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Year in Review and what’s to come!

12/16/2019

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-Year in Review and what’s to come!
by Sierra Acton CVRD Area B Director 
I am big on setting goals, but I also like to celebrate what has been accomplished before setting the intentions for the coming year. Here are some highlights from this year;

  • Economic Development Cowichan (EDC) continued to support our community by hosting small meetings with business owners every 3 months. The community discussions shifted to a broader audience and it was decided to bring in Doug Griffith. His presentation, on his book 13 Ways to Kill Your Community, set the stage for further discussions that led to the ThinkShawnigan Movement. 

  • All of our community groups came together to showcase their accomplishments at the Gathering. This was also an opportunity to celebrate the Community Centres 25th anniversary and unveil the new Bouldering Wall. The Community Centre had been preparing for this event for some time, with numerous upgrades and a newly designed lounge in the lobby. Currently we are looking for someone who wants an opportunity to run a coffee shop. This could be very flexible, please connect with the community centre manager.

  • We celebrated the completion of the Rail with Trail Phase 1; connecting the Community Centre to Government Wharf park… giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. 
I am so proud that we are getting CVRD and EDC support on a bunch of local initiatives (e.g. the community planning process.) There is even additional consulting support to keep the ThinkShawnigan Momentum going into the new year and help at an administrative level. It is not easy to bring back regional dollars to our community when you are an electoral area, so I am very grateful. Tourism Cowichan has also been active in our community and came out to visit business owners at a meeting I hosted in the Spring. Clearly there is a renewed confidence in Shawnigan: the commercial space in the village is full, some businesses are even looking to expand and others are looking for opportunities to move to Shawnigan. We are well on our way to creating a village that reflects our community.

In 2020 we can expect;

  • Milfoil Roundtables with the Invasive Species Council of BC and all stakeholders to define a path forward. Up to 4 meetings have been funded by Regional Services to get an outcome for the community and an agreed upon action plan. 
  • The ThinkShawnigan Final Presentation will be unveiled in early 2020. 
  • Construction should start in early winter for the 2nd phase of the Rail with Trail; connecting Mason’s beach to the Community Centre.
  • Old Mill Park will see some upgrades to its playgrounds and improvements to accessibility. 

Way to go Shawnigan!
On a personal note, I was just recently appointed Chair of Community Services at the CVRD and I am looking forward to the new opportunities and experiences that this position will bring.
I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. As always, I am available. Let’s connect.
LOVE IT, SHARE IT, PROTECT IT!
Sierra.Acton@cvrd.bc.ca
(250) 715-6763
FB @AreaDirectorAreaB
iloveshawnigan.com
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November Director’s Report

12/16/2019

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November Director’s Report
by Sierra Acton Area B CVRD Director


Love it!
It’s been a busy fall filled will meetings as budget season is underway at the Cowichan Valley Regional District. It is always a fine balance between taxes, keeping things running and executing our goals. Luckily the federal government has a grant funding program to help rural communities with infrastructure improvements. Locally we will have some upgrades through Gas Tax Funding at the Community Centre, Parks and Trails and Kerry Park Recreation planned for 2020. If you have a CVRD water system you too may be a benefactor to some upgrades through gas tax funding, details will be in the final 2020 budget. 


Locally we just came out of the ThinkShawnigan Design Intensive. It was well received and has given us many projects that we can plan for. The final package will be available in January. Out of the process also came items that can be implemented in the next year. I will be presenting the NOW Plan at the Shawnigan Residents Association AGM November 21st 7pm at Shawnigan Lake School. This is where the little things add up to big impact, hope you will join the momentum.


Share it!
The CVRD Board agreed to fund up to 4 roundtable discussions on milfoil. All agencies, ministries and jurisdictions will come together to help clarify a path forward for the community. Many groups and residents have been striving to mitigate this issue. As we have learned the lake itself is something we can all rally around. Insuring we are all on the same page will help us actualize our goals.


I often hear the community say they want more lake access and they also ask about the rules around road ends. The CVRD manages 3 beaches, 1 Island and 4 road ends. The CVRD has permits/approvals from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for lake access public improvements within the following undeveloped Ministry road rights of way fronting Shawnigan Lake:
·May Avenue (public trail access)
·Worthington Road (associated with CVRD’s waterfront park property at this location)
·Recreation Road (public boat launch)
·Bell-Irving Road (beach access launch for kayaks, canoes, cartop small boats)


November 28th at 7pm at the SLCC I will be bringing together all the agencies that have jurisdiction to present their roles and regulations around road ends and lake access. Hope you can make it.


Protect it!
As a community we are outraged about the ongoing saga of the contaminated soil dump (CHH), but not shocked by the continuing ridiculousness of the situation. Local government (CVRD) has exhausted its options to deal with this site. The Provincial Government has jurisdiction and they are refusing to act. In the history of remediation in BC, no site has ever been cleaned up unless it was being developed. In the New Year I will be bringing together a Think Tank of high level professionals to come up with a solution. If you believe you are part of that solution, please let me know, we need all “brains” on deck!
I look forward to connecting;
Sierra.Acton@cvrd.bc.ca
(250) 715-6763 call/text
iloveshawnigan.com
Fb @AreaDirectorAreaB


















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