Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 2nd October 2025
Mark Vonesch
I am writing with an important call to action on an issue which could have a huge impact on the autonomy of our community. Please take action.
Campbell River City Council is considering joining the SRD’s Electoral Area planning service. This is a service which controls all of the land use decisions on Cortes: this includes zoning, bylaws, and our Official Community Plan. If they join, Campbell River could approve developments or bylaws on Cortes that override the wishes of our community.
We could be forced into a Building Service, meaning you’d need to hire engineers and get permits to build structures, increasing the cost and bureaucracy of private and non profit building development – plus annual taxes to run the service.
The SRD Planning Service is currently funded by the four electoral areas and decisions are made by the votes of the four Regional Directors (Areas A, B, C & D). If Campbell River decides to join, they would have five votes and could over-ride what our community wishes in regards to land use decisions. This is undemocratic and just plain wrong.
It’s also a waste of Campbell River tax payer money because the only thing it provides Campbell River is the ability to vote on land use planning decisions outside of Campbell River. They do not get anything else out of the service - only control over Cortes and the other rural areas.
Joining our planning service would cost Campbell River residents five million dollars over the next ten years (approx $500,000 per year), while there are other important issues in Campbell River needing funding, including: downtown safety, housing, restoring the recent cuts to non-profits, decreasing the cost of the Strathcona Gardens renovation, youth programs, police service, arts and culture, and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness and addiction.
Read this Cortes Currents article to learn more:
https://cortescurrents.ca/srd-municipalities-wanting-control-of-the-electoral-areas-planning-service/
If Campbell River joined the land use planning service it would decrease average taxes by approximately $57 per property per year. Do you want to trade a small tax decrease for handing control of our land use decisions to Campbell River?
The only way to stop this hostile takeover is for Campbell River residents to put pressure on their mayor and council, asking them not to join the service and instead spend their money on more important things. The pressure needs to come from voters in Campbell River, which is why I’m asking you to reach out to everyone you know in Campbell River.
Please forward this to each of your friends who live or own property in Campbell River and ask them to send an email to the Campbell River mayor and council. I’ve included the email addresses below and a sample letter which I encourage them to personalize - personalizing the letter makes it more impactful.
Thank you for getting involved to defend Cortes. We are an independent community. Let’s stay that way.
In solidarity,
Mark
Mark Vonesch
Cortes Island Regional Director
email: mvoneschsrd.ca
mb: 250-202-4422
Sample letter for Campbell River residents to send their Mayor and Council:
TO: Mayor.Dahlcampbellriver.ca, mayorandcouncilcampbellriver.ca
BCC: mvoneschsrd.ca
To the Mayor and Council at the City of Campbell River,
I have just learned that you are considering joining the Electoral Area planning service at the Strathcona Regional District at a cost to Campbell River taxpayers of almost $500,000 per year.
In this time of fiscal constraint, why are you considering spending our hard-earned tax dollars to control neighbouring rural communities when we have so much that needs to be done in Campbell River?
Improving downtown safety, housing, restoring recent cuts to non-profit organizations, decreasing the cost of the Strathcona Gardens renovation, youth programs, increased police services, arts and culture, and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness and addiction are a much higher priority to me then controlling land use decisions outside of Campbell River.
As a Campbell River resident, tax payer, and voter I am writing to ask you not to join this service and to instead spend our tax dollars in OUR community on the issues that matter to us.
Thank you for your service and willingness to listen.
Full Name
Campbell River Address
Campbell River City Council is considering joining the SRD’s Electoral Area planning service. This is a service which controls all of the land use decisions on Cortes: this includes zoning, bylaws, and our Official Community Plan. If they join, Campbell River could approve developments or bylaws on Cortes that override the wishes of our community.
We could be forced into a Building Service, meaning you’d need to hire engineers and get permits to build structures, increasing the cost and bureaucracy of private and non profit building development – plus annual taxes to run the service.
The SRD Planning Service is currently funded by the four electoral areas and decisions are made by the votes of the four Regional Directors (Areas A, B, C & D). If Campbell River decides to join, they would have five votes and could over-ride what our community wishes in regards to land use decisions. This is undemocratic and just plain wrong.
It’s also a waste of Campbell River tax payer money because the only thing it provides Campbell River is the ability to vote on land use planning decisions outside of Campbell River. They do not get anything else out of the service - only control over Cortes and the other rural areas.
Joining our planning service would cost Campbell River residents five million dollars over the next ten years (approx $500,000 per year), while there are other important issues in Campbell River needing funding, including: downtown safety, housing, restoring the recent cuts to non-profits, decreasing the cost of the Strathcona Gardens renovation, youth programs, police service, arts and culture, and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness and addiction.
Read this Cortes Currents article to learn more:
https://cortescurrents.ca/srd-municipalities-wanting-control-of-the-electoral-areas-planning-service/
If Campbell River joined the land use planning service it would decrease average taxes by approximately $57 per property per year. Do you want to trade a small tax decrease for handing control of our land use decisions to Campbell River?
The only way to stop this hostile takeover is for Campbell River residents to put pressure on their mayor and council, asking them not to join the service and instead spend their money on more important things. The pressure needs to come from voters in Campbell River, which is why I’m asking you to reach out to everyone you know in Campbell River.
Please forward this to each of your friends who live or own property in Campbell River and ask them to send an email to the Campbell River mayor and council. I’ve included the email addresses below and a sample letter which I encourage them to personalize - personalizing the letter makes it more impactful.
Thank you for getting involved to defend Cortes. We are an independent community. Let’s stay that way.
In solidarity,
Mark
Mark Vonesch
Cortes Island Regional Director
email: mvoneschsrd.ca
mb: 250-202-4422
Sample letter for Campbell River residents to send their Mayor and Council:
TO: Mayor.Dahlcampbellriver.ca, mayorandcouncilcampbellriver.ca
BCC: mvoneschsrd.ca
To the Mayor and Council at the City of Campbell River,
I have just learned that you are considering joining the Electoral Area planning service at the Strathcona Regional District at a cost to Campbell River taxpayers of almost $500,000 per year.
In this time of fiscal constraint, why are you considering spending our hard-earned tax dollars to control neighbouring rural communities when we have so much that needs to be done in Campbell River?
Improving downtown safety, housing, restoring recent cuts to non-profit organizations, decreasing the cost of the Strathcona Gardens renovation, youth programs, increased police services, arts and culture, and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness and addiction are a much higher priority to me then controlling land use decisions outside of Campbell River.
As a Campbell River resident, tax payer, and voter I am writing to ask you not to join this service and to instead spend our tax dollars in OUR community on the issues that matter to us.
Thank you for your service and willingness to listen.
Full Name
Campbell River Address