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Discovery Island items at the SRD Board meeting

Orchard Bay on northern Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada, is often used as a refuge by boats waiting to navigate the strong tides in Seymour Narrows - by David Stanley via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)
Orchard Bay on northern Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada, is often used as a refuge by boats waiting to navigate the strong tides in Seymour Narrows - by David Stanley via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)
Roy Hales - - Cortes Island • BC | 12-10-2020
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By Roy L Hales

There were a lot of Discovery Island Items at the SRD (Strathcona Regional District) Board meeting last week.

The Strathcona Regional District is composed of 5 municipalities and four rural areas on the coast of British Columbia- Courtesy SRD websiite

Cannabis on Cortes Island

Cortes Island’s zoning bylaw is being amended.

“I’m looking to be able to allow cannabis production and sale, pretty much in alignment with the existing provincial and federal regulations without requiring site specific zoning. but delighted to work with staff to bring something back for the public’s consideration,” said Regional Director Noba Anderson.

Quadra Island Items

Quadra Island is talking a different approach and Quadraponics Cannabis property is one of three whose applications for rezoning have just been approved.

The others are the proposed BC Ferries berth in Quathiaski Cove and new firehall in Heriot Bay.

Heriot Bay Tru Value foods has been given a commercial development permit for a new recycling depot and gardening centre.

There has been a lot of talk about extending the SRD’s fire protection to north Quadra Island lately.

“We have been mulling this over for around a year, I believe. One lady has kept writing to us for services to north Quadra. Problem is they don’t have a fire service on north Quadra. While the survey that they got back said everyone want to have a fire service, nobody wants to pay,” explained Regional Director Brenda Leigh.

The SRD board decided that no further public consultation be undertaken until more than 50% of property owners and 50% of property values petition in favour of a fire service for North Quadra.

Quadra Island Conservatory and Quadra Island cat rescue have both received grants in aid for $1,500.

Read Island Items

There were also two Read Island items.

The Surge Narrows Community Association recently purchased a 20 acre parcel which they intend to become parkland. The SRD approved an application for this parcel to be tax free.

The SRD is also applying for a Rural and Northern communities grant to renovate the old store, boardwalk and floating dock at Read Island.

“We’ve already gone through this with staff, the ministries and all the people we have to apply to. This is just the finalizing part of it, officially at the board table. That’s why it is here. It has already happened. We have already met with Minister Selina Robinson at UBCM. This was one of the three topics we talked about,” said Regional Director Jim Abram.

He added, “This is hopefully going forward. I believe the deadline … is the end of this month, October 30th and after that we will receive some kind of notification as to whether we got it or not. IT is for $2.3 milllion, so it is a big deal.”

Giving EASC authority over grants in aid

Lastly, the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) is seeking the authority to decide who will receive a grant in aid in the SRD’s rural areas.

Up until now, they have made recommendations but the final decision is made by the SRD Board.

Given the ongoing friction within EASC, Director Anderson said Cortes Island would prefer to stay with the SRD Board.

The other EASC directors agreed to this.

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