Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 6th September 2025
Mark Vonesch
Hi Everyone,
After almost two years of consultations and community input, our new zoning bylaw is ready for public hearing. Please join me this Monday, Sept 8th at 5pm at Manson’s Hall and provide your input.
At the meeting you can ask to be on the speakers list to share your thoughts verbally or provide a written response. All of the input is recorded and provided to the SRD board who will consider the input in deciding whether to pass the bylaw.
More info on public hearings as part of the Local Government Act can be found here:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/planning-land-use/local-government-planning/engagement-on-local-planning-land-use/public-hearings
I don’t think the zoning bylaw proposal is perfect, but I believe it represents a happy medium including a moderate increase in density, more opportunities for the Housing Society to build non-profit housing, and an increase in secondary cabin sizes to allow for small family sized dwellings.
More details about the proposed changes and maps can be found here:
https://srd.ca/cortes-zoning-bylaw-review/
Overall, there is the potential for 427 more dwelling units, which sounds alarming to some folks but requires context. Many of those potential additional units come in the form of land owners being able to add a secondary suite in their primary house or build a duplex as their main house. Most people will not do that, and based on my research of density increases in other communities, only a small percentage of the potential additional units are realized years later.
Please come on Monday to have your voice heard! If you’re not able to make the meeting, email planningsrd.ca with your input and it will be added to the verbal and written input from the public hearing.
Reach out if you have questions or want to chat before the meeting.
Mark
PS: Without understanding the health of our aquifers it’s impossible to make responsible decisions about development. Over the last year I’ve been working with the Cortes Housing Society to get an aquifer study done and it was released last week. Overall it shows our aquifers and water supply are strong and calls for ongoing monitoring and education. Check out the full report here:
https://cortescommunityhousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/24-15_Cortes-Island-Watershed-Aquifer-Study_FINAL.pdf
Mark Vonesch
Cortes Island Regional Director
mvoneschsrd.ca
mb: 250-202-4422
After almost two years of consultations and community input, our new zoning bylaw is ready for public hearing. Please join me this Monday, Sept 8th at 5pm at Manson’s Hall and provide your input.
At the meeting you can ask to be on the speakers list to share your thoughts verbally or provide a written response. All of the input is recorded and provided to the SRD board who will consider the input in deciding whether to pass the bylaw.
More info on public hearings as part of the Local Government Act can be found here:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/planning-land-use/local-government-planning/engagement-on-local-planning-land-use/public-hearings
I don’t think the zoning bylaw proposal is perfect, but I believe it represents a happy medium including a moderate increase in density, more opportunities for the Housing Society to build non-profit housing, and an increase in secondary cabin sizes to allow for small family sized dwellings.
More details about the proposed changes and maps can be found here:
https://srd.ca/cortes-zoning-bylaw-review/
Overall, there is the potential for 427 more dwelling units, which sounds alarming to some folks but requires context. Many of those potential additional units come in the form of land owners being able to add a secondary suite in their primary house or build a duplex as their main house. Most people will not do that, and based on my research of density increases in other communities, only a small percentage of the potential additional units are realized years later.
Please come on Monday to have your voice heard! If you’re not able to make the meeting, email planningsrd.ca with your input and it will be added to the verbal and written input from the public hearing.
Reach out if you have questions or want to chat before the meeting.
Mark
PS: Without understanding the health of our aquifers it’s impossible to make responsible decisions about development. Over the last year I’ve been working with the Cortes Housing Society to get an aquifer study done and it was released last week. Overall it shows our aquifers and water supply are strong and calls for ongoing monitoring and education. Check out the full report here:
https://cortescommunityhousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/24-15_Cortes-Island-Watershed-Aquifer-Study_FINAL.pdf
Mark Vonesch
Cortes Island Regional Director
mvoneschsrd.ca
mb: 250-202-4422