors are clear about their values and objectives. I really don’t worry about ulterior motives at the Council table. I guess that is another thing to be thankful for here.

I fully support transparent processes. Developing a electronic mail out system is an option, we currently post council minutes and updates from council on the Villages website, if a person wanted to have these same update sent to them why not have a data base for those who are concerned enough to register. It could also include forecasting votes pre- council meetings so people can be made aware of issues coming forward thru notice. Make no mistake I am also very much opposed to the AAP(Alternate Approval Process) and as such will not support motions directed thru that process

I’m not sure how we can have greater transparency at City Hall than we have right now. All Council and committee meetings are open to the public. Meetings are televised on Shaw TV the following day. Four times a year we have a town hall meeting where we sit in a circle and residents bring up topics. I believe that council members are easy to contact and staff members welcome queries.

I strongly support open government, and transparency. In this last term, our council created a multitude of committees to encourage and support public engagement. We have Village Hall meetings four times a year where constituents are welcome to raise any concern they wish. I believe that we have achieved a successful engagement level within our community, and I am always available to hearing what people have to say.

Cumberland Council added Climate Change as a strategic Priority at our yearly workshop. Ministry staff informed us this year that we received a Level 4 certificate again this year for being Carbon Neutral. The Village installed water meters a number of years ago with a grant from the government. We implement water restrictions every year in May to guarantee water for 180 days without rain.

Commit to reducing the carbon footprint of the municipality and residents by at least 25% Energy efficient retrofits in all remodeling of homes with the goal of reaching Net Zero Ready Net Zero Ready standard in all new construction Urban agriculture in Cumberland to reduce the amount of food that comes from countries under drought, like USA and Mexico Buy food from local producers in the Comox Valley, like the Community Created Agriculture Co-op Do what is necessary to reduce PM2.5 particles in the air to acceptable levels using the heating months average to measure the problem Demonstrate that natural gas as a heat source is more expensive than a heat pump, both, the cost of the furnace and ducting over the life of the appliance and the cost of natural gas which doesn’t include the environmental cost of burning a fossil fuel Insulate, insulate, insulate Use renewable energy to supply the energy used (heat pumps are recognized by Natural Resources Canada as a renewable energy source with efficiency up to 450% when CO2 is used as the refrigerant) Install solar water heaters that are recognized to reduce up to 69% of the yearly requirements of hot water for the house Utilize alternative forms of transportation like bicycles and public transit Make an electric car fleet available to residents in the village to be shared by all residents on a cost recovery basis as a source of public transportation and to resolve in a big way the parking problem in downtown Cumberland; it costs less than $500/year to run an electric car for 20,000 km with almost no maintenance costs for at least 20 years, as opposed to about $2,500/year for a compact regular gas automobile that requires regular maintenance like oil change etc. Reduce the amount of water consumed in the household, by replacing toilets, shower heads, faucets, greywater, rainwater, efficient clothes washer, dishwasher, no lawn watering, drip irrigation for vegetable gardens with automated controls, etc. Implement a rainwater collection bylaw Implement the bylaw that mandates the replacement of all toilets, shower heads, and faucets that don’t conserve water Implement gray water collection Implement financial incentives to promote the measures proposed to slow down climate change, like lower the cost of water for a household that reaches the national average of 250 liters per person per day; currently, the average in Cumberland is 426 liters per person per day

The Village has reached carbon neutrality. We have undertaken studies of our facilities to identify ways to improve their sustainability. I advocated for working towards alternate energy sources for Village facilities in our strategic priorities. The Village has submitted a proposal to the Comox Strathcona Solid Waste Management (CSSWM) Service on landfill gas use, and has been actively participating in the curbside organics pilot project. As the Village’s representative to CSSWM Board, I have been appointed to the newly renamed Comox Strathcona Solid Waste Advanced Technologies Select Committee, where we have been examining alternatives to simply landfilling our waste.

Our OCP is a strong guiding document that is rooted in sustainability. Climate change is and will have an impact on our water systems here as we are a rain based system so planning investments in our water and wastewater, building in mechanisms for neighborhoods to retain permeable surfaces for proper hydrological functions and reducing water usage in our municipal and residential uses as much as possible are all important steps we can take. We also need to ensure that we are able to fight fires in our forests, and that we are prepared for natural disaster response.

