Council heard how a new online biodiversity atlas could help Metchosin identify sensitive ecosystems and guide future planning. It postponed a decision on joining the Sue Big Oil climate-cost lawsuit and directed staff to schedule a workshop, after councillors raised questions about timing, community input and the cost. Council unanimously requested a report on the West Shore RCMP building’s financial impact, including possible ownership or tenant costs; it rejected a proposal to explore hiring a firehall project lead consultant. Staff will make the draft 2025 annual report available for public review ahead of the June 22 annual meeting.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
What was discussed
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Closed Closed Portion: Council Resolution to Close the Meeting to the Public
governance
The official motions list records a resolution to close the meeting to consider personal information about an identifiable person being considered for a municipal position. The transcript provided does not capture this closed-portion decision.
Carried 4 to 0
The public would be excluded while Council considers the listed personal information and solicitor-client privileged advice.
Official wording: THAT the public be excluded under section 90(1) 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;
(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.
Routine: approve the meeting agenda, adding B. Bacon’s correspondence to the materials for the Mayor Request and Firehall Project Consultant items.
Official wording: THAT the June 1, 2026, Regular Council Meeting agenda be adopted as amended to include the following supplemental information:
Correspondence received for item 5.a. Mayor Request, and 8.b. Motion for Firehall Project Consultant:
B. Bacon.
parks environment3 public speakers1:33 Watch · Read
Three Action for Adaptation presenters demonstrated an online biodiversity atlas and policy toolkit for local governments and First Nations. The atlas gathers nearly 100 datasets, including high-resolution land-cover mapping, forest carbon, disturbance, sensitive ecosystems, riparian areas and species at risk. Presenters said the updated mapping can reveal ecosystems missed by older provincial inventories and can help with Official Community Plan and zoning work. The atlas is a beta version, and users are encouraged to check findings on the ground and submit feedback. Councillors welcomed its potential use in Metchosin’s planning and park work.
Agreement
Councillors welcomed the atlas as a useful source of environmental information for future planning and conservation.
Presenters and councillors recognized that the mapping is still developing and that ground checks remain important.
3 Public Participation
community services5 public speakers27:44 Watch · Read
Five members of the public spoke. A Metchosin Community Association representative thanked local groups and volunteers for helping with the community garage sale and invited Council to the association’s June 11 annual general meeting. Two speakers opposed moving toward a paid firehall project lead consultant before the project has a clear concept, and urged Council to continue with the volunteer technical team. A West Coast Environmental Law representative supported revisiting the climate-cost recovery lawsuit and cited estimates of rising infrastructure costs for governments. A South Island Primary Care Society representative announced a June 11 public information session about plans for a primary care centre in Metchosin.
Disagreement
Two speakers argued that hiring a firehall consultant now would be premature and could waste taxpayers’ money; they favoured proceeding with the volunteer technical team.
parks environment1 public speaker40:51 Watch · Read
Council discussed whether Metchosin should join the Sue Big Oil campaign, which seeks to recover climate-related costs from fossil fuel companies. Councillors expressed support for examining the idea but questioned whether they had enough information or community input to decide immediately. They raised questions about the lawsuit’s process, timing, risks and how a contribution of about $1 per resident—roughly $5,067—would be paid. Council postponed the decision and directed staff to schedule a workshop on the climate crisis, Council’s priorities and the Climate Action Plan.
Agreement
Councillors agreed that climate-related costs and the lawsuit proposal merit further discussion.
Council agreed to defer a decision and have staff schedule a workshop.
Disagreement
The Mayor favoured discussing the request at this meeting, while Councillor Shukin said a focused workshop and more community engagement were needed before Council decided.
Councillors expressed support for exploring the lawsuit but differed on whether they had enough information to make a decision now.
Carried 4 to 0RES 178-2026Item 5.a55:31 Watch · Read
Council would wait until a future meeting to decide whether to opt into Sue Big Oil. Staff would also arrange a workshop for Council to discuss the climate crisis, its strategic priorities and Climate Action Plan, and municipal funding for Sue Big Oil.
Official wording: THAT Council postpone further decision on opting into Sue Big Oil, to a future meeting of Council;
AND direct staff to schedule a workshop to consider, Climate Crisis, Council strategic priorities, Climate Action Plan and municipal funding for Sue Big Oil.
Staff presented the draft 2025 annual report, which includes audited financial statements, tax exemptions, progress on objectives and measures, and plans for the current and following years. Staff proposed replacing the report’s 2025 Council priorities with the 2026 priorities to keep the report consistent with the district’s approach. Council approved making the amended draft available for public inspection and set the annual meeting for June 22, 2026, with notice to be given under the Community Charter. Staff said the separate Statement of Financial Information would be posted online and brought to the June 22 meeting.
Agreement
Councillors praised staff’s work on the report and supported making the amended draft available for public review.
Council agreed to hold the annual meeting on June 22, 2026.
Carried 4 to 0RES 179-2026Item 6.a1:03:36 Watch · Read
Staff would make the amended draft 2025 Annual Report available for the public to inspect, schedule the Annual Meeting for June 22, 2026, and publish notice of that meeting as required.
Official wording: THAT Council direct staff to make available for public inspection the District of Metchosin draft 2025 Annual Report as amended;
AND schedule the Annual Meeting June 22, 2026;
AND THAT notice of the Annual Meeting be published in accordance with the Community Charter.
7.a Rebecca Bishop, Program Officer, UBCM, 2025 CEPF: Emergency Support Services — Response Readiness and ESS Supply Inventory, Group Lodging Equipment, Training and NESST Conference
Council received for information a letter from the Union of BC Municipalities about emergency support services readiness, supplies, group lodging equipment, training and a conference. No substantive discussion followed.
Carried 4 to 0RES 180-2026Item 7.a1:05:07 Watch · Read
Routine: receive the UBCM correspondence for information, with no further action specified.
Official wording: THAT the correspondence be received for information.
Council unanimously asked the Chief Administrative Officer to report on the West Shore RCMP building project and assess the district’s financial impact as either a part-owner or an ongoing tenant. Councillor Gray said Metchosin’s annual rent could rise from about $75,000 to as much as $441,000, based on current estimates, and argued that Council needed to understand the potential cost for financial planning. Staff said they could prepare a report but would need to obtain information from project partners; the district has not been involved in discussions about capital costs or future rent calculations.
Agreement
Councillors agreed that the district needs a clearer picture of its possible financial exposure.
Staff confirmed they could prepare a report, while noting that key information would need to be requested from others.
Disagreement
Councillors raised questions about whether ownership or tenancy would be the better arrangement, but the motion requested analysis rather than choosing between them.
Carried 4 to 0RES 181-2026Item 8.a1:19:58 Watch · Read
The CAO would prepare a report on the West Shore RCMP building project, including what its financial impact would be for the District if it became a part-owner or remained a tenant.
Official wording: THAT COUNCIL request the CAO prepare a report on the status of the West Shore RCMP building project;
AND THAT the report include an analysis of financial impacts to the District whether as part-owner or an ongoing tenant.
8.b Motion For Which Notice Has Been Given — Firehall Project Consultant
public safety2 public speakers1:20:47 Watch · Read
The Mayor proposed asking staff for a report on hiring a lead consultant for the firehall project and re-engaging the Firehall Steering Committee to discuss that role. The Mayor said the consultant would complement, not replace, the volunteer technical team and could help keep the project moving. Other councillors preferred to wait for the technical team’s work, expected over roughly the next two months, and said the proposal risked confusing the process and adding cost. The Chief Administrative Officer said the project was in its early stages, that the funding picture was not yet clear, and that the volunteer team’s work could be prioritized before September. Council defeated the motion, 1–3. Two public speakers had also urged Council to stick with the volunteer team and avoid hiring a consultant at this stage.
Agreement
Councillors recognized the value of the volunteer technical team’s contribution.
The Chief Administrative Officer said the Firehall Steering Committee could be brought back at a later stage to support public input.
Disagreement
The Mayor favoured requesting a report on a lead consultant and re-engaging the steering committee; Councillors Shukin, Gray and Donaldson preferred to wait for the technical team’s work and opposed the motion.
The Mayor viewed a lead consultant as a way to support and augment existing work; other councillors saw the proposal as premature and potentially confusing or costly.
Defeated 0 to 4RES 182-2026Item 8.b1:32:13 Watch · Read
Staff would report back on hiring a lead consultant to guide the Firehall Project, and the Firehall Steering Committee would be brought back into discussions about that idea.
Official wording: THAT Council direct Staff to bring back a report on hiring a lead consultant to steer the Firehall Project and to re-engage the Firehall Steering Committee to discuss the concept of a project lead consultant.