A weekly roundup of noteworthy news in municipalities across B.C.
Kelowna City Hall wants residents to explore new ways to get involved in municipal affairs during this year’s Local Government Awareness Week, May 19 to 25. To encourage informed participation, the city has a public engagement RSS news feed accessible from kelowna.ca/getinvolved. Also, during planning processes, the city seeks input on upcoming parks, transportation, utility and community projects through open houses, workshops, surveys, online tools and social media.
Residents living in 1940s era summer cottages rented from Metro Vancouver in Belcarra Regional Park have won a small victory in their bid to stay. On Thursday, the Environment and Parks committee deferred a decision to consider demolishing the seven cabins maintained by the Belcarra South Preservation Society after hearing from residents.
Saanich may have its work cut out for itself after open houses found mixed public reaction to two proposed community allotment gardens in the municipality. The first, planned for Gorge Park, received 77.3 per cent support, according to survey results posted online. The second proposed park, currently slated for a parcel of grass behind Saanich Commonwealth Place, received much less support. Fifty-nine per cent of survey respondents don’t like the proposed location.
[Thompson-Nicola] Regional planners are worried the loss of the mandatory long-form census will make it increasing difficult to plan for the futures of small communities. “Is it debilitating? No. It does make it harder for policy planning,” Regina Sadilkova, the TNRD’s director of development services, said Thursday.
Weighing in at a whopping 180 pages — the combined 36-month effort of over 100 volunteers and city staff — it’s being called a major milestone, both on account of its sheer accomplishment, and what it means to the City of Nelson’s future. Made official this past Monday night, the City’s newly revised Official Community Plan (OCP) was adopted as Bylaw 3247 by Mayor John Dooley and city council.