This is a huge question. There are many areas that this encompasses: emergency preparedness, water management, food security, land use, air quality etc. With emergency preparedness, the most important issue facing the Village is the lack of a structurally sound fire hall. We have the land but we don’t have the funds to construct the building and there are no grant programs that fund fire halls. This presents a real challenge for us because without outside funding we would use up most of our borrowing capacity which means we wouldn’t be able to do other important projects. That is why I have stressed the need for partnerships and alternative designs that could make use of other sources of funding. Water management is a major issue with climate change. We are either going to have way too much or way too little. I think Cumberland has done well with water conservation and the installation of water meters. We also have quite a resilient water storage system that includes a series of reservoirs and a well. Before the installation of the well we had a very dry summer that came close to using the Villages supply capacity. The well, plus the reduction of water use from conservation measures, gives us a little bit of flexibility but not too much. We still sell water to service Royston but we have the Cayet (Trilogy) lands to deal with at some point so there needs to be collaboration with the regional district. Our water system is also vulnerable to the private managed forest lands that surround it. When they remove the trees and build roads on the slopes that lead down to our reservoirs, the erosion can create turbidity issues for our water system. We are currently upgrading our system to include UV and chlorination but we do not have filtration. We are still at risk of having our filtration deferral pulled by VIHA if we have turbidity issues. With more intense storms predicted through climate change, we are really at the mercy of the forestry companies and their cut block plans around our watershed. Food security is a big issue for the Island. If there was a disaster that prevented ferry service we would only have enough food supply for 3 days. Part of the problem is that we have the land (although land being removed from ALR is another issue) but we don’t have the farmers to work it. Knowledge transfer is another piece of the puzzle, which is why groups like the Young Agrarians is great, but it is also about the economics for a young family and how do we make it so our farmers can compete in a global market. One of the ways is through programs like FEED Comox Valley, where we get our institutions (hospitals, care facilities, colleges etc) which have consistent food orders, to enter into contracts with farmers to supply certain food items. These futures contracts allow farmers the security to invest in the capital that it takes to set-up successful farming businesses. 

I believe we have some good processes in place already, climate change is a global issue and we need to support provincial and federal action initiatives as well as be Part of a UBCM Lobby where initiatives come forward. We will never be able to sway actions because of our size we can however start programs and promote our successes thru the UBCM.

We need to continue to separate storm water from waste water so that our treatment plant doesn’t get inundated. We shall have to work closely with developers to make sure runoff does not affect the houses below.

The Village of Cumberland is carbon-neutral through our credit purchasing program. We are aware at a fundamental level that the climate is changing and try to adapt the best we can by including best practices (environmental and other) in all of our endeavors. Moving forward we are always looking at ways to reduce our footprint, and promote building to a LEED certified standard.

I support the banning of single-use plastic bags and straws. I watched a local TV station news report on a whale that had died. When they opened the whale up it had 8 plastic bags filled with garbage inside. We need to take responsibility and clean the ocean. This is a small step, but one that everyone can participate in.

Banning single-use plastic shopping bags without a replacement is just not practical, I will offer an alternative with BioBag® that offers compostable produce bags and shopping bags for grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers markets. These bags are available in Canada. A bylaw that business in Cumberland will have to provide biodegradable bags, reusable bags or no bags at all can be proposed and implemented without much resistance. Biodegradable straws and edible cutlery are readily available; they can easily be included. We also need to address that many people use the single-use plastic bags as garbage bags, like myself. What is the point of banning single-use plastic bags if I am going to buy brand new plastic bags at the store to line my garbage can and dispose of it. The ideal scenario is to eliminate the organic waste from the garbage so there is no need to have a bag for the garbage because the garbage will be clean. This scenario will automatically increase the number of materials that can be recycled, therefore the diversion to landfill will be increased. A little more work, but the rewards are immense.

I brought the motion to Council to support MP Gord Johns private members bill M-151.   http://gordjohns.ndp.ca/keep-plastics-out-of-our-water  Council then supported my motion for a staff report to come back on a ban on single use plastics in the Village. Council awaits that report. All that being said, I clearly support a ban of single use plastics. As in my previous campaigns, I am not using signs. It is my way of being environmentally friendly, visually as well as reducing plastics

Fully in favour.

