Council approved a $749,045.85 road resurfacing contract and moved ahead with a DarkSky Community application, while emphasizing that the designation is intended to promote education rather than impose new lighting rules. A resident’s warning that Metchosin School may stop hosting evening and weekend rentals raised a separate concern about lost community access and at least $18,000 in annual rental income; the Chief Administrative Officer said the issue was about building security and offered to work on an agreement with the pickleball club. Council also set out next steps for a firehall needs analysis, including affordability, service demands and the building’s future size. During question period, residents pressed for clarity about the firehall’s expected lifespan and whether Metchosin had assessed an ownership stake in the new West Shore RCMP building; a notice of motion will bring the latter question back for a report.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
What was discussed
AI summary · check against sources
Closed Portion Council Resolution to Close the Meeting to the Public
governance
The official motions list records a resolution to close the meeting under sections 90(1) and 90(2) of the Community Charter. The closed-session discussion is not included in this transcript.
Carried 4 to 0
Routine: move the meeting into a closed session to discuss the listed confidential matters.
Official wording: That the public be excluded under section 90(1) and 90(2) of the Community Charter in order to consider:
(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality;
(b) personal information about an identifiable individual who is being considered for a municipal award or honour, or who has offered to provide a gift to the municipality on condition of anonymity;
(f) law enforcement, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the conduct of an investigation under or enforcement of an enactment;
(g) litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality;
(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose;
90(2)(b) the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a first nation or a prescribed Indigenous entity and a third party.
Council amended the agenda to add a notice of motion and supplemental correspondence, then adopted it. The added notices would be considered at a later meeting.
Routine: approve the meeting agenda with a new notice of motion and the listed correspondence added.
Official wording: THAT the May 25, 2026, Regular Council Meeting agenda be adopted as amended to include the following new and supplemental information:
New item 12.a. Notice of motion;
Correspondence received regarding May 25, Council Meeting, multiple items:
B. Bacon.
Correspondence received regarding item 7.a. Recommendation from the May 11, 2026, Committee of the Whole - Dark Sky Designation:
S. Rourke.
2.a Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (MISSA)
community services1 public speaker2:06 Watch · Read
MISSA’s executive director described the school’s return to the Lester B. Pearson College campus for its July 18–31 program. More than 30 workshops are planned in areas including ceramics, painting, fibre arts, bookmaking and writing; about 175 students had registered, with the school hoping to exceed 200 and able to accommodate up to 404. The presentation also invited residents to attend a ticketed dinner and fundraising gala, and asked for local volunteers.
Agreement
Council welcomed MISSA’s return to Metchosin and praised its long ties to the community.
Four members of the public spoke. A representative of the Metchosin Pickleball Club said the club had been told school rentals would end outside weekday business hours from July 1, potentially removing more than 20 hours of weekly play and costing the District at least $18,000 a year. The CAO said evening and weekend access raised security risks because staff were not on site and doors had been left open; he offered to work with the club on an accountability agreement. Three speakers addressed the proposed DarkSky designation: two supported it as an education-focused effort, while another urged clearer information and a gradual approach to avoid confusion about possible enforcement. Council did not make a motion on the school-rental issue; the Mayor said staff would work on it.
Agreement
The CAO said the District wanted to support pickleball and would work with the club to look for a solution.
Speakers supporting DarkSky said education and voluntary participation were central to the proposal.
Disagreement
The pickleball club representative challenged the abrupt restriction and lack of consultation; the CAO said unsupervised access posed security and liability risks.
Two speakers described DarkSky as voluntary and educational, while another said the process and any enforcement implications needed clearer explanation first.
The Mayor highlighted local and regional activities, including National AccessAbility Week, the Capital West accessibility advisory committee’s updated report, and work on regional climate, water and invasive-species plans. She also reported that other West Shore and Sooke municipalities were considering a regional coordinator for the Village Initiative, and urged residents to complete the 2026 census.
7.a Recommendation from the May 11, 2026, Committee of the Whole - Dark Sky Designation
parks environment3 public speakers37:26 Watch · Read
Council approved applying for DarkSky International’s Dark Sky Community designation. The application will be prepared by members of the Metchosin Environmental Advisory Select Committee (MEASC) with DarkSky International, then brought back to Council for approval; the District will pay the one-time US$250 fee from MEASC’s 2026 budget. Council members described the aim as education, not a new bylaw, while acknowledging that wording on the DarkSky website could leave residents concerned about regulation. The CAO said staff would work with the volunteer preparing the application to communicate the proposal clearly.
