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Councillor Istace rejects Chemainus business stance to support increased development at Bell McKinnon

'I’m not here ever to be re-elected. I’m not here for my reputation…'

North Cowichan councillor Chris Istace – a former Green Party candidate — took residents by surprise last November when he cast the pivotal vote to amend the new Official Community Plan and allow greater development at Bell McKinnon.

But few people were more shocked than members of the Chemainus Business Improvement Association (CBIA), which Istace formerly chaired and which had opposed the development for fear it could hurt local merchants.

“I was absolutely surprised,” says Nuria Sanchez, current CBIA chair and owner of the antique store, Vintiquity. “When he was chair of the CBIA it was something that he was adamant that he was completely against.”

Sanchez told sixmountains.ca this week that Istace did not come to her beforehand to explain his change of position. But they did speak after. “He represents all of Cowichan is his take now in the amendment of the OCP,” she said.

Freedom-of-information documents show that CBIA executive director Krystal Adams wrote to council on Nov. 19, 2024 — one day before the vote — expressing concern and asking for an economic impact assessment.

“In summary, we would like to be clear: the CBIA is not opposed to development,” Adams wrote. “We simply advocate for smart, calculated development that supports existing communities. We remain firm in our request that any new project must be weighed against its potential impact on the region as a whole.

“The West Vista Terrace proposal, while addressing certain housing needs, should not come at the expense of straining our infrastructure, tax dollars, or undermining the revitalization efforts of existing communities like Chemainus.

“For that reason, we believe that without a clear understanding of the potential economic and infrastructure impacts, we risk overburdening taxpayers and communities that are already facing challenges.”

At issue: a residential and mixed-use development on 12.5 hectares north of Herd Road in the Bell McKinnon area. The land includes four parcels designated future growth area, outside the urban containment boundary in the OCP approved by council in August 2022.

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A staff report strongly urged council not to approve the West Vista Terrace development, saying it “represents a significant departure from the growth management section” of the OCP.

The report also emphasized that the existing Bell McKinnon Growth Centre can accommodate about 85 percent of North Cowichan’s housing needs for the next 20 years.

Istace had supported the OCP since his election in 2022 and helped to defeat the West Vista Terrace proposal in a 3-3 vote when the development first came to council on Mar. 6, 2024.

But he did an about-face when the same project returned to council Nov. 20, voting alongside pro-development councillors Tek Manhas, Bruce Findlay and Mike Caljouw.

Mayor Rob Douglas and councillor Christopher Justice voted against. The seventh seat on council has been vacant since Debra Toporowski was elected MLA last October.

During council discussion, Istace said he changed his mind for several reasons, including a provincial push for more housing, and information gleaned at various regional and provincial municipal meetings.

He added his earlier concerns relating to infrastructure had eased and he noted any development would still be years away. He also said that Chemainus businesses might actually benefit from the increased population.

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“We’re all here with clear intentions on doing the best we can for the community,” Istace said. “Often that is going to piss people off. So, that goes to my next point: I’m not here ever to be re-elected. I’m not here for my reputation or anybody else’s opinion. Those are things that you as the gallery control.”

Istace later sought to clarify his remarks, telling sixmountains.ca: “I’m sure you can appreciate that I do indeed welcome public input and that if we only voted for public favour and in hopes of re-election rather than making hard decisions is not something we hope to expect from our community leaders."

(His full remarks start at the 1:44:17 mark: https://pub-northcowichan.escribemeetings.com/Players/ISIStandAlonePlayer.aspx?Id=847d971a-af5d-4e36-9c1b-816b540e458f ).

Istace — owner of Beyond The Usual, a higher-end outdoors store in Chemainus — served as CBIA chair in 2017-2020 and 2021-2022 before being elected to North Cowichan council.

He was CBIA chair when the organization first wrote to council in 2021 to express its “very deep concerns” about the potential impact of Bell McKinnon.

In earlier politics, Istace lost as the provincial Green Party candidate in Nanaimo-North Cowichan in 2020.

Istace also served on council in Estevan, Sask., where he worked in the oil-and-gas sector, including operations management and technical sales.

He moved to Vancouver Island in 2013 with his wife and two children to adopt a new lifestyle.

Istace says on his blog, Mindful Explorer: “I was reading more and more on the topics of simple living, minimalism, financial independence, early retirement and mindfulness.”

Learn more: https://exploreficanada.ca/podcast/046-mindful-path-to-fi-chris-istace/

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— Larry Pynn, Jan. 22, 2025

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