There is no reason that we should continue to pollute the world’s oceans for the sake of some really trivial conveniences. There are many alternatives now to the single use plastics in our lives and although this is already happening in Cumberland (most stores already don’t give plastic bags) it is often good to give things a nudge in the right direction with a supportive bylaw. That said, I voiced my concern that the wording of single-use plastics is quite broad and if not executed properly could have negative consequences for our business community. I would like to see us start slowly with a ban on plastics bags then after proper consultation with our businesses move onto other single use plastics like straws and packaging.

I fully agree to the Ban, but we also need to look at other form of plastics. This just cant be Cumberland it has to be a regional,Provincial,and Federal plan no different than the Carbon plan .If that means phasing in time lets get on to it.

Cumberland businesses have for the most part stopped supplying single use bags. We need to see what other municipalities are doing about plastic straws.

This feels like a no-brainer. Being a coastal community, (and human beings), I think we all can see how important it is to reduce our use of single use anything in this world, especially plastic.

The Cumberland Fire Hall is in need of replacing. It does not meet today’s standard for earthquakes. It will come down on top of the trucks! Today fire trucks are too big to fit in the present hall. We have purchased the land and are in the process of finding out the exact cost to build.  I would like to see Dunsmuir Ave infrastructure work completed sewer, water, storm and pavement. This work would be part of revitalizing the downtown core adding economic benefit to all. We need to look at the Recreation hall that does need upgrading.

Stormwater separation and old clay sewer pipes replacement because it is the most important step in reducing the size of the treatment plant, improve its performance and avoid having to bypass the treatment plant when it rains. Replace the current LWMP project because it will be much less expensive and will be guaranteed to comply with the Ministry of Environment’s Sewer discharge regulations
Balance the budget and reduce spending without reducing the quality or quantity of the services that will be provided, with the goal to reduce the tax burden to the current residents and businesses Drinking water quality assurance and optimization of the current system
Air quality remediation because residents have the right to breath clean air Affordable housing participation with developers because it is necessary and doesn’t exist Full OCP bylaw implementation because a bylaw is the law Provide a fire hall for the fire and rescue needs of the Village of Cumberland Implement the Perseverance Creek remediation project because it is the responsibility of the Village of Cumberland to eliminate the problem of turbidity in the Comox Lake caused by the lack of water flow management when big rain events occur. The CVRD is having to spend $112 million dollars to eliminate the turbidity problem caused by the lack of effective action from the Village of Cumberland. Zero Waste strategy implementation to achieve 80% diversion from landfill because it is necessary to achieve a sustainable future for municipal waste, there is a limit to landfilling Organics collection with garburators through the sewer system, because it will eliminate the Bear problem, curb collection, flies, and odors in the house Park & Ride with a campground at the entrance to the village and parking enhancement in downtown because it will eliminate the parking problem in downtown, will allow visitors to stay overnight at a very reasonable price, increasing the economic activity of the Village after the day activities, and will provide some income to the Village of Cumberland that will help to pay for the services that we provide to visitors. Bike lane completion because it is very unsafe to bicycle on Cumberland Rd. after the Gas and Go before reaching the bike lane on Dunsmuir, it will also promote the desire of local residents to leave their car at home and bicycle into downtown Street repair because many streets in the downtown core are in a deplorable state, this is badly needed Wastewater Recovery because we need to utilize the resource that this water represents. Why are we dumping 900 M3 of treated and disinfected water if we can use it for toilet flushing, lawn watering, driveway, and car washing, etc.?
District heating for downtown core and municipal buildings because it will reduce the cost of heating and will make Municipal Carbon Neutrality possible. Retrofit of the Rec Center for energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy, replacing the roof with a photovoltaic and thermal solar roof, to offset the cost of the roof with this dual purpose, reducing the cost of operating the center

There are already many major capital projects “on the books” for the Village. I would consider the construction of a new fire hall as the top priority. This project is a health & safety project for the Village. It has become increasingly urgent, as the Village has become more aware of the current condition of our existing hall. Not only is the safety of residents at risk, but potentially the increased cost of homeowners insurance if there is a change in insurance underwriter’s classification. Another health & safety project is stabilization work on our water supply dams. And then we have our continuing plans to upgrade our storm and waste water underground pipes and roads. That doesn’t really leave much room for other projects, but we still have work in our Village Park Master Plan, Recreation Facilities Master Plan and Lake Park Master Plan.

