Local government directly affects you
For most people, the federal government represents the big picture. How our country compares in the world. The provincial government gets closer to home. It manages ferries, health care issues and more. But local governments most directly impact an individual’s life. Local governments control land use through zoning, property taxes and manage everything from area roads to schools. On this page, you’ll find stories about what local governments are doing and how well they are performing.
LINKS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public panel will help guide new sewerage plan
The new Comox Valley Sewer Conveyance Planning Process that will recommend rerouting the pipe carrying Courtenay and Comox sewage to the treatment plant will include public and technical panels, which will be formed this summer; plus, the treatment plant gets an upgrade to eliminate over-capacity at peak periods
Who wields the real power: staff or elected officials?
Who do you think makes the important decisions that affect our communities? It’s natural to answer, “Our elected officials.” That’s who we hold accountable for our government’s performance. But all too often …
Beech Street shelved: better solutions under review
For nearly three years, a group of rural Comox Valley citizens has warned the Courtenay-Comox Sewage Commission about the environmental and financial risks of building a sewage pump station on a small Croteau Beach lot. They’ve spent their own money on independent...
Will common sense prevail in the Comox Valley?
That the Courtenay-Comox Sewage Commission shelved its multi-million dollar sewerage project this summer comes as no surprise. For nearly two years, Comox Valley citizens have implored the commission and regional district engineers to consider less expensive and more...
The story behind recent Comox union negotiations
In a press release published by the Comox Valley Record recently, Comox Mayor Paul Ives put a positive spin on the town’s new five-year collective agreement. But there’s much more to this story. It is good news, of course, that the town finally reached an agreement,...
Shocker for homeowners: no protection for private wells
If you get drinking water from a private well British Columbia, the provincial government provides no protection from any activities that might foul your water quality. Sylvia Burrosa, the regional hydrologist for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource...
Sewer commission passes on chance to follow own plan
Given yet another opportunity to follow its own Master Plan this week, the Courtenay/Comox Sewer Commission chose to ignore it. Again. A letter from two residents of the Area B neighborhood most affected by the proposed construction of a multi-million dollar pump...
Comox Valley Agriplex: white elephant or dream facility?
For more than three decades, some Comox Valley community organizations and elected officials have touted the need for a convention center. The Comox Valley lacks a facility that can accommodate the large numbers of people or trade show booths and equipment required by...
Simply making statements doesn’t mean they are true
Andrew Gower, a partner and branch manager of Wedler Engineering LLP's Courtenay office recently wrote a letter to the editor about the proposed Comox No. 2 pump station. I wrote this letter in response. Neither were printed in the newspaper due to their length, but...
Valley faces a watershed moment
Comox Councillor Barbara Price has offered up misleading statements to defend changes to an antiquated sewerage system that serves only Comox and Courtenay residents. Price chairs the Comox Valley Sewage Commission, which is itself a misnomer. The Sewage Commission...
Director calls for Valley-wide sewer plan
When elected officials and the community they represent achieve a certain level of synchronicity, good governance and good outcomes usually result. So a reasonable person might expect that after voters strongly rejected a Comox Valley Regional District sewerage system...
How will the CVRD respond to failed sewer referendum?
When Royston and Union Bay voters overwhelmingly rejected the South Sewer Project on Saturday, they added their voices to a broadening concern about the Comox Valley Regional District’s sewerage strategy. Consider: Some years ago, residents of the Saratoga-Miracle...
Quadra sewer project upsets citizens at public meeting
A crowd of roughly 75 citizens peppered Comox Valley Regional District Senior Engineer Marc Rutten Jan. 17 with questions and angry statements at an open house about the HMCS Sewer Project. At times the meeting threatened to spin out of control as residents shouted...
Small number of voters will have large, long-term effect
Many residents of Royston and Union Bay will vote tomorrow on whether to fund a new sewerage system to service their communities. This seemingly isolated decision will have a profound and long-term impact on the entire Comox Valley. If voters approve this referendum,...
Proposed South Sewer pipe to take harmful route
Advance voting is underway for the June 18 referendum when Royston and Union Bay voters will decide whether to tax themselves to build and connect to a community wastewater system. To clear up some of the misinformation about this Comox Valley Regional District...
Vote “no” in the South Sewer System referendum
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said that “governments can grant permits, but only the community can grant permissions.” It’s a message that has inspired Canadians, but one that has fallen on deaf ears at the Comox Valley Regional District. Residents from all...
6 reasons why you shouldn’t trust the CVRD on sewerage
Why should voters be wary of the CVRD and the Sewer Commission’s proposals on sewerage infrastructure projects? Because there's a history of bad decisions. How do we know they were bad? In some cases, because citizens have sued the regional district over the effect of...
5 reasons why you should care about sewerage
Your enjoyment of our waterfront One of the joys of living in the Comox Valley often touted in tourism promotions is the pleasure of swimming off beaches around Baynes Sound, including Comox Bay, off the end of Goose Spit, or from the beach at Point Holmes. Besides...