Petition Update: Thank You, Cowichan Valley
Thank you to each and every one of you — the concerned citizens who signed in support of stopping the CVRD’s Modernized Official Community Plan (Bylaw 4373).
The power of community is truly remarkable.

Your Voices Are on the Record
On Monday, October 20, 2025, the CVRD held its Public Hearing — the final opportunity for residents to provide input on this major bylaw.

Our petition, signed by 677 residents, was submitted before the 12:00 p.m. deadline and is now part of the official public record.
It was also formally presented at the hearing, ensuring that your voices and concerns were directly placed before the Board and recorded as part of the proceedings.
Submitting it early ensured it was included in the Board’s binders for review during the meeting.

📄 View the public submissions on the CVRD website → https://www.cvrd.ca/DocumentCenter/View/112380/2025-10-20-Public-Submissions?bidId=

 
About the Public Hearing
The meeting itself was well attended, with approximately 50 speakers delivering thoughtful and passionate remarks — many sharing common reasons why Bylaw 4373 should not move forward, and only 2 spoke in favour of the legislation. 

The presentations generally fell into two categories:

Those unsatisfied with the process, and
Those unsatisfied with the legislation itself — with several expressing both concerns.
Recurring issues included:
• Lack of notification and short timelines, failed process and complicated legislation
• Excessive overreach both into how people live and outside the CVRD jurisdiction
• Engagement that felt tokenized or ignored
• Missing the mark on housing, affordability, rural lots and lifestyle. 

The forestry sector, representing nearly 78% of the land base in the CVRD, was not included in any referrals or engagement.
The agricultural community shared that while they were invited to participate, it felt like a “check box exercise” — as none of their hard work or recommendations were reflected in the final draft.

Many presentations also spoke to a lack of trust in the CVRD as an organization, with several describing it as “the tail wagging the dog.”
Despite this, the overall tone remained constructive and community-focused, urging the CVRD to pause, listen, and rebuild trust.

In attendance were young families, seniors, hard working individuals, business owners, farmers, developers, and citizens concerned about affordability, housing shortages, and government bureaucracy.

Notably, MP Jeff Kibble (Cowichan–Malahat–Langford) attended remotely from Ottawa to voice his concern that entire sectors and citizen groups within his riding had been excluded from the process.
Megan Hanacek, from the Private Forest Landowners Association, also spoke, warning of the serious risks of developing a plan without forestry input — especially when collaboration is essential for wildfire planning, water and forest management.

 
Common Solutions Proposed
Throughout the hearing, two clear and consistent solutions emerged:

Rescind Second Reading — Pause the bylaw, reopen the process, and rebuild a more balanced and transparent OCP with genuine community collaboration.

Shelf the Modernized OCP — Continue using the 2022 Harmonized Official Community Plan, which is recent, functional, and provides stability while still reflecting broad public input gathered through years of work.

These solutions were raised repeatedly as reasonable, constructive paths forward that respect both the community’s investment and the need for effective long-range planning.

 
What Was Said
I was honoured and humbled to present this petition to the Board on behalf of everyone who signed.
In my remarks, I emphasized that this petition represents an entire segment of the community that has been left behind — residents whose perspectives and values deserve equal consideration in shaping our region’s future.

These residents are not outliers. Their vision for the Cowichan Valley is valid and deeply connected to our rural identity.
This is not about who is “right” or “wrong” — it is about ensuring that everyone’s voice counts, not just those who align with the Board’s predetermined strategic direction.

My Final Message to the Board
“The Modernized Official Community Plan is built around a social equity framework — policies and objectives meant to ensure no one is left behind.
Yet by adopting this OCP, your first act will be to leave behind and abandon an entire group of residents and taxpayers — not because they failed to participate, but because their lifestyles and values differ from the Board’s strategic direction.”
 
Moving Forward Together
This petition and the public hearing demonstrated that residents across the Cowichan Valley care deeply about fairness, transparency, and inclusion in local decision-making.

Thank you for standing up, speaking out, and reminding our local government that every voice deserves to be heard.
Next Steps
The CVRD will now compile all public input — both verbal and written — into a final public record.
That record will be distributed to Electoral Area Directors for their review, followed by Board debate and decision at a future meeting. ( TBD)

Please note that, under provincial legislation governing public hearings, no further public input can be accepted once the hearing has closed.

Thank you again, and stay tuned for updates.

Stephanie Harper