— I support the Official Community Plan adopted in 2022. On November 20, I would have voted against amending the OCP.

— Compare the location and pace of population growth allowed and projected under the 2022 OCP with the carrying capacity of our existing infrastructure. Prioritize new growth as smart growth in areas close to existing core development.

— The municipality is limited in what it can do; and it falls mostly upon policing and bylaws enforcement as well as firefighting resources. Since it falls upon senior levels of government, council can lobby to do more including: building an addictions treatment facility in the Cowichan Valley so people can overcome their addictions; provide more mental health supports; funding for more temporary housing solutions like “The Village” on Trunk Rd in Duncan; providing more policing resources so we can go after the criminals flooding our streets with toxic drugs.

— Yes, the science is clear. We need to build resiliency to meet the challenges of ongoing climate change. We can do that through mindful land use and watershed planning and practices. Encouraging local production and marketing of home-grown food and fiber keeps jobs here and makes us healthy and safe. Direct Municipal staff to consult with experts in climate change to develop models predicting sea level rise, rainfall and streamflow changes and develop programs and plans to mitigate those impacts.

— Yes, I will respect the will of North Cowichan residents who clearly stated they want a greater focus on conservation in the municipal forest.

— We will need to develop a new model for managing our forests and I expect that to be done with the participation of the residents of North Cowichan.

— The signed memorandum of understanding states that communications at the working group meetings are to remain confidential and will only be released upon written agreement by the parties and released jointly. In the spirit of, and commitment to, reconciliation, we have a moral and legal obligation to engage with the Quw’utsun Nation. Like any negotiation process details of consultations are generally not shared until an agreement is made. Updates of a general nature can be shared through the existing council quarterly strategic updates process.

— For me, reconciliation is a priority, and by developing a stronger partnership with Quw’utsun Nation, all of our communities will be stronger. A co-management framework developed from this process should be considered to meet as many of the needs as possible of both North Cowichan residents and Quw’utsun Nation. Once a co-management framework is agreed upon, next steps will be considered. I expect that will be done with participation from the residents of North Cowichan.

Read more on Lord: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/1c6c2356-54ff-4d9f-9e24-2ee5f87db392