This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
Thanks to everyone that showed up at the open house last night!
We need everyone to continue to put the pressure on Bob Wylie provincial approving officer to hold a public hearing!
If you haven't already send him a message at Bob.Wylie@gov.bc.ca
Development open house hijacked
Attendees oppose forest company's plans for lands west of Sooke
Sep 10, 2008
By Judith Lavoie
<jlavoie@tc.canwest.com>
An open house organized by Western Forest Products was hijacked by frustrated opponents of the forest company's development plans last night.
About 120 people crowded into the tiny Shirley Community Hall, ostensibly to look at tables covered with plans for 319 acreages around Shirley, Otter Point and Jordan River.
However, as WFP chief operations officer Duncan Kerr was surrounded by people asking questions, guerrilla organizers seized stacks of chairs, set them out in rows and sat down, demanding at least a semblance of a public hearing.
"If someone has got a plan here, it's not mine," said Kerr, as environmental activist Vicky Husband took the microphone and offered to MC the impromptu meeting.
Kerr agreed to answer questions and, during the often raucous evening, agreed with a request to sit down and talk to representatives of the communities about their wishes.
"I challenge you to step back and look at the process you are undertaking and look at the desires, dreams, aspirations and passions of the people in this room," said a woman, who would not give her name.
"It is going to cost you a couple of years to do the appropriate process," she said.
Kerr replied that he would like to sit down and talk to residents, but could not agree to withdraw the subdivision application or to stop a court case challenging the Capital Regional District bylaws.
The case will be heard in B.C. Supreme Court next week, together with a second challenge, based on CRD voting procedures for Juan de Fuca electoral area, launched by the B.C. Landowners Association.
Residents and environmental groups are furious that WFP's subdivision applications, which have gone to the Highways Ministry approving officer for a decision, have never gone to public hearing, even though they are contrary to official community plans and the Regional Growth Strategy.
The subdivision applications also run contrary to zoning bylaws passed by the Capital Regional District limiting lot size on forestry and resource lands to 120 hectares. The applications were made during a time lag while the bylaws were waiting to be signed by the province and, under a grandfathering clause, WFP has until April to get approvals and infrastructure in place.
There is also continuing anger in the communities west of Sooke about the province's decision to allow WFP to pull 28,283 hectares of private land from tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, including 12,000 hectares on southern Vancouver Island.
More than 2,500 hectares were then provisionally sold to developer Ender Ilkay, who wants to build a community of 10,000 at Jordan River. But, when the CRD downzoned the area, the forest company applied for the subdivisions, which take in the high profile Jordan River waterfront and the Sandcut Beach area.
The action was seen by many as an attempt by WFP to do an end run around the regional government, but Kerr said the company is trying to get maximum value from the land.
Dominique Bernardet, president of Shirley Education and Action Society, said WFP is blasting and building roads, without obtaining permits from CRD planning and with blatant disregard for our environmentally sensitive areas.
During a show of hands unanimously demanding a public hearing, Kerr was asked to approach the province.
"I don't have those sorts of conversations with the provincial government. I am not going to tell government what they should or should not do," Kerr said.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008
About 120 people crowded into the tiny Shirley Community Hall, ostensibly to look at tables covered with plans for 319 acreages around Shirley, Otter Point and Jordan River.
However, as WFP chief operations officer Duncan Kerr was surrounded by people asking questions, guerrilla organizers seized stacks of chairs, set them out in rows and sat down, demanding at least a semblance of a public hearing.
"If someone has got a plan here, it's not mine," said Kerr, as environmental activist Vicky Husband took the microphone and offered to MC the impromptu meeting.
Kerr agreed to answer questions and, during the often raucous evening, agreed with a request to sit down and talk to representatives of the communities about their wishes.
"I challenge you to step back and look at the process you are undertaking and look at the desires, dreams, aspirations and passions of the people in this room," said a woman, who would not give her name.
"It is going to cost you a couple of years to do the appropriate process," she said.
Kerr replied that he would like to sit down and talk to residents, but could not agree to withdraw the subdivision application or to stop a court case challenging the Capital Regional District bylaws.
The case will be heard in B.C. Supreme Court next week, together with a second challenge, based on CRD voting procedures for Juan de Fuca electoral area, launched by the B.C. Landowners Association.
Residents and environmental groups are furious that WFP's subdivision applications, which have gone to the Highways Ministry approving officer for a decision, have never gone to public hearing, even though they are contrary to official community plans and the Regional Growth Strategy.
The subdivision applications also run contrary to zoning bylaws passed by the Capital Regional District limiting lot size on forestry and resource lands to 120 hectares. The applications were made during a time lag while the bylaws were waiting to be signed by the province and, under a grandfathering clause, WFP has until April to get approvals and infrastructure in place.
There is also continuing anger in the communities west of Sooke about the province's decision to allow WFP to pull 28,283 hectares of private land from tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, including 12,000 hectares on southern Vancouver Island.
More than 2,500 hectares were then provisionally sold to developer Ender Ilkay, who wants to build a community of 10,000 at Jordan River. But, when the CRD downzoned the area, the forest company applied for the subdivisions, which take in the high profile Jordan River waterfront and the Sandcut Beach area.
The action was seen by many as an attempt by WFP to do an end run around the regional government, but Kerr said the company is trying to get maximum value from the land.
Dominique Bernardet, president of Shirley Education and Action Society, said WFP is blasting and building roads, without obtaining permits from CRD planning and with blatant disregard for our environmentally sensitive areas.
During a show of hands unanimously demanding a public hearing, Kerr was asked to approach the province.
"I don't have those sorts of conversations with the provincial government. I am not going to tell government what they should or should not do," Kerr said.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008