Agreement
All council members supported proceeding with the application.
Council members said applying does not itself require the District to adopt or enforce a lighting bylaw.
Disagreement
The Mayor questioned whether the relevant committee chairs had been consulted, while the councillor moving the motion said there was no new information to add.
A public speaker had urged clearer explanations and a slower education-first approach; council members supporting the application said it was already education-focused.
Carried 4 to 0RES 157-2026Item 7.a44:39 Watch · Read
Apply for DarkSky International community designation. MEASC members would work with DarkSky International to prepare an application for Council to review, and the District would pay the one-time application fee from MEASC’s 2026 budget.
Official wording: THAT Council apply for DarkSky International, Dark Sky Community Designation;
AND THAT Council direct the application to be prepared by member(s) of MEASC working with DarkSky International for submission to Council for approval;
AND THAT, the District pay the one-time $250 USD application fee from the 2026 MEASC budget.
Council directed staff to coordinate next steps with Royal Roads University so students can undertake research projects on the Buffer Land. A councillor said the projects were expected to be self-directed, insured and to have little or no cost to the District unless a specific proposal required otherwise.
Agreement
Council members supported facilitating the student research and noted that the work could help the District learn more about the land.
Carried 4 to 0RES 158-2026Item 7.b45:26 Watch · Read
Have staff work with Royal Roads University on the next steps to enable students to carry out research projects in the Buffer Land.
Official wording: THAT Council direct staff to coordinate next steps with Royal Roads University to facilitate student research projects in the Buffer Land.
Council accepted the review of registered charges on the Buffer Land and authorized releases of historic covenants, expired development-permit notations and stormwater charges on specified parcels. Once those releases are complete, staff will bring forward the park-dedication bylaw for three readings and a Section 219 covenant for execution. Council members thanked staff and volunteers for advancing the work.
Agreement
Council members supported clearing the registered charges and moving toward formal park dedication.
Carried 4 to 0RES 159-2026Item 7.c48:48 Watch · Read
Receive the review of legal charges affecting the Buffer Land and authorize the Mayor and CAO to remove the specified historic and stormwater-related charges. After those releases are completed, staff would bring the park dedication bylaw to Council for readings and the covenant for execution.
Official wording: THAT Council receive the findings of the review of registered charges affecting the buffer land, as outlined in the report;
AND THAT Council authorize the Mayor and CAO to execute the Form C - Release to discharge and release historic covenants EX2189 and EG44432 and expired DP notations FB466313 and FB466314 from the buffer land, legally described as Lot A, Section 93, Metchosin District, Plan EPP69605 & Section 94, 96 & 108;
AND THAT Council authorize the Mayor and CAO to execute the Form C - Release to discharge stormwater easement and covenant CA5867519 and CA5867520 from the buffer land, legally described as Lot A, Section 93, Metchosin District, Plan EPP69605 & Section 94, 96 & 108;
AND THAT Council authorize the release to discharge stormwater covenant FB512568 (modified by CB1293393) from Lots 1 to 34, Sections 93 & 94, Metchosin District, Plan EPP145710 and from Lot D, Section 93 and 94, Metchosin District, Plan EPP6960.
THAT Council receive the staff report;
AND THAT Council direct staff to bring forward the Park Dedication Bylaw for first, second, and third readings and the Section 219 covenant for execution, following completion of the registered charge releases authorized by Council.
Council directed the CAO to engage with the proposed volunteer firehall technical team and return with a recommendation for a qualified firm to conduct a fire-service needs analysis. Discussion focused on what services the community needs and what that means for the building’s size and cost: councillors raised call volumes, equipment, medical response, future population, climate-related emergencies, financing and borrowing. The Mayor also suggested reviewing the existing feasibility study and current service data. No firm was selected at this meeting.
Agreement
Council agreed that a needs analysis should inform decisions about the future firehall.
Council members said affordability and the actual needs of the community should be considered before settling on a building plan.
Disagreement
A councillor stressed that the analysis should first define community fire-service needs, rather than assume the building needs replacement; other discussion also emphasized assessing the building and project options.
Carried 4 to 0RES 160-2026Item 7.d57:59 Watch · Read
Have the CAO work with the proposed volunteer firehall Technical Team and recommend a qualified firm to assess the community’s fire service needs. That assessment would help Council decide what to do about the Fire Hall.
Official wording: THAT Council direct the CAO to engage with the proposed volunteer firehall Technical Team;
AND THAT Council direct the CAO to report back to Council with recommendations on a qualified firm to conduct a fire service needs analysis that will inform decisions about the future of the Fire Hall, as soon as possible.
