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Stoney Hill Road.

The Secret Letters

North Cowichan council correspondence released to public only after freedom-of-information requests

Starting today, sixmountains.ca unveils a new category of articles — Freedom Of Information: Documents obtained in the pursuit of greater government openness — coinciding with the second release of North Cowichan council correspondence through freedom-of-information legislation.

On Nov. 2, 2024, sixmountains.ca published the first batch of FOI documents consisting of almost 1,000 pages of council correspondence covering a wide range of issues.

Among the public concerns raised in those documents:

— need for a tree protection bylaw in response to residents and developers clearing lots.

— air pollution, odours, and greenhouse gases from the Crofton pulp mill.

— the presence of biological males in female change facilities at Cowichan Aquatic Centre.

— loud music and vehicles revving their engines and racing around Seablush Crescent and Woodrush Drive in the new Kingsview development near Maple Bay.

— need for improved street lighting on Stoney Hill Road.

Search the documents: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/a181e20c-1291-45d4-8cdf-26a394d6531d

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Crofton pulp mill.

Today’s second release involves 220 pages and deals in large part with public correspondence — for and against — regarding the controversial West Vista Terrace development north of Herd Road in the Bell McKinnon area.

Council voted 4-2 on Nov. 20, 2024, in favour of amending the new Official Community Plan to accommodate the residential and mixed-use development on 12.5 hectares.

Further reading: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/f03b991c-f362-43a1-934d-5f4665317df4

sixmountains.ca believes in government transparency.

North Cowichan selects only a few items of public correspondence for inclusion in the “consent agenda” at council meetings. The vast majority of correspondence is seen only by council members and staff.

There are good reasons for having greater public access to council correspondence.

It is a way to gauge what’s on peoples’ minds, learn more about issues of the day.

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Intersection in new Kingsview subdivision.

Correspondence is also a form of lobbying, a way for people to persuade council to take specific action on issues.

Note that if there are factual errors in the correspondence, there is no way for the public to make corrections for council’s benefit or to offer a counter-argument.

Furthermore, a citizen who is unfairly attacked in the correspondence would not know or be able to respond.

Also, there is no way of knowing whether council failed to take action on a matter of importance brought to their attention — which can be equally important.

sixmountains.ca will continue to file FOI requests for council documents, including for correspondence. Look under this category for the latest articles.

Note that North Cowichan often charges sixmountains.ca a fee for these documents.

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— Larry Pynn, Jan. 28, 2025

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