Transcript: Regular Council - 27 Apr 2026

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Okay, good evening everyone. Good evening everyone. Welcome. It's a full house tonight. Uh this wonderful to have you all here. Thank you. Uh I will however begin by calling tonight's regular council meeting to order. just confirm with staff. Do we have any other counselors joining us virtually tonight? Is anyone online as of yet? Councelor McMath has just joined in. Councelor Mcmath has just joined. Okay. So, councelor McMath, we will see you up on the screen uh per our policy. Reminder to have your camera on uh throughout the meeting except for when we go to PowerPoint presentations. I am zooming from work right now. So, as soon as there isn't information that's private um up, I will turn my camera on.

Okay. There is nothing private because we're sitting in open. Okay. Uh we're in an open meeting. So, there's nothing private to share at this point in time. So, I'll begin by acknowledging that we are meeting the information in my work unit. East SK Nation. Uh council, I'll turn your attention to item three. I hear myself echoing. Thank you. Okay. It's like the voice of my head. Uh I'm just going to make a few changes to tonight's agenda. Okay. Is that I'm not echoing. Okay. Thank you. So I I'm going to add a 3.2 2 which will be chair's remarks. Councelor Heldane is on vacation and unable to join us. So his item which is the notice of motion under 13.2 we will move that to the next regular scheduled agenda and item 9.1 which is our sister of city agreement souk. I have a presentation to share, but we're going to make that the new item 17 and so move that right to the end and then adjournment will follow as number 18.

So on that note, I'll look for approval that tonight's regular meeting be adopted as it's amended, please. That's moved by councelor St. Pierre and seconded by Baitman. Is there anyone opposed? None opposed. That carries unanimously. So our chair's remarks. So, I have three comments to make tonight. Uh, first of all, I would like to recognize media Mills. It is my honor, those let me make my comments just a moment, then we'll clap the one time or maybe two times Ill clapping. Uh, it is my honor to recognize someone who has made a notable contribution to the district of Souk and to our community, and that is media Mills. I know many in this room have worked alongside Media or experienced her thoughtful approach firsthand. For nearly 20 years, Media has served the district with dedication, care, and a commitment to public service. Her career reflects a strong desire to serve others, beginning in professions and continuing through bylaw enforcement roles across the region before joining Souk. Here in Souk, Medadia became a

cornerstone of our municipal operations as a business license inspector and senior bylaw enforcement officer. She brought more than knowledge but experience and a philosophy rooted in fairness, education, and respect reflecting the values of souk is a compassionate community. Media has demonstrated a belief in the goodness of our community and in working collaborative collaboratively to resolve issues. She has been a steady presence supporting residents, businesses, and colleagues alike with patience, empathy, and understanding. People knew they would be both heard and met with respect. Her work has always been more than rules about rules. It has been about people. Whether it was helping a new business navigate requirements or working through a challenging situation with a resident, media approached interactions with patients and a focus on solutions.

Beyond her formal role, Medadia has also contributed to the broader fabric of Souk, participating in community initiatives, supporting local events, and champion the idea that strong communities are built through involvement and connection. Media has also ped to pave the way for women in municipal enforcement, leading with integrity and kindness in a field where women have not always been represented. In doing so, she has helped demonstrate that strength in this role is shown not only through enforcement, but through empathy, communication, and respect. Media, your nearly two decades of service have left a lasting mark on the district of Souk. Your thoughtfulness, your compassion, your commitment to doing things with such care have made a real difference. On behalf of council, staff, and the entire community, thank you for your years of dedicated service.

We wish you the very best in your retirement. May it bring you time to enjoy the people, the places, and the moments that matter the most to you. We're going to miss you. Thank you, Nidia. And I do have a BA certificate and some flowers to pass on.

Media also participated at the music festival. We bravely both entered the dunk tank and she kindly went first just to get the fear out of it for me. So, thank you Medadia. Next up, I would like to recognize a youth in our community and that would be Jill Ducet. Recognizing an outstanding achievement of one of our youth, a graduate of Edward Mil Community School, who recently captured gold at the US National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships. In addition to her victory, she was also named the tournament's most outstanding boxer, an honor that speaks to her skill, determination, and sportsmanship. This is a remarkable accomplishment and highlights what we know here in Souk, that talent, dedication, and hard work can take our local athletes to the highest level of competition. This also recognizes and reflects on the strengths of our communities, our schools, coaches, families, and supporters who support and create the condition for success.

The second person I would like to recognize which you'll see as per our uh chief administrator off chief administrative officer update that will follow in the consent agenda. Last week was national volunteer week. So I would like to take this moment to recognize Mary Dunn whom is here in the audience tonight. You may know that Mary was in Ottawa last week to receive the sovereign medal for volunteers from the Governor General, Mary Simon. Miss Dunn, as you know, has over 20 years worked passionately to enhance health services throughout the Souk region community's health network and his Women's Cancer Support Society. Her thoughtful, dedicated leadership has been key to fostering collaboration and improving access to health care throughout the Souk region and surrounding areas. Mary, you've touched us all in many ways. Thank you so much.

All right. Thank you very much everyone for allowing that time. Uh we'll move on to adoption of minutes. uh in which we see 4.1 that the following council meeting minutes be adopted as presented April 13th regular and the April 20th committee of the whole moved by councelor Baitman seconded by St. here. Are there any questions or corrections? Is anyone opposed to adoption? Then that carries unanimously. We'll move on into our invited presenters. And first off is 5.1, the District of Souk audited 2025 financial statements. And tonight we have our auditor from KPMG joining us. Over to you, please. Great. Thank you for having me at your meeting tonight. I just wanted to provide an update on the audit status as well as some highlights of the financial statements. Uh KPMG has substantially committed the completed the audit of the district of Souk's financial statements.

Sorry, could you just introduce us? Would you please? Uh Lenora Lee, audit partner with KPMG and my colleague Ayamed is also joining senior manager with KPMG audit team. Thanks. Uh we have sub substantially completed the audit of the districts of Souk's financial statements and we've met with council to discuss our detailed findings and our audit results. We have prepared a clean and unqualified audit opinion which means that there's no material errors in the financial statements. They are accurate and there's no significant uh misstatements that we've noted uh that remain uncorrected in totality. Uh there's no outstanding matters tonight uh to complete the audit other than acceptance of the financial statements by council.

In terms of a few of the highlights of the financial statements, as at December 31st, 2025, total financial assets were just under 20 million and total capital assets were about 157 million. Uh total financial assets did decrease year-over-year primarily due to investment in capital assets or capital projects during the year. That included 5.3 million of cash spent on capital additions on projects such as the Little River Crossing, Connie Bridge, the Sport Box, and Demile Crossing as well as 2.6 million of developer contributed capital assets that arise when uh the roads and structures and such are uh created on development and provided to the district and become part of your asset base.

Offsetting those additions are about 3.4 4 million of amortization or regular usage of capital assets over their lifetime. Total liabilities or amounts owing uh to third parties by the district were 13.7 million at the end of the year. Uh and that was resulted in a reduction year-over-year primarily due to fewer capital projects in progress right at the end of the year as well as continuing payown of debt of the district. Uh the total surplus for the year following accounting rules was 4.1 million and in in other words that represents amounts available to pay for capital projects and capital additions as well as to contribute to reserves or transfers to reserve funds. Uh this was a decrease in annual surplus year-over-year uh primarily due to last year having more capital grants as well as uh DCC's recognized in revenue. Uh revenue did decrease year-over-year as a result. Uh expenses did increase uh primarily in the categories of protective services, development services, and sewer. Uh primarily uh general inflationary environment and increase in cost of services. General

government expenses did decrease uh by about 1% year-over-year. Of the annual surplus of 4.1 million, uh all of it plus more was invested in capital. Uh as mentioned, 4.5 million spent on capital during the course of the year. At the end of the year, the accumulated surplus was 163 million. So that is a measure of the district's overall net worth at December 31st, 2025. that made ma is made up of money primarily already spent. So of the 163 million 155 million has been spent on capital assets and 7.7 million is placed in reserve. Some of these are externally restricted reserves. So for example the growing communities fund monies and grant received a few years ago can only be spent on specific capital projects and specific eligible expenses. Uh a couple of the other reserves include uh sewer expansion as well as sewer operating reserve. Um there's also is a capital replacement reserve in place.