A councillor recused themself before discussion. Council directed staff to review and implement suitable traffic-calming measures for narrow sections of La Bonne Road and Barrow Road, considering speed bumps, lower speeds, signs, line painting and other options. Members cited increased heavy traffic, safety concerns and road damage; the Mayor said weight restrictions could also be investigated.
Agreement
The participating councillors supported asking staff to identify appropriate measures to improve safety for road users and nearby residents.
Carried 3 to 0RES 161-2026Item 7.e1:00:23 Watch · Read
Have staff assess the narrow sections of La Bonne Road and Barrow Road and put suitable traffic-calming measures in place. Options include speed bumps, lower speed limits, signs, and line painting.
Official wording: THAT Council direct staff to review and implement appropriate traffic calming measures that are suitable to the narrow sections of La Bonne Road/ Barrow Road, including the potential of speed bumps, speed reductions, signage, line painting and other appropriate measures.
Council awarded the resurfacing contract to the low bidder, Island Asphalt Co., for $749,045.85 including goods and services tax. The CAO said the two bids were assessed through the same procurement process and that the District had worked with both firms in past years. The transcript caption garbles the amount spoken during the motion; the agenda and official motion list give $749,045.85.
Agreement
Council supported proceeding with the road work and unanimously approved the award.
Carried 4 to 0RES 162-2026Item 8.a1:04:16 Watch · Read
Award the District’s 2026 road resurfacing work to Island Asphalt Co. for $749,045.85, including GST.
Official wording: THAT the 2026 Road Resurfacing Program be awarded to the low bidder, Island Asphalt Co. in the amount of $749,045.85 including GST.
Council received the West Shore Royal Canadian Mounted Police first-quarter report. Members noted that small changes can make percentage comparisons look large when the number of incidents is low, and discussed a fatal traffic collision on Sooke Road. The Mayor also noted that Metchosin’s policing costs are significant and that the new superintendent had committed to attending at least two council meetings a year.
Agreement
Council members welcomed the report’s underlying incident numbers and the superintendent’s commitment to attend council meetings.
Carried 4 to 0RES 165-2026Item 9.c1:08:14 Watch · Read
Routine: receive the West Shore RCMP’s first-quarter report for information.
Official wording: THAT the West Shore RCMP’s Quarter 1 Report be received for information.
The Chief Financial Officer said first-quarter results were generally in line with expectations and no budget amendments were needed at that point. He flagged monitoring of police-contract costs, freedom-of-information consulting costs and road cleaning; illegal dumping had put road cleaning $11,000 over budget, and sanding and salting were $13,000 over. Police costs were below budget because the District had been billed for 3.5 officers against a budget of five, a possible $310,000 saving if that level continued. The road contract approved that evening was expected to start in late June or July, and the next quarterly report was due in July.
Agreement
Council members thanked staff for the report and supported continued monitoring of budget variances.
Carried 4 to 0RES 166-2026Item 9.d1:22:29 Watch · Read
Routine: receive the District’s first-quarter 2026 financial report for information.
Official wording: THAT the 2026 1st Quarter Financial Report be received for information.
After discussing the Minister’s response about Crown land applications near East Sooke Park, Council asked the Mayor to write to the Capital Regional District (CRD), which oversees the park, asking it to consider adding the lands covered by Land Act files 1415403, 1415404 and 1415322 to the park. The Mayor said she would also follow up in conversation. Council noted that consultation with First Nations would be important if the proposal proceeds.
Agreement
Council unanimously supported asking the CRD to consider adding the specified Crown land applications to East Sooke Park.
Carried 4 to 0RES 167-2026Item 10.a1:31:45 Watch · Read
Ask the Mayor to write to the CRD to consider adding the lands in the Crown land applications to East Sooke Park.
Official wording: THAT Council request the Mayor write a letter to the CRD, who has jurisdiction over East Sooke Park, to consider adding Crown Land applications: Land Act file 1415403, 1415404, and 1415322, to East Sooke Park.
10.b Hon. Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Response to Concerns Regarding Excessively Bright Headlights.
Council discussed the federal response to concerns about excessively bright headlights. Members noted that the government was aware of the issue and described work underway, including recent recalls and changes to a vehicle lighting standard. One councillor said the letter did not convey urgency given possible risks to drivers and pedestrians at night; the Mayor considered it a detailed and useful response. Council received the correspondence for information.
Agreement
Council welcomed a substantive response and recognition that the issue was under review.
Disagreement
A councillor felt the response lacked urgency, while the Mayor said it was a detailed account of work completed and planned.
Carried 4 to 0RES 168-2026Item 10.b1:34:53 Watch · Read
Routine: receive the response about concerns over excessively bright headlights for information.
Official wording: THAT the correspondence be received for information.
Council discussed the provincial response to its resolution about Canada geese. Members were disappointed that responsibility appeared to remain with local governments, but noted that the CRD and local groups were working on management, including egg treatment and a planned June count while geese were moulting. The Mayor said geese were protected under wildlife law and that farmers had reported substantial crop losses. Council received the correspondence for information.
Agreement
Council welcomed receiving a response and supported continued regional work on the goose population.
Disagreement
The councillors expressed disappointment that the Province did not appear to offer more direct action or support.
Carried 4 to 0RES 169-2026Item 10.c1:38:54 Watch · Read
Routine: receive UBCM’s summary of provincial responses to 2025 resolutions for information.
Official wording: THAT the correspondence be received for information.
The Mayor, who chairs the regional committee, outlined its work educating partners and advocating for services for families and youth who encounter the justice system. She invited residents with relevant experience to volunteer and said the committee was continuing to advocate for a regional Mobile Youth Services Team. Council discussed a June 2 open house in Victoria and received the annual report.
Agreement
Council members supported the committee’s work and welcomed its annual report.
Carried 4 to 0RES 170-2026Item 10.d1:43:48 Watch · Read
Routine: receive the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee’s 2025 annual report for information.
Official wording: THAT the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee 2025 Annual Report be received for information.
Council agreed to ask the Province to confirm continued, consistent funding through the Local Government Climate Action Program. Members said municipalities are expected to take on climate work and need dependable funding to do it without shifting more costs to local taxpayers.
Agreement
Council supported writing to the Province to seek a commitment to ongoing funding and continued collaboration on climate action.
Carried 4 to 0RES 171-2026Item 10.e1:46:17 Watch · Read
Ask the Mayor to write to the Province seeking confirmation that it will continue providing steady funding through the Local Government Climate Action Program, so local governments can keep working together on climate action and preparedness.
Official wording: THAT Council request the Mayor write a letter to the Province to request that the Province confirm their commitment to consistent, continuous LGCAP funding to further collaborate on climate action and preparedness.
The Mayor read a resident’s letter praising the community gathering as a way to build trust and goodwill, and saying it should be held regularly. The Mayor said the gatherings had been held monthly during the term and confirmed the next one was June 9. Council received the letter for information.
Carried 4 to 0RES 172-2026Item 10.f1:49:34 Watch · Read
Routine: receive the correspondence about Coffee with the Mayor for information.
Official wording: THAT the correspondence be received for information.
Council adopted the bylaw creating a reserve fund specifically for Buffer Land work. A councillor said the fund would help pay for future planning and improvements, including work by volunteers, using money associated with the historic land swap. The bylaw had already received three readings at an earlier meeting.
Agreement
Council members praised the dedicated fund as a way to support future work on the Buffer Land.
Carried 4 to 0RES 173-2026Item 11.a1:52:42 Watch · Read
Adopt the bylaw establishing the Buffer Land reserve fund.
Official wording: THAT Council adopt Buffer Land Reserve Fund Bylaw 2026, No. 714.
Two notices of motion were given for the next council meeting. One asks the CAO to report on the West Shore RCMP building project, including the District’s financial impacts as a possible part-owner or as a tenant. The other asks staff to report on hiring a lead consultant for the firehall project and re-engaging the firehall steering committee.
13 Question Period
public safety2 public speakers1:55:07 Watch · Read
Two members of the public asked about major projects. One asked whether the firehall was being planned for a 25-year, 50-year or longer useful life; the Mayor and CAO referred to a possible 50–60-year lifespan discussed in the feasibility work and said needs analysis would help establish the parameters. Another asked whether Metchosin had been offered or had assessed an ownership share in the new West Shore RCMP building. The Mayor and CAO could not confirm what earlier councils had discussed; the Mayor described Metchosin’s current position as renting and noted that ownership would bring financing, maintenance and liability responsibilities. A councillor pointed to the notice of motion for a fuller report at the next meeting.
Agreement
Council indicated that the RCMP building question should be followed up and that a report would return at a future meeting.
Disagreement
The public speaker questioned why the District had apparently not assessed ownership costs; the Mayor emphasized the financial, maintenance and liability burdens of co-ownership.