Opponents of North Cowichan’s draft Official Community Plan claim the municipal process is linked to international agendas extending to the United Nations and World Economic Forum.

At the July 19 in-person public hearing on the draft OCP, opponents also complained about chemtrails and aerial spraying of the gypsy moth (now known as spongy moth), while expressing support for so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests in Canada.

Read further on chemtrails: https://bit.ly/3bTzo2G .

Opponents — many of whom live outside North Cowichan — also cited the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda https://bit.ly/3bWchVf

Several local Indigenous people spoke in favour of the draft OCP.

While opponents offered few specifics on why they oppose the OCP, they did express concern about government intrusion in their lives.

Mayor Al Siebring sought with little success to keep opponents on topic and to stop cheering and applauding when each spoke.

Opponents seemed to follow a common script: they hadn’t read the draft OCP and asked that a vote be delayed until after the Oct. 15 election — presumably, in hopes of electing a council more favourable to their views.

A group calling itself Vancouver Isle Freedom & Unification conducted a social-media campaign urging followers from as far away as Victoria and Nanaimo to attend the public hearing and protest the OCP. The group railed against “elite organizations like the World Economic Forum and United Nations who have infiltrated our government and communities to take away our lands, rights and freedoms.”

At an on-line public hearing one day earlier — on July 18 — citizens expressed overwhelming support for the OCP: https://bit.ly/3AlERc6 .

Council considers the OCP on Wednesday, August 17.

A full recording of the two-part public hearing can be found at: https://bit.ly/3d3DxRT .

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— Larry Pynn, Aug. 15, 2022.