Overall that leaves about 30,000 of unrestricted operating surplus. Um and that means that all of the uh districts historical surpluses have either been placed aside in savings or have been spent on capital projects. Uh those were the highlights of the financial results I wanted to touch on. Uh we did want to thank management and the finance team for all of their assistance in the audit process. Uh a very clean and smooth timely process where we received all the support and responses to questions that we had answered on a very positive and timely basis. So happy to address any questions. Okay. Thank you very much. I'll put the resolution forward first and that is that council accept the draft financial statements of the district of souk for the year ended December 31st 2025 moved by councelor Betos and seconded by St.

Pierre. Any comments or questions councelor Btos. Uh no um it's a very I've seen the report in detail. It's very well done and uh we're we're looking pretty good. So thank you for your report. Councelor St. here. Uh just wanted to comment similarly very good report and we already received most of the details and are familiar with the report. Uh but for the benefit of the public because I do find the word awfully confusing. Could you please explain why surplus isn't really surplus? Surplus isn't really surplus in that uh the district needs to fund its own capital projects and place monies into savings. So surplus can be thought of as a subtotal of amounts available to invest in capital projects and amounts available to put aside for savings in the future. Thank you. Anything from anyone else?

No. Okay. So then I'll ask uh we're here to receive. Is anyone opposed to receipt? So that carries unanimously. Okay. Thank you very much for your time and thank you staff for your work uh about the statements, the the clean audit and all of your work there. Our next invited presentation tonight is our CMP quarterly update by Sergeant Gellich. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to join us tonight. Okay, everyone hear me? Okay. Okay. This is not recording as well. It just shoot It just goes green the body cam. So So that that makes everybody nervous, but if it's recording, it's red. Yeah. Yeah. Um it's like a real live version of cops.

Um so yeah, thanks. I'm here tonight. My name is Cara Galich. I'm the operations NCO at the Souk Detachment. Um so here to provide the quarterly report um not all the files we respond to but the important ones um for our statistics uh this last quarter. So our performance plan priorities for the 20 25 to 2026 year were enhanced road safety, impaired driving, aggressive driving and distracted driving. And the way that we um conducted uh to work on those priorities was targeting impaired drivers, uh school zone enforcement, daily school zone enforcement, working with the road safety unit when they've come into souk, um as well as uh searching for impaired drivers, proactive police work. Uh the second is crime reduction, prol prolific offender and organized crime. Uh prolific offenders are offenders that are known in our community um often creating the large amounts of crime. Uh we sometimes deal with a very small amount of the population but a large amount of the time. Um some of these offenders are on uh curfews um as well as other conditions. So we have a book

of daily offenders that we do curfew checks on daily um as well as targeting organized crime uh which we do through drug trafficking investigations and search warrants other projects. Um number three accountability and community engagement. Uh this is sort of something that's going on. It's hard to report it just for this quarter. Um we had the wounded warrior run where we had police officers involved in that. Um, coffee with a cop is going to be continuing. Um, as well as the tour to rock will be starting in September, but some fundraising will be starting up for that. We don't have a local rider this year. Um, there is one in West Shore and we'll be uh supporting supporting that. Um, as well as uh continued events like Remembrance Day and other community events. Uh, number four, employee wellness and respect.

that's um specific more to the RCMP detachment. Um so supporting our police officers, it is a hard career. Um it's a great career, but we do see a lot of very traumatic things and our numbers of the amount of officers working the detachment are not always as accurate just because some are off with physical injuries, mental health injuries and whatnot. Um, so employee wellness is also documenting positive actions by the police officers. Um, life- saving awards, um, you know, when they're in high-risisk situations, things that are just often not on the news, but we recognize those officers for that good work. Uh, number five, reconciliation.

So, relationship and trust building with indigenous communities. Uh, we have the three nations, uh, Chandan Nation, Souk, and Pachidat. So, that's an ongoing an ongoing um relationships that we're working with. Um I'm currently in the process of uh working with two agencies um in relation to intermittent partner violence and sexual assault investigations. Um we're going to be going to some of the communities and just providing more education and training. Um so those are our priorities for this year. Um at the end of this I'll actually ask for some suggestions for priorities for next year. So, like I said before, these won't be all the files that we go to, but this is just sort of a snapshot of some of the important ones. Um, so assault occurrences, um, relatively quarter 4, um, which would have been from January 1st to March 31st of this year, um, they're relatively the same as quarter 4 last year, um, going from 41 to 40. Um however we have seen an increase um just since April the 1st to I pull these statistics on April 21st we had a

increase of 13 13 files um in the municipality of souk if you look at the total numbers it's souk municipality and sou provincial but just for what I'm speaking at today I'll just provide the local stats for the municipality intimate partner violence uh so that's domestic violence So not brother sister but anything um where there's a a relationship uh husband wife same-sex marriage uh anything where people have had intimate intimate partner so that is relatively the same um this uh between quarter 4 from 2025 to 2026 um with the souk municipal being at six files and year to date we've got seven these are the um we have a number of these files Um these ones will be where we had uh criminal charges. Um we have a number of intimate partner violence files. They're scored differently if there's no assault or no arrest. So those uh those numbers aren't accurately reflected of how many domestic violence files we actually do attend. Um which are highest risk files and okay this is more accurate. So

intimate partner related occurrences. um these would be investigations we're going to where there uh may have not been an arrest but there's obviously concerning risk factors and we've been called. So there's a slight decrease between quarter 2025 to 2026 um from 26 to 24 but year to date we're already up to 30. So we're seeing an increase again uh break and enter occurrences between quarter 4 2025 to 2026 a slight decrease um from 10 to 8 but we've gone back up to number nine again just in the the last uh month of April here and mischief we have seen an increase between uh the quarter this year and quarter last year. So in the municipality of souk last year quarter four was at 47 and this year quarter four we were at 61 and year to date we are at 75.

So we're seeing a a real increase in youth violence. Um this is not all youth that are doing this but some of these mischiefs I believe are reflective of of what we're seeing. uh sexual assault occurrences uh again relatively the same um between quarter 4 of 2026 and quarter 4 of 2025. Um year-to date as well is is similar. Uh this is a a this is a file that is often um under reportported uh just because of um survivor victim uh at times they don't wish to to report this. Um we often will have victims report and they will advise that this has maybe happened by three or four other offenders. So again the occurrences that I'm reporting are only what people have reported to us. Um, next one, weapon offenses. So, this would be firearms, uh, careless use, pointing of a firearm, shots, fired complaints, weapon possession, uh, contrary to order, um, those are going to be serious weapons. Machetes, brass knuckles, things that in the criminal

code are going to be illegal. Uh, weapons trafficking, manufacturing, um, as well as weapons possession. So we've seen a quite an increase. Um in quarter 4 of 2026 we had 10 reports and in quarter 4 of 2025 we had two that felt to be actually unreported like a lower numbers in 2025 than what was actually occurring. Um and year to date to 2026 we've already had 11. So we are seeing a increase in violent weapons complaints. um impaired driving um between quarter 4 of 2025 and quarter 4 of 2026 um there was a decrease by about 30% from 33 to 23. Um I would like to say that was because we were doing more enforcement. Uh the reality of it was I believe we just didn't have as many police officers on the road to conduct um proactive enforcement. But the year-to-ate stats this year have uh gone up. Um and I think this has been attributed. We've have more police officers on the road, more proactive enforcement, locating more impaired drivers.

