Dara Quast-Cowichan Conversations Contributor The CVRD is facing yet another court challenge regarding its conduct and decision making practices. A business in Cobble Hill, Fisher Road Recycling, is asking the courts to declare that the license amendment that was requested by Fisher Road be granted under the terms for
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Cowichan Conversations: CVRD Heads Off To Environmental Appeal Board In Hopes of Stopping Contaminated Soil Being Dumped In The Shawnigan Watershed
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger It has been a year and a half since Shawnigan residents learned of an application to dump 5 million tonnes of contaminated soil in their watershed. Until recently the CVRD Directors followed Shawnigan Director Fraser’s lead. They studied, stalled and collaborated with the BC Environment Ministry and then Minister Terry Lake in one
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: 2013 Cowichan Local Government ‘Stupid Awards’
Richard HughesPolitical Blogger In an attempt to win back some of accolades and spotlight from the CVRD, North Cowichan Council has seen the CVRD’s mishandling of the contaminated soil issue, by convincingly raising them with a far reaching plan to situate important public services and building in the Somenos Marsh
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Have the CVRD Politicans Finally Woken Up?
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes-Political Blogger I suspect that many of you are getting as tired of hearing about yet another CVRD screw up and outright failure to responsibly represent the taxpaying residents in the Cowichan Valley as I am blogging about it. Should we just ignore their incompetence and failure to even
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Cobble Hill-Cowichan Bay Gravel Pit Proposal Has Residents Up in Arms
Richard Hughes Political Blogger Few things get residents worked up more than hearing that a gravel pit is destined to commence operations in their neighbourhood. In the Cowichan Valley like so many areas the feuds sometimes have gone on for decades. This summer residents attention soared as they became aware
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: MLA Bill Routley Questions Forest Minister About River And Watershed Issues
Richard Hub Hughes-Political Blogger During these ‘Dog Days of Summer’ political life at the BC Legislature continues. Below find a series of questions from Hansard where Cowichan MLA Bill Routley raises a number of issues of concern to Cowichan residents. DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) ________________________________ HOUSE BLUES
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Hey CVRD! Draw Up a Bylaw to Protect the Shawnigan Watershed!
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger OK so the Provincial Election returned the BC Liberals. They changed Environment Ministers slotting Mary Polak in as our new Environment chief. Those concerned with the Shawnigan Watershed becoming home for 5 million tonnes of Victoria’s contaminated and toxic soils are probably wondering what the CVRD is
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Shawnigan Director Bruce Fraser Reports: SIA Permit For Contaminated Soils Will Be Approved!
Breaking News on SIA Permit Shawnigan CVRD Director Bruce Fraser At a meeting this morning (June 19th) between the MOE, Ministry of Mines and the CVRD it was confirmed that a final permit will be recommended for issue for the SIA Contaminated Soil Facility “within the next few weeks”. MOE
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: South Cowichan CVRD Directors Pursue Reckless Course On 3520 Bylaws
Richard Hub Hughes-Political Blogger Our South Cowichan CVRD Directors, Gerry Giles, Mike Walker and Bruce Fraser have embarked on a foolish tact regarding the unorthodox methods being used to implement the enabling bylaws for the South Cowichan OCP. The Bylaws are to be brought before the residents for consideration, discussion,
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Hey CVRD! KEEP IT RURAL eh!
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger “You Are Being Rezoned” CVRD Bylaws Change Will Reduce Your Property Use Options! Shawna Meade caught wind of drastic CVRD rezoning efforts that were being undertaken to bring the zoning into compliance with the South Cowichan Official Community Plan. That was enough for her
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Robert Baden Powell Has Advice For Shawnigan Residents
Dave Hutchinson of the ‘Shawnigan Focus’ sent this gem along Yesterday, a friend mentioned Robert Baden-Powell, the man who founded the Scouting Movement in the early 1900s. We were discussing community diversity and wondering what motivates people to act during times of crisis. She reminded me of the core values
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: BC Liberal Front Group Led by Chamber President Mke Hanson Is A Last Gasp Effort
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger The ‘Friends of the Shawnigan Watershed’ a Cowichan BC Liberal Front Group, is trying to elbow its’ way into an already crowded field of those protesting the threat faced to the Shawnigan Watershed, Creek, Lake and drinking water. This latest threat has loomed over the Shawnigan residents
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Shawnigan Watershed Threatened While Director Fraser Fiddles
The CVRD has the authority over land use. They failed to enforce their bylaw or draw up another to protect the Shawnigan Watershed. Word has it that the Ministry of Environment has announced that a draft approval of the SIA proposal to dump five million tonnes of contaminated soil into the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: CVRD Director Gerry Giles Has Endorsed A Cell Phone Tower For Cobble Hill!
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger The other day I wrote a piece about cell phone reception, dead spots, and the controversy that can swirl around these things. I later learned that Director Giles had come out swinging at a ‘Electoral Area Services Meeting’ as she had done some time back, against such
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Why is the CVRD in a rush to sell off Eco Depot Lands on Cameron Taggart Road?
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger I heard that Shawnigan’s Director Bruce Fraser held a little meeting at the Shawnigan Community Centre the other night, ostensibly to discuss the future of the old ‘Williams Farm property’ situated on Cameron Taggart Road. About 30 residents showed up to see a another farce of public
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Out of Touch Cowichan Citizen Editorial Shows Callous Disregard For The Community
Time To Put The Past Behind Us And Move On The Citizen Friday, February 01, 2013 With the process now underway to sell off the property that was bought in anticipation of building the now-defunct Eco Depot in the South End, we hope civility can reign. The fight over the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Cowichan Valley Residents Deserve Better!
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes-Political Blogger Our local CVRD government has often been the target of this blog. Their performance has been costly and dismal. I had a front row seat as an elected regional director representing Cobble Hill at the Cowichan Valley Regional District Board Table from 1993 until I stepped down in
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: The CVRD Eco Depot Court Case-A Bittersweet Victory
The hottest selling shirt in the Cowichan Valley Dara Quast – Community Activist The bitter sweet victory of the court decision confirming that the CVRD did not have the legal authority to erect a waste transfer station on agricultural land in the bucolic area of Cameron Taggart is rewarding for
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: BC Supreme Court Rules CVRD Eco Depot Opponents Were Right!
Richard Hub Hughes-Political Blogger There will be much said and much written about our out of touch CVRD Politicians and their misdirected staff over their blatant misuse of public funds and their arrogant conduct regarding the ill fated Eco Depot project. For tonight here is Peter Rusland’s account in the
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