I am keen to work with the facilities plan to ensure our municipal buildings (offices, fire hall, museum, recreation centre etc) are all fully functioning and meeting the needs of our community. And of course the water and wastewater systems must be brought in line with regulations and ensure that they are safe and effective. I am happy to see our roads being fixed as we upgrade the infrastructure under our roads, and I would love to see some traffic calming in a couple of areas that are struggling with speed.

Yes, the wastewater which has already been discussed is an absolute must, as is the fire hall. We have an infrastructure renewal plan, which we need to keep on top of, that has us fixing a block of road (pavement, storm and sewer separation etc) per year. Also, our rec centre and civic buildings both need major upgrades or replacement. So really there is no end to the projects unfortunately, but I don’t think that is different for any other municipality.

There is a lot of infrastructure that needs to be visited but lets be clear they all cost money. Discussion of a new fire hall has been a issue, I support this but I would like to see a public safety building be a priority. We shouldn’t be a drive thru for the RCMP we need to have a space for Fire,Police,and Rescue as well as PEP (provincial emergency program). Given question #3 this could fall in this category.

The most important capital project right now is the Waste Water Treatment plant. The next most pressing is finding the funds for a new firehall. We have bought the land, but we don’t where the money will come from.

I can’t wait to see the new constructed treated wetland get built! We were fortunate enough to get a grant that enabled Cumberland to secure our water for the next 30+ years, it will be exciting when we are finally in compliance with our sewer as well. One thing on the top of the priority list, is the new fire hall. We are still figuring out how to pay for it, but it is a necessity and we will have to keep moving towards a solution. The CRI is also something that has always been in conversation around the council table, and we have seen some nice improvements there. Is the end game continued improvement or is it replacement? Tough decisions.

Council had a meeting with Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in Whistler to discuss the Open Burning Control Regulations Review. This document is 25 years old and needs updating. We were assured we would have the document this fall and be able to comment. Council passed a motion that no new builds in Cumberland would be permitted to install wood stoves for heating. We will continue working on improving our air quality.

Declare publicly, once and for all that Cumberland has an air quality problem caused by wood stoves and have the commitment to eliminate the problem. Implement the already proposed bylaw that addresses wood smoke issues, with the necessary amendment to guarantee the compliance. Enforce the requirement from the provincial government to replace all the stoves that are not EPA approved
Establish, beyond any argument, that all residents of Cumberland have the right to breathe air free of PM2.5. Assist non-compliant wood stove owners in replacing them with a heat pump to make them affordable to all stove owners on a case by case basis depending on the household’s income limitations. Implement particle reader sensors in several points of the village to establish the severity of the problem
Implement a warning system to immediately warn residents of unacceptable levels of PM2.5. Demonstrate that it is less expensive to heat a home with a heat pump that with a wood stove or natural gas. Work with TimberWest to minimize wood waste burning and utilize the resource. Eliminate land-clearing fires. Eliminate yard waste fires. Implement single recreational fire permitting.

The Village has incrementally worked on the issue of air quality. We have eliminated back yard burning, are directed staff to develop a bylaw banning wood burning appliances in new construction, and have worked on increasing public awareness on the issue and provide resources to residents like wood moisture meters and rebates to convert to other heat sources.At the recent UBCM convention, we met with Environment and Forest Minister’s to discuss the issue of open burning in private managed forests. They acknowledged our concerns and stated that it is something that they are looking at.

This requires a multi-faceted approach. Education is key and perhaps regulation of wood sales is an option. I understand that it is terribly difficult to get dry seasoned wood and I think there are ways to make this easier for people. Educating people on what type of wood to use, and how to operate their stoves in an efficient way is vital. Accessing rebates to upgrade existing stoves is also an option for those who are using this as a sole source of heat. I would also like to work with the province to stop slash pile burning in our neighbouring forests.

Well, we can ban yard waste burning, ban the installation of wood burning appliances in new homes, require the use of alternative heat sources during air quality advisories and educate the public on how to burn properly, which are all things we have done in the last term. We can phase out the use of wood stoves in all homes but this needs to be done equitably so that we are not putting the financial burden on, often lower income, homeowners. We need to give people incentives and alternatives to heating their home with wood which means working with utility providers and looking at alternative energy projects. We can also continue to lobby the BC government to change the open burning regulations for forestry companies to encourage them to find alternative uses for the forestry waste products rather than burn piles.

No one likes to take this one on but we will need to look at alternate heating methods. I burn wood as my primary source of heat and I love the heat it delivers. But eventually we need to address the air quality thru burning wood. I am still angry with the decision of Site C but maybe this is where we can get some cost savings thru a Provincial/Municipal program to assist people to move towards a electric heat plan (heat pumps,Forced air ect.) program. similar to low flush toilets program or energy efficient window ect a while back that would see some serious grants offered to help people get off dirty heat sources.

We can continue to educate the public on proper burning techniques as in burning dry firewood. We are not allowing wood fireplaces to be installed in new homes. We can continue to work with the Ministry of Forests to stop forest companies from slash burning.

We have made strides to increase awareness of air quality through education and some new regulations for new builds, as well as meeting with the Forestry Minister about slash burning. Moving forward, we need to keep pressuring the Ministry, slash burning makes up for 55% of the air pollution in the Comox Valley

I support the Comox Valley Regional Growth Strategy. I was on council during the process and have not changed my mind about any parts of the document. It is needed now more than ever.

I participated in the groundwork to produce the Sustainability Strategy back in 2010 and I agree 100% with it; I will be committed to working on the following: reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 2007 levels with the following milestone targets: reduce energy use per capita by 50%; reduce non-agricultural water use by 50% per capita; all wastewater treatment in Cumberland will be to tertiary or reuse level; all new development and 50% of existing development in Cumberland will capture rainwater runoff through source control methods. 100% sensitive ecosystems and riparian areas will be protected and managed to maintain stable health and productivity. 70% of degraded ecosystems that are critical for the health of watersheds, riparian areas and endangered species habitats will be restored. Cumberland will use a ‘zero waste’ approach and achieve a 80% diversion of waste from landfills. Of the fruits and vegetables consumed in Cumberland, 50% will be produced within 15 km from the village. 100% of the population in Cumberland will have sufficient access to food. All households in Cumberland will have access to employment or assistance that allows them to meet their basic needs. I will promote economic diversity in Cumberland Residents of Cumberland will have access to adequate housing. Residents of Cumberland will have access to the services, amenities and cultural activities necessary for a high quality of life.

I participated as an individual in the CV Sustainability Strategy, and have attended the 2 recent Sustainability Forums. I support the Sustainability Strategy in its entirety, recognizing that it should be able to adjust to emerging issues/ solutions. The Regional Growth Strategy was based on a lot of the work done of the CV Sustainability Strategy, and mandated by the province. I support growth and development that does not foster sprawl, that uses “smart growth” principles. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has many resources.

As a guiding document for innovative ecological and sustainable practices for municipalities and the regional district I think this is a great Strategy.

Well I think I can safely say that I agree with almost all of it. Cumberland has aligned itself with the sustainability initiatives quite well in the last few years. Cumberland is a signatory to the BC Climate Action Charter and has achieved carbon neutrality for the last 5 years. We have the curbside recycling program that is very successful but we also have the curbside food waste pilot that diverts from the landfill and gets turned into compost. We have added some important multi-modal lanes to our main corridors and we are working on connecting Cumberland, through greenways, to the rest of the Valley. The Village works with the Cumberland Community Forest to reserve and maintain forest land and we have environmental protection areas that help to protect sensitive ecosystems within our boundary. We have work to do on our food sustainability, as described above, but I am supportive of the CVSS goals and will continue to move toward them. We have made housing a priority and are working on diversifying the housing supply. One of the things that is so great about Cumberland is the sense of community and the willingness to support each other which goes a long way to achieving a lot of the lofty goals set out in the CVSS.

The Short answer is I am in favor of the whole plan, But I do believe some of the target dates are unrealistic or pushed back to far. We need significant work done in some area’s of the plan, Transportation for instance, the current provincial usage is 24% of BC residents between 16 and 65 use some form of non vehicle mode of transportation, we are less than 11% in the Valley.as well I am not impressed with target reaching strategies . To ask Elected Officials or Existing staff to do these jobs off the side of their desks is a joke. if we are really serious about this plan,we need to fund and Employ a Full time co-coordinator at the minimum, otherwise this will be just another expensive document that ends up on the shelves or in the I DON’T CARE FILES.

No response

While many of the targets and goals in the Comox Valley Sustainability Strategy are lofty and some will be very difficult to realize, in theory I support the entire document.