We often have number of reports, but we we aren't we don't have enough uh may not have a police officer in the area that's able to locate them at the time. And this is the files um involving a victim under the age of 18. Um so we've had a large uh increase in common assaults between the end of quarter uh grab here quarter 20 quarter 4 of 2025 we had 14 and quarter 4 of 2026 we had 15. So that's relatively the same, but we have seen an increase um year-to date up to 20 files. And this is uh involving aggravated assault, common assault, assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm, uh distribute intimate image, uh without consent, extortion, harassing communications, luring a child via computer, sexual assault, sexual interference. So that's sexual assault of a person under 16, and uttering threats against persons. So, our highest numbers there uh are common assaults and assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.

Some of our most disturbing files here. So, the child sexual exploitation material. Um, these are files. I've put these stats together, uh, just because these offenders, um, they'll be offending often from their home, but they're uploading these images, um, into multiple different jurisdictions in multiple different areas. Uh, so this is child exploitation. Um, so photographs of of children um involved in uh, sexual acts. We do receive these files from the BC integrated child exploitation team uh known as BC ICE and they receive the information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Um these files are very time consuming and require um investigators with uh a lot of experience and they're from speaking from personal experience they are the they're the most challenging and the uh uh hardest files to investigate. Uh definitely some people refer to them as God's work. Um those files have relatively stayed the same. Um I mean they've increased. Uh quarter 4 of 2026 we have four. Uh quarter 4 of 2025 we

had one. Um and year to date we've had six. And we have a total um for sexual child sexual exploitation material making or distributing um we have six. and for possessing and accessing that material. We have three for a total of nine uh mental health related occurrences. So in this I've put the mental health related files as well as our mental health apprehensions uh because we don't apprehend um every person that we receive a file in under the mental health act. Um in quarter 4 of 2026 we had 28 and quarter 4 of 2025 we had 31. So it looks like a bit of a decrease. Uh however, year to date we're back up to 39. Um but with a total of of 45 files.

So we are seeing an increase in this. Um there the SUK RCMP and actually multiple agencies in the province now have been trained um and we're using an online health IM um app on our phone. Um, so when we're dealing with people in a mental health crisis, uh, we when we get to that file, we'll put the information into the app, um, if one of the other officers is dealing with the person they've apprehended, taken the hospital, I may be putting the information into the app, um, and it sends it to the hospital. So, we're hoping to streamline the time our officers are waiting at the hospital. Uh, so the doctor at the hospital is able to review that information prior to us arriving. um because that's a lot of our challenge is we may get to the hospital and wait three, four, five, six, seven hours um with the person. Um and while we're apprehended, we can't just turn them over to security. That would be a simple solution, but not the way it works. Um so these this next um slide here it's a

bit hard to see but um this is the health I am and we have this app and we provide all the information and then once we're done we clear the call and the stats go to um through ministry of health and through the health IM app to show at what time the police apprehended what time they were at the hospital how long it took to process before they were cleared. So those are stats that are being gathered. Um as well as it's a database for us. So a lot of our people that we deal with with mental health issues are regular clients of ours. So if this is a person, I'll just use the name Mary Smith. Hopefully there's no Mary Smith in the audience. If so, I'm just making that name up. Um if we deal with Mary Smith all the time, it's a new officer, someone working overtime, someone in our area, they come and they punch her name and they're going to be able to see that last file of okay, this was a a real trigger for her. don't

speak about her daughter or you know what here her daughter is a someone that might be able to deescalate or assist. So it's a bit of a it's a great database for us and again it's something new we've just been trained on the last couple of months. Um a lot of these have been in the news but I'll just throw a few um investigations of public interest just in this uh quarter 4 of 2026. Um, a lot of our files we obviously can't broadcast, but this one SUK RCMP executed a search warrant with Island District GIS for threats um at a Souk High School. Uh, youth was arrested in this files before the courts. Uh, we also um engaged with Victoria Police uh general investigation section uh the Vancouver Island ERT and SUK RCMP. We executed a search warrant at a residence in Souk. One youth was arrested for violent persons offenses. Uh this files before the courts and we've had a very busy April um just April 1st to current um SURCMP working with the fire commissioner on a that very sad fatal

house fire that claimed two lives. Uh as well the Vancouver Island major crime units working with Sou RCMP general investigation session section on a suspicious death we had at a residence in Sou here a few weeks ago. um as well border services and Vancouver Island ERT and the Sugar CMP. We executed a high-risisk search warrant um at a resident last week in Sou was arrested and that files before the courts as well. So the increase in our calls for service files investigation um population growth uh SUK's one of the fastest growing communities on Vancouver Island. Um it's explaining the increase in crimes. There's more development in Souk.

There's more services in Souk. More people are residing in Souk. So more people are coming here. It's the way that uh things are moving forward. And so now for the 2027 um 2026 to 2027 Souk RCMP performance plan priorities. um looking to see if their suggestions um often their traffic safety is is one but um like I had before in the first slide uh road safety uh crime reduction with prolific offenders and organized crime uh accountability and community engagement employee wellness and respect and reconciliation relationships and trust building with indigenous communities. So, we're looking for uh priorities that the community would um mayor council would like to see for next year.

Okay. Thank you. So, I'm going to put this motion on the floor just to formal the speaking order here and that would be that council receive the report for information by councelor St. Pierre and seconded by Betos. Councelor St. Pierre, uh you can comment on the receipt or provide your suggestions at this time. Okay. Well, first I'd like to thank you for the report. um less in terms of uh priorities but more in terms of the report itself. Uh if it was possible when the information has been presented to go a few years back it's really hard with few data points to see you know exactly what's happening. I think that with the increased population, we know what's happening, but it just provides more clarity. If you have just a little bit more of a context going backwards further, that'd be wonderful.

And I have one quick question. Uh, and that's what is IDGIS? GIS is I got that one, but sorry, Island District GIS. So, Island District GIS is based out of Victoria. Um, because we are population of more than 15,000. We don't meet their mandate for them to assist us. Now, that was why we were really pushing forward to creating our own GIS section, but at this point, we still only have one person. We have these large investigations um obviously requires massive amount of resources um with the file where the threats were at the school um that went through Island District GS and we work closely with them. Um so, we do have a number of files where we will they are still assisting us which has been great um just because the amount of resources for some of these large investigations.

Thank you so much. And in terms of priorities, I think the council has already u made our priorities reasonably clear with budgeting a police leaison officer. Yes. And actually supporting youth in schools and trying to catch it early and help people early when they need it the most. So I think that's probably where the priorities lie. I would also comment that your work with uh road safety has been really exemplary. I got my first ticket in 30 years. So thank you so much. Yeah. Well done. Yeah. our school resource position has been posted. So, that will be uh will be getting filled and we've got some plans for that um as well as to be targeting some of the increase in youth violence.

So, councelor Betos, well, again, thank you for that report. Um I must say I'm very pleased that there's this many people from the community here to see uh what goes on and the amount of effort it takes to keep everybody safe. I appreciate the the work that you do. Are you able to It may be a tough question that you can't answer, but the last few reports that we've had, the uh crime rate has gone up quite a bit. Can you attribute it to any one thing or any series of things that that has changed because it's it's been quite alarming the last while the amount the stats have gone up. Is there anything you can do to shed light on that or am I putting you in a very awkward position?

Yes. Um well, as a population grows, there's also we're finding a lot of people that are because there's more services in Souk. There is there are more people that are coming from Victoria and other areas that are not um necessarily residents of Souk or necessarily have a fixed address that are coming to Souk for the resources. um and sort of um we are finding that we are um having files involving a number of those people on a on a larger scale and that could be contributing to to the numbers um as well as I mean population right is sort of our quite alarming so you know and I know we've got you extra officers now and hopefully that that will help and leaison officer of course really happy to hear that coming.

Uh so anyways I know you're all doing the best you can and very much appreciate the work you're doing. So thank you. Okay. Thank you councelor Baitman then McMath. Yeah. So thank you again. Um good to have you here as opposed to our staff sergeant who is very familiar face in chambers. Uh your your performance plan priorities. Um, again, I think this council did seek uh enhanced road safety as as a top priority under accountability and community engagement. Good to hear that coffee with a cop is coming back. Also, you know, we discussed during the budget process um the issues around public safety in the town center and um I believe that community engagement will include um engagement by the staff sergeant with our business community to uh because they are the eyes on the street.

Exactly. And so that intelligence sharing could be very useful. Um I I was curious about your definition of common assault. What what is common assault? So a common assault would be, you know, a punch, right? Anything like a assault with a weapon obviously is involving weapon. An aggravated assault would be something where it's like quite um you've maimed a person or [clears throat] maybe require them to get surgery or you know, part of their body doesn't doesn't work the same anymore. Um you know, broken bones. Um and then other ones, you know, assault with a weapon. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Machetes and brass knuckles. Yeah, that are popular these days. I was cur I was at a Victoria family court meeting the other day and the mobile youth services team which I think you're familiar with. I we just reached out to them today.

Okay. Yes. So they were telling us about the 764 group and this is a uh online uh collection of predators who are really u working social media and uh interfering and impacting young very young people. Have have you had any exp do you know about the 764 group? I personally don't know about the 764 group but I do know um conible bainbridge from Sanage and I know me at Golden. met with them um due to a number of uh youths in Souk that had bunch of violent files. Um they did come out. However, a bunch of those youth were um ex expelled were going to school which made a little bit more of a challenge. Um so I I can't speak to knowing that actual name of that group, but I'm aware of a number of these youths that are being exploited by um for either sexual crimes or for violence or for gangs. Um, if you have, you know, someone who's 13 or 14 go and

sell your drugs or commit your commit your crimes and they're getting arrested, they're not going to say they're not going to face the same type of jeopardy and criminal penalties that an adult would, right? So, they they find these at risk youth and they target them and they groom [clears throat] them. So, we are hoping that like our school leaison officer is going to be able to get in early. Um, again, it wouldn't be just a school leazison officer, it'll be our GIS section, all of our officers on the road. Um, and I just we have we have a couple youth right now that are causing a lot of issues in souk and I we just reached out to mist um today and uh I was just working on a file right before I came here involving two as well two youth as well. So, we're trying to um find ways to engage with the these youth and there's times where um when we're not able to sometimes the safest thing

for the community and the schools is actually if they are arrestable arresting them and putting them on court order conditions um to give them a curfew to keep them from attending the schools to keep them from talking to each other um and those kind of ways is how they have to um engage with us because if they're breaching those conditions now we have we can move forward. Um because the Ministry of Children and Families, they have uh certain um priorities and authorities as as do we. Um if we see some kids walking down the street at 10 p.m. We can't just apprehend them and take them back home.

Um but when they're committing crimes and things like that, it's it's ways to engage with them and then hopefully engage with MIST and find other resources to help them out. Okay. Well, thank you for your work. My my only suggestion might be um that you if you can supply these reports ahead of time so they're part of an agenda package so that we can properly absorb the material. Thank you very much. Thank you councelor Mcmath online. Hi there. Thank you so much for the presentation and and councelor Baitman hit one of my pieces. Um to have it before would be very helpful. I had one question um regarding the increase in calls and if any of that you could attribute to the increase in staffing.

I think yeah I think it goes both ways. Um when we have an increase in staff it's it's great we have more officers able to go out and do proactive work and they're going to create more files. um when we don't have as many officers, they're, you know, putting out fires, they're responding to things, but they're not as able to create be out on the road and be looking for impaired drivers or creating these proactive files um of drug trafficking and things that are problems in the community. Um but things that we need to be looking for that people aren't necessarily reporting on. You see a lot of those things in the middle of the night, right? Not as many people on the road, not as many, like you say, eyes and ears of the community. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Um, for myself, thank you very much for your time with us today and for the presentation. Uh, in terms of the priorities, uh, I would just suggest to leave them the same. And the reason for that is we are onboarding the two officers. One with the youthbased focused on the school leaison officer. It would also be a full year of the general investigation section and then meanwhile federally there's work around bail reform and and some others. I don't have the notes on the provincial files and so it' be interesting to keep the priorities the same with these changes. What does that look like next year? Uh at the same time there's there'll be a new council coming in that will want on board and and spend some time with the detachment and may have their vision on what their priorities would look like.

It won't be me, but thank you uh for the work. I would look forward a year from now just to seeing where we're at with this. Okay, great. So I think we're good. Awesome. Thank you so much for your time. You're more than welcome to remain with us the rest of chambers, but you probably have other matters and I do. So, we appreciate your time very much. Thank you. Um, on that note, I'll call the question on the motion. All in favor? None opposed? That carries unanimously. Thank you very much. Uh, moving on into tonight's agenda. Item six is the report of the chief administrative officer. The actual report would be within the consent agenda. I'll just ask Miss Gray now if she would like to share any highlights.

Uh, thank you, your worship, uh, if you don't mind. Um just with a uh peopleheavy focus uh CIO report uh this this meeting um just wanted to take a second to um myself um acknowledge media Mills as her last day in the office will be this Thursday and um when I joined the district going on nine years ago um you know uh media greeted me with a head nod and a how you doing and I was like I think I'm going to like this lady. was just super chill, super like I rarely see her animated. She was always willing to take the time to explain historical things. I'd walk over to her like, "Hey, media." So, like 12 years ago, this thing happened. Can you please remind me or tell me what happened? And she's the first to offer up whatever information she had. Um, you know, as as the mayor stated, but being a bylaw officer is a tough job for anybody, as well as being

one the first and only bylaw officer in the District of Souk for many years. Our second officer only started, you know, 9 years ago. Um, and uh, Medadia always handled it with grace and professionalism. Um, you know, she she's got a tough job anyways being a woman obviously made it tougher um, out there. People don't normally like seeing bylaw. And um she always came back to the office with just a shrug and a headnod and like oh well you know just letting it roll off her back and and moved on to the next. And I greatly appreciate that. It's a tough job that she has and um I just want to thank her for her personal support to me over the years. Um I I wouldn't you know I know she's one of the reasons why I'm here uh today. She she's a great asset to the team and we're going to greatly miss her and I wish her nothing but the best. And coincidentally, I teased her.

I was like, "Look, we have the seniors here for you to join." So, um, thank you everyone for coincidentally showing up today and new member coming soon. Um, but yes, I just thank you for that. Just thank you, Medadia. Thank you for everything. We got a couple more days with you in the office, but um, just wanted to publicly acknowledge you for that. Um, the couple other things, the next uh, is administrative professionals day. Um this is the day uh it's uh to recognize our uh administrative support staff and these are the people they're usually the first point of contact when anyone's calling the district. It's one of these people or emailing the district. It's one of these people that are answering this call or responding to these emails.

Um and and again similar to media um they've got a tough job because depending on why somebody's reaching out will depend on the mood and these this the staff um as you know all staff and especially the ones highlighted in the report um really go above and beyond um to provide high level customer service, maintain calm under stressful situations, provide advice and guidance and um point people in the right direction and do their best to answer the question that is asked. Um so I just really appreciate um their support and um look forward to working with them in the year to come. And the final um and on that as well, thank you to Ben and the finance team for the audited financial statements getting that piece done. And the final piece has already been touched on is uh the national volunteer week and special shout out to Mary Dunn who um again when I started working here I knew the name Mary. That was one of the first names I

I learned. So um thank you for all your service and um thank you to all the volunteers. um our ESS volunteers, Sukarama volunteers, the the um art show and and all of that. This community was built on volunteers. So um just thankful to them and appreciate them. And that's it for me. Thank you. Thank you very much, Miss Grade. Okay, we'll move into item seven, which is our public question and comment period. So this uh space is available for anyone in the room tonight who would like to address items on tonight's agenda and make a presentation to council. Uh we all lot two minutes per speaker. So when you start speaking u we ask that you come and join us at the table, turn on the microphone. if you could please introduce yourself with your name uh and then when you start speaking we'll start the timing and the time is just to be a allow us to get through the meeting and hear from as many people as possible.

Yes, councelor St. Pierre this is for the public. Yes, I know that we normally have a maximum total time. What's it going to look like today with so very many people in the audience? Well, I suppose we'll see as we go and we can also call to extend that or I'll extend it as chair and if you don't like that, you can challenge me at the time. I will. Okay. Thank you. I'd like to ask if any members of the public would wish to address council tonight. Come on. Please join us. Hi, Mary Dunn uh with S region community health network and I wanted to address item 13.1 and that's uh the the motion from Jeff Baitman to be putting forward a um referendum question on the next election to look at um the feeling in Souk the the asking souk about borrowing money to build the souk gathering place.

Um it's been over 17 years since Souk has had a senior center. The Souk gathering place is more than a senior center. Just everybody knows that we will also be doing um youth uh work as well, especially that intergenerational piece that is hugely missing in our society today. And that creates resiliency in youth. So we're hearing about the increased problems of crime in youth, creating places for youth to make those connections and feel connected in community and make connections with elders. um helps helps decrease that potential. So hopefully that will help. Um Carol Baitman isn't or Carol Penowski isn't able to be here tonight. She would have spoken. She's been working for close to 20 years trying to get a senior center in souk um and is having more health problems. And my hope is we see this start before she um doesn't get a chance to see it. Um we've worked hard.

I think we know the support in Souk. Our fundraising committee has made over pretty almost $295,000 which I think is remarkable given that that is money raised in small fundraising activities and donations directly from souk. We've been unable to go to bigger corporations to look for more money um or bigger donations because we don't have enough um certainty around site um and that sort of stuff. So once we get this forward, once this passes, hopefully those things will be able to move forward more and we'll be able to also gain more um donations and more money coming in to support this. Um I'm not going to say a whole lot more because I think a lot of people want to talk. We're also at time. Thank you. Okay, I can one more second.

I just want to acknowledge all the people that have thrown up today. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, folks. Okay, folks. I'm going to request that you please don't clap. This needs to be a neutral environment so that we can hear from all views. And so I just ask while you can certainly applaud and and take that outside. Uh we need to hear all views and create a respectful safe environment for all perspectives. Thank you. Nikki Logans. I'm currently the president at the Souk Region Communities Health Network. Um working on making the gathering place a reality. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I will also keep it very short um in uh just for hopefully actually I'm sure not everybody will speak tonight. So um actually I'll take this time to just acknowledge that several people are here in support of um item 13.1 on the agenda. And um perhaps a show of hands might be helpful.

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Um it's been a long time and it's time. So I really thank councelor Baitman for putting this question forward to council and um I urge you to support it tonight. um the plebbeite um I don't think I need to go into a lot of talk about the benefits of gathering place. It is it was really um it was wonderful to hear um seniors and youth appreciated tonight. Um just uh to yeah to know that this is what gathering place is really intended to be about. Um the seniors and the youth in our community especially. Um it's plan A was to develop as you are aware the gathering place with a building uh with housing component.

There was a lot of time, thousands of hours of volunteer time, a lot of money. It was not inexpensive to put forward proposals to um BC Housing to make that happen. That's fallen through. We need a plan B and this plebeite hopefully will help us if it is approved by the voters will help us to create a plan B that will move this forward and make it happen make the gathering place come to fruition. The need is growing, the costs are growing. Thank you, Miss Logans. Thank you. You're always welcome to send your written comments to council as well. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please.

Sorry, sir. Can you please turn on the microphone? Oh, this one. Oh, sorry. Apologies. Roger Temple. Um, a longtime resident of Souk. Well, short term 25 years. Um, lot a lot of people don't recognize people under about 50 years in Souas being a a resident, but I am actually a super senior. A super senior if you go to Mount Washington is rather special. Um, you get to do a lot of stuff and you don't pay much for it. In Souk, um, I'm representing really tonight the the Rotary Club of Souk. Um, I have a letter that I've written on behalf of the Rotary Club. In fact, if you don't mind, I'd like to read it to you. Um this is regarding 13.1. Um your worship mayor and honorable council members. The Rotary Club of Souk endorses the proposal motion of borrowing $5 million for the purpose of creating a muchneeded senior youth meeting location i.e. the gathering place. As you may be aware, the Rotary Club of Souk has to date um

donated $16,000 toward the cause and fully anticipated and expected that the BC province, the regional CRD souk municipality would also help arrange further financing. Obviously, the loan would require repayment of principle and interest and assume that that would be somewhat covered by various groups renting the space and somewhat from municipal taxation. It is unfortunate the BC province finds itself in a negative financial situation at this time. Um but it's a shame that they can't provide this facility themselves. We thank councelor Baitman uh for bringing this motion forward and supported 100%. Trusting that the mayor and council will adopt the motion to make it into the referendum. Yours is Rotarians for souk senior citizens and seniors. This was actually written by myself for Janette Wilford who's on vacation at the moment. She is the president of the club. So, thank you very much. And uh I have a copy of the letter if you would like me to.

Yes, if you could just provide that to our corporate officer, M um Mr. Greg. Thank you very much. Other speakers this evening. Um my name is Helen Ritz. uh live souk. I'm here to speak in support of item 13.1. Um and I I don't pretend to know all the history on it, but I was just wondering if the motion could be slightly more general so that it's not tied to lot A necessarily, if it could just be something da da da da da in the town center because um it would just it's not that it couldn't happen at lot A, but keeping it more general allows for bigger possibilities of other of other things happen. So that was my comment on that. And then the other one I wanted to speak to was item 9.3, the election procedure slashsign bylaw. And as someone who ran in the last um bylaw, I um or the bi-election, uh we need some guidance on the timing of election signs. Um it's not clear. It went to BC uh elections BC and they said, "Oh, the

municipality makes those rules." Went to the municipality, the municipality said elections BC makes those rules. But it is with the municipality to set those rules and lots of places do have it. Um, and it varies widely, but typically it is when the campaign period starts, which is 28 days prior to the election. Um, the city of Colona does 30 days prior. Langford does I I forget. Anyway, different things. Even the town of Lady Smith, they actually you have to get a temporary sign permit application, $100 refundable deposit, yada yada yada. That's probably a bit much, but there's lots of examples out there. And I think having some guidance about signs um would be helpful. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Ritz. Other speakers tonight. Yes.

Take your time. Oh, well, thank you for having me. Um, this is not totally prepared as I was sort of asked at the last minute. That's okay. Could I get your name, please? Oh, I'm sorry. Jane Smith, like John Doe. Yeah. And I'm presenting my ideas from the perspective of an advanced nurse practitioner in geriatrics. So for over 40 years I have worked with seniors. Um certainly had the book knowledge. We all get book knowledge when we go to school. But then I started to get the expert knowledge which is something that you only get through experience. And I think the first one I encountered was of course the the my my focus a lot was on dementia and the horror for the families of going through a family member um changing the entire dynamics.

But with a short period of time, I I wanted what I wanted to say was that as a member of the baby boomers and we have transfers through society, making changes as we've gone along, but we've now reached seniors and the we we are operating in an environment that is so different than what was before. The um the we're living longer and so we have more diseases. We have um the the horror of losing um a spouse after 50 years of marriage, the intense loneliness, the fear and the um lack of family because it's a transient society. Very few children work where their parents are these days. Um the solution to have them move close to their their family takes them away from their environment which they know. Which is why with 4 seconds left um this gathering place is a place where they can go for familiarity for support from someone who knows what they're experiencing. And you cannot know what they're experiencing. intense loneliness, fear, and often financial instability without

having experienced it. You may think you know from a book, but it's different. Thank you. So, thank you very much. Okay, again, the clapping, please. We see you. So, thank you. My name is Lorraine D'vorak and I'm a drop in to Souk in the last eight years and I would like to just follow through with what's been spoken just before me in the sense that I am just being introduced to this senior lot and I would say that Souk has a lot to be extremely proud of because there's some very good programs that have been established and set and it would be very nice if they could have a house to exist in. Um, I find that there's a young energetic group of people that are trying to renew what was lost over co and I think uh the souk community can be very proud of what's going on. I was at a program there were 40 over 40 people attending. It's a very small space in

the hall, but it's existing. And I think we're looking forward to something new. And I thank you for your time. Thank you for speaking tonight. Other speakers.

Nick Dickinson Wild. I'm wanting to talk about item 9.3. Specifically on page 137, it states, "Any owner of private property may choose to display or to refuse to display signage and would be within their rights to remove and dispose of signage placed on their property without their consent." Uh there has been multiple court cases about this and it does not only apply to owners. Renters can display signage that is against the owner's wishes in terms of election signage. It is a minor thing, but I don't want verbiage going out that implies that the owner's rights supersede ventures. Additionally, I would like to quickly say I am strongly in support of having more referendums at the voting period.

We don't want 100 referendums, but I strongly dislike the alternate approval process. So, the more referendums we can have at a specific timeline, the better if it's within SUK's potential four-year plan. Uh, also in regards to item 5.2, to councelor Baitman already touched on this but again the police report was not provided with the agenda which severely limits ability to review it. Additionally the stats had some confusion. Unfortunately we don't have the member of the station with us anymore. So this is probably to the wrong audience but anyways uh the reported data was for Q4 2025 and Q4 2026. Currently we are in the second quarter of 2026. Maybe they have a different quarter system. Many companies have different quarters than the calendar quarter but that was not specified within the report what those quarters were. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Other speakers this evening. On other items, I know some are here not for this particular for uh what some of the other speakers have spoken for because not everyone rose their hand, but this is the one and only time to address council. Okay. Thank you very much for the speakers tonight. We will move on into our agenda. That takes us to item eight which is the consent agenda. So that would be that the do we have folks leaving? Okay. So we will just pause while folks leave the room before carrying on. Uh council this may be a good opportunity for a brief recess. So we'll take a 7 minute health break. 7:06 we'll reconvene at 7:13.

Uh folks can also find our outcome on YouTube. The meeting is being recorded and you'll be able to go online and watch the deliberations later.

Okay, everyone. I would like to call everyone's attention back to the meeting, please. Thank you. Uh, okay. So, we're moving on to our consent agenda tonight, and that'll be that the following items on the consent agenda be adopted by consent. 8.2, correspondence. 8.3 Report of the Chief Administrative Officer 8.4 Proclamation for Melanoma and Skin Care Cancer Awareness Month May 2026. 8.5 Development Variance Permit 108-661 Souk Road 8.6 Six, Bill 25, smallcale multi-unit housing response zoning amendment bylaw number 939600-116206. I'll look for a mover and a seconder. Moved by councelor Baitman, seconded by uh Betos. Councelor Baitman would like to pull some items from the correspondence agenda. Um number four D uh souk budget input by Eric Bucher. Number 10 J, request to amend the Souk Food Bank service agreement from Kim Cald and 21E, permanent daylight saving time from the city of Langford.

Okay, thank you. Those will all fall to the next regular scheduled agenda. Are there any other items that anyone would like to remove from consent? Okay, so I will then call the question. All those in favor, please. None opposed. That carries unanimously. Thank you. That moves us into our report section. We will start off with the council resolutions update. Over to staff, please. Uh thank you, your worship. I don't have a PowerPoint to uh go along with this presentation. Um just wanted to highlight um as we're nearing the end of the term and uh council meetings. Um just some of the accomplishments that council made over over this term. uh as seen in the report, I I don't know for sure if this is a complete comprehensive list, but it's pretty close. Um that over 500 resolutions were passed by council during the year. And that's just resolutions council passed. That doesn't um indicate all the work the district has completed, i.e., you know, year ends and financial statements. There's no council resolutions directing that work

to happen. It um just occurs because it's legislatively required. Um so some of the um resolutions during the term uh accomplished achievements in all of council strategic priorities initiatives and in the report has highlighted some of the the key resolutions that I found um which was um under the sustainable growth and environmental stewardship section the adoption of the official community plan. Um this has been underway for two terms now potentially um you know 20 years now depends who you ask. So um getting adoption of the official community plan during this term was a massive success of council. Um in the community economic development front um a big accomplishment over this term was the uh successful implementation of municipal regional destination tax. Uh this tax will go a long way to help the district in their tourism and uh in in initiatives to promote souk as a destination and support uh local businesses. So very excited for that.

Again, that was another initiative that has been uh years in the making. Uh community safety and well-being has been a major focus of council this term. Uh with the transition to 247 uh fire and police services, uh including enhancing emergency response capacity, the hiring of emergency program manager, um the hiring of a firesmart coordinator. Um all all of these have been a big priority for council in the community and reaffirmed uh year in and year out during our annual budget surveys. And so council through their various resolutions um has supported increases in those services continuously. Uh the last couple sections uh infrastructure investments and multimmodal transportation next networks. This again has been a huge initiative um and area of focus for council over this term. Uh this has been you know sitting in the finance chair before I was in the chief administrative officer chair here. Um, infrastructure has been a huge, you know, bane on the district for for years to come and council again through some of these resolutions made significant pro

progress um supporting numerous grant applications that um you know started with the Otter Point Road that was 100% grant funded during COVID times that started um or as you heard today in our audited financial statements millions and millions of dollars and of investments in capital assets over the years. These are difficult decisions. Priorities needed to be made by council and um you know you have made your decisions in public in the open um and with community involvement and support and um you know this was a huge area as well. Another huge commitment council made was the um long-term asset management of 2% uh committing to doing that a 2% next tax increase every tax return. And even when it gets difficult, um, council has shown that this is a priority and you need to save for the long term. Oh, it's great to have all these assets, but when they start deteriorating, if we don't have funds saved up to start maintaining and replacing those, uh, things get a lot

more challenging and difficult to fund any new initiatives or new priorities of council. And the final area um, just I'll highlight and happy to answer any questions after this, uh, would be the organizational development and capacity building. Uh again, council's motion to adopt the council code of conduct bylaw. Huge accomplishment by council. Uh not even all councils, I don't believe have even done this yet, even though it was strongly encouraged and now eventually will be legislated to happen, I believe. Um and so that was a that was a huge improvement um from council or sorry um initiative council undertook and as well as uh the reinvention of our community investment program that that is a big change management initiative. Um, as we've seen, we're we're a volunteer-heavy and and community uh focused uh group here and you know, there's a lot of good community groups doing a lot of good things and it always is a challenge every year. And so, uh, council has tried to be very, um,

sensitive and intentional now with how these dollars are being spent and has supported a new program that will make it fair and equal and for everybody and very transparent on on what the rules are and how it applies to you. and and as well as for capacity building, we've invested in um numerous online tools and improved website um to make interacting with the district easier for residents and and developers and builders in this town. Um any I'll just leave that there. Just wanted to provide a bit of a summary and a highlight of some of the many accomplishments council has provided direction to staff on over this last term as well as just a snapshot of some of the outstanding resolutions with more reports coming to council between now and October break. Thank Okay, thank you very much. I'm going to put the motion forward and that is to receive the report for information by councelor St. Pierre and seconded by Bettos and we'll go to speakers or questions. councelor. Well, speakers that may want to speak and ask questions. Councelor St. Pierre,

uh, I'd just like to thank, uh, our CEO for this report. Uh, it's it's nice sometimes to see exactly what we have accomplished because sometimes you get lost in the weeds and it's just good to be reminded, I think. So, thank you so much for that. Councelor Betos, yeah, I just echo Council St. Pierre. Thank you for that report and uh, again, it's nice to do a little review of things that we have done and uh, all the work that staff has put into these. Thank you, Councelor Baitman. Yeah. So, 560 resolutions. Wow, that is stunning. Um, and yeah, so thank you for the report.

There is this new new wrinkle as as the communications department keeps bringing forward, the how we move story map, which I recommend people have a look at. It's a really interactive, userfriendly guide to all the infrastructure um uh improvements over the years. I'm curious about the um the unadressed motions, the open resolutions, I should say. And I'm wondering um you have how here I'm trying to find it. 18 of them I think or so. Um how are those prioritized in any way, shape, or form? Can we Yeah. How how are you going to proceed? Uh through your worship to councelor Baitman. Uh the the goal would be for all these resolutions reports to be presented to council before the election. Okay.

So that that is again I was trying to highlight like there is a lot of work already underway here. So just managing expectations if new uh priorities or initiatives come from council uh one of these other initiatives might have to wait just depending on the complexity of the report being requested. So um so yes th those are there because the idea is the plan would be that these resolutions in some format are presented to council um before the election here in October. Okay. Excellent. And you you got my note today about the missing. Yes. Correct. I I was pleased that there might have been one. So thank you for that. It's like a test. Okay. Here we go.

Just one missing. Not bad. Uh thank you very much for the report and for the work on this. And it should be noted that the resolutions do not expire. or they would just then carry on and fall into the next term and then eventually maybe receive for information or maybe they'll advance. Uh it just won't have this particular council uh deliberating on them. Uh that's an interesting note. Um you may know we have a program called the council club for school children. Uh and really what I share with them is that we make decisions in this room. That is the point of a council. So now I have a a data point to share with them.

There's a group coming tomorrow. So, thank you for that. I will call the question on receipt. All in favor? And that's unanimous. Thank you. The next is 9.3 general election 2026. Over to our corporate officer, please. Thank you. Your worship. So, the report that you have in front of you lays out the uh essentially statuto basis for the election which will be held later this year. how that's governed under the local government act and then how it's given local force under the district of souk election act uh election bylaw and the um some of our subsidiary rules for example in our sign bylaw um so we outline the statutory basis on which voting is taken place some of the choices which are made in souk on how voting takes place for example automated voting is an option but it's one that has been chosen to be adopted and is required at certain voting opportunities while um merely optional but therefore strongly encouraged in others.

Um it provides the information about the four proposed voting opportunities that's one or more than are required in law and the basis on which we chose them including particularly accessibility and ensuring that voting is as widely available available as possible across inerson voting on the day inerson advanced voting a special voting opportunity and mailin voting which we hope will encourage maximal uh community participation and then goes further on to some steps which still need to be taken and uh where uh some of the approaches that we intend on taking on those as the year proceeds and then finally talks about some options and possibilities particularly about signs.

Um so I did just want to go into a little more detail on that. Firstly I should note there is indeed a mental typo which appeared uh in the report either during drafting or editing that should say owners or occupiers when related to land. Um I should certainly not intend any slight on rentals of which I am one myself. Um the um say the two main things which I think um will come up are um this the report indicates that we intend to uh bring forward proposals to amend to reserve certain colors for the district. those being our municipal colors in order to ensure that we can put out official signage without any concern about subliminally influencing voters uh who may have chosen uh a particular color palette and then find our signs going up that are the same. And also uh timing has come up from a few people including in public input today and the I did just want to note that the Ministry of Transportation

and Transit have their policy which applies to Highway 14. That's obviously our primary road through town. That policy does restrict signs to the election period. So that starts this year on September 19th, 2026. So any election signs which appear within the MOT right ofway on Highway 14 before then would they would be within their uh their right to remove them. So if the district wished to have consistency across Souk, then you could instruct us to put in that same period in our signs bylaw. Um, we do would want to get moving on any changes that we would like to make as July 5th of this year is the last day to adopt any changes to the election bylaw as those changes must be adopted at least 56 days prior to the first day of nominations which is September 1st of 2026.

So with that I will very happily take any questions. Okay. The same procedure would be to receive the report for information moved by councelor Baitman and seconded by St. Pierre and questions or comments. Go ahead please. Okay, thank you for that report. Um so I see the advanced voting will happen here in the hall. Now my my question was um and I can't remember because I'm sure we discussed this last year or or the bi-election I think was the debut of advanced polling here at at the district. Um why did we move away from downstairs of the community hall which is is an accessible spot that's worked over the years and um lots of parking in the immediate proximity.

Uh thank you. through your worship. Uh there are um three advanced voting opportunities which are being being proposed uh in this report. So two of those would be in this council chamber and one would be at Edward Milan Community School. Um so that that the there would be that extra advanced voting at the community school on Saturday, October 10th, which would be new for 2026. I don't believe that's been done before. Um I can't speak for why in the past um they moved away from the community association hall. What I can tell you is that knowing that the bi-election had been conducted in this room um my belief was essentially that there there are many advantages to it taking place in a room that we solely control. We don't have to pay for we can set up in advance. we can take however long is needed to set down where uh we can to a degree control parking for example more easily by requiring staff to use the lower parking lot making the

upper one available for residents. Uh so although if councilors are minded to instruct us to look at different locations, we certainly can do that. But we felt that um in providing two opportunities to vote here at municipal hall and two opportunities at the community school that would spread a good balance of accessibility about locations while keeping communications fairly simple as well. Okay. And the elevator will be working on those. That is our hope. It's always the the mystery. Um, I had I had um, yeah, I agree the EMCS lobby would be a perfect spot since the gym is not available on election day. Um, the colors of the signage are are you intending to to deny candidates the opportunity to use any of those colors? Are you going to choose one of the five?

No, it would it would be all of those. Those are all colors that the district use, right? Okay. Yeah. I I as a as a former candidate, um I I would worry that if if this uh conflicted with a color of a a sign that I have paid for, uh they're not cheap. Um and and that they would make those ineligible for this upcoming campaign. That would be be challenging for me, but I I'd get over it, I suppose. and uh through your worship that would again be uh certainly that would be a concern if there were um signs which had already been used and we're going to be um depreciated across multiple elections. Um I would note that because um the election signs are supposed to be depreciated across the elections they are used on. That should in theory mean that candidates with new signs or no new signs are on a level financial playing field. Although I certainly appreciate certainly appreciate why if someone identified strongly with one of them then they uh they might not like like

the change. Um the report included the five colors which are officially adopted by the this district as our official municipal colors. Yeah. But uh again this we we are not even at the point of bringing the bylaw forward at this stage. So if council wished to instruct us to only bring forward a subset of these that could certainly be done or if when the proposals come forward you wish to uh instruct us to take some out then again uh if that is the wish of council that would not be any trouble at all. Okay. Yeah. I think that's good for me. Thank you. Okay. The seconder was councelor St. Pierre. Go ahead.

Thank you. Um through your worship, I'd like to follow up on the uh color scheme because I'm curious. Uh often our bylaws uh require complaints sometimes from you know two residents and so on and so forth. What's the process for this or is it more the case that if any signage is seen for example by any staff? Uh my understanding is that normally our bylaws would be complaint driven. Uh if the signage, even if it shared some colors, didn't look in any way, shape, or form like it was representing the municipality, then there's effectively no issue. Would it require a complaint that there was confusion or is it automatically going to be targeted?

Uh thank you. And through your worship, a bylaw violation is a bylaw violation whether or not a person complains about it. So although the um council could choose to um word the uh word choose to instruct us to word the bylaw on either forbidding the use of those colors or simply reserving that these are the ones that the district will be using for official signage and therefore essentially just preemptively defend ourselves against any accusations. Either one of those would be permissible if you did choose to um adopt a bylaw which prohibited the use of these colors. And similarly, if you chose to prohibit the display of signs uh outside of the election period, then those would be offenses against which our bylaw officers could take action whether or not an individual member of the public complained about it. Councelor Betos.

Yeah, thank you your worship uh to staff. Um I'm still a little confused. Like um I have a number of signs made up from the last election which had we had no problems with them and I'd really be upset if I couldn't reuse those. I might have to put counselor and put mayor instead in there but it doesn't really matter. Um but uh if I run I would certainly like to use use those signs again. So am I in any jeopardy with this color scheme? I I mean five colors that I mean how many colors is there? I mean we could everybody could run into a problem with with five colors. I mean uh I'm sure somewhere in my sign it's going to be one of those colors. So I'm a little confused as to how to proceed.

Uh thank you and through your worship. Um as I noted this is not yet even a bylaw proposal. So um council can certainly instruct us instruct staff at this point not to proceed if that is the will of council and then or you could instruct us to either do a limit uh limited subset of these. Um, as I said, these are the five official souk colors which have been adopted and the district's branding guidelines, specifically Harbor Deep, Potholes Current, Morning Mist, West Coast Sunset, and Whiffen Spit Dawn, which are beautifully evocative names for various shades of teal, yellow, and orange. I am not an artist.

My my my suggestion is just to leave it well enough alone. And uh if we start putting those restrictions in, then you're going to have all sorts of definitions as what the hell are those colors actually mean? Because I wouldn't know. And uh as I um indicated in the report, if there was to be any restriction, then it would be defined by the RGB and hex codes, which are the official definitions of colors. Uh but as I said, this is a matter for council if you uh for the majority of council if you wish to adopt any such restrictions. I am aware that there was some online commentary in the past about municipal signage which um looked similar to campaign signs by certain candidates and therefore we are looking to avoid any risk of that. If council are not concerned about that risk then you can instruct us not to take any action and there will be none.

Okay. Thank Okay. Thank you. So each of these like Harbor Deep does have a panone. I think that's what you were referring to related to it. So when you do create your signs, you would just be able to note that it matches uh or doesn't. There's thousands of them out there. So there you could be several shades off and be fine. It's just this is limited to these particular ones. And it is to address the concerns that came out of the bi-election so that the district isn't accused of favoring one candidate over the other. Uh I think it's just getting the information out. I have not heard of any candidate so far that is reusing signs that conflicts or has a concern with this except that you might uh well I don't know I don't remember what color they were uh I don't remember what color your signs were okay I guess we'd have to look at them but uh you might want to dig those out and dump and dust them off uh

you know just to protect the integrity and fairness a process. It would make sense to me to put these into a bylaw so that it's known that this is what it is. It gives uh candidates time to create their signs and to have something ready. There's there's time if you're thinking about it. You should get on with it though because this isn't a bi-election. It's a general election. So, everyone throughout the South like everyone in BC is going to be getting quotes from printers and getting printing. So just anyone out there that is viewing this and is interested in running, it's important to start that planning now.

Also make it bigger so people driving can see it. Uh the only one I thought that you could not put a sign on municipal property, but that's actually not the case. Like that was my understanding over five elections, but that's not. I could have done that. your worship. There are currently no explicit restrictions in Souk's um by bylaws or policies as the owners and occupiers of land. Then we can um require that people remove things if we don't like them. And the local government act specifically prohibits the use uh the presentation of signs within 100 meters of voting locations and election locations. So for example, the park immediately adjacent to this building would have been largely sign free because it is within 100 meters of this building which was used to run the election even when it wasn't a polling site. So there's a number of interactive restrictions which um play into each other rather. But uh yeah, it may make sense to clarify that in

which case I would be in support of updating the signed bylaw uh just for clarity around that that municipal property is um is not permitted. Uh there were some signs, not mine. I saw signs in parks that upset other residents and I know other residents took them down because they didn't want to see uh they wanted our parks u particularly signs nailed to trees and the like left alone. So I think it's important that we that we update this so that it's known. Uh and also sometimes there were signs stickers put on speed limit signs and on the back. Um so those like that language needs to be clear. I think the highway is clear under the provincial jurisdictions, but it's likely we've not updated our signed bylaw to address this in quite some time. So I think it's timely for that.

Through that whole reading of the bylaw, it also will help get the information out that these changes are happening. So, I would recom I I do support those. Um I feel for private property that's up to the private property owner. Uh if they chose I have no problem with if you want to put 50 on private property, then so be it. They're all in one location. You might want to move them around, but I if someone wanted to put one out early, that should be the ch that should be up to the owner how long they want to look at it. It would be their opport they would need to maintain it. But I think private property owners should be able to come or occupiers, renters should be able to make that determination on their own as they like.

There's sometimes you see them in windows like we don't want to be entering and say you have to take that sign down that's in your window. Um but that would be their their choice to do so. It's more just municipal property. Uh it may make sense to align it with the provincial guidelines. Um just so it's in alignment there. Roads are fine. I mean that would be when the election I can't remember all the the terminology now but when that window opens to put them on roadways that is fine but I think parks district municipal hall uh our own plane fields Ravens Ridge and the like parks should be left uh outside of that. That that's that's my my uh thoughts. I'd like to hear what others think about that. Um councelor Baitman.

Yeah. So I I thought in in the um report there's a reference to the election signs and posters policy of the Ministry of Transportation and Transport. So you must remove signs along the highway within 24 hours and we allow 72 hours. So, I I certainly I I I really love seeing how the community changes when those signs vanish and we return to normality. So, I I'd like to see our policy also state 24 hours along the highway, I guess, on secondary roads. Sometimes they walk around and they move though, so I don't want to interrupt others, but I think 72 hours is fine because sometimes yes, they do come down and but sometimes they they walk around and it takes a while to find them all. Yeah, true.

So I think, you know, you need to allow that bit of grace to to be able to find them all. They they walk about. Councelor St. Pierre, um I really appreciate the work. I'm looking forward to seeing this come forward. Uh I do think that including provisions about color science is appropriate just because it nips something in the bud that might might be an issue. Uh I think that a reduced color palette makes it impossible to actually duplicate uh the municipal colors and avoid confusion would be sufficient and I think that would probably satisfy. Uh I do think that coming into almost complete alignment if we can with ministry of transportation provincial legislation just makes it easier so that people don't have to look at different rules from one place to another. that just creates unnecessary confusion. And as such, I would prefer the 24 hours just because we don't need unnecessary confusion. Uh if people miss a few signs, I doubt very much we're going to rake them over the coals or cause issues. But if everyone knows it's 24 hours is 24 hours and that's it. Uh I

just don't think that having multiple different sets of rules helps anybody. And so thank you for your work. Okay. Well, that's fine. Councelor Betos, did you have anything else? Uh no, I'm okay. Okay. Okay. So, we have a motion on the floor to receive this in for information. So, would we like to then maybe do that and then do a follow-up motion? Speaking of motions, where there's some direction. Okay. So, I'll clear this one first. Uh, it's just receipt. All in favor? That's unanimous. Uh so then it would be something that council provide direction or that council direct staff to proceed with amendments to the sign bylaw to include the color pallet, the 40 24hour removal of signs and prohibiting signs on in on municipal property including parks.

Was was that and uh uh would you like to also include the um election period? So starting on September yes the election period which does not include private property but for municipal roadways and the like. So uh that would be the motion. Um should we wait for it to be appear on the screen? Yes, we should. So we know and then we'll look for a mover in second

Maybe while we're waiting for that to emerge, I do have one count, one question. Sorry. Can you please describe or walk me through how a curbside vote would occur? So, somebody came in, they are unable to uh what what would that look like? How would you know that some how is how would you know and what would that look like? Thank you, your worship. Yes, I did forget to mention that at the beginning of the report, I'm afraid, but it is another option which is available statutoily for accessibility purposes. So, we intend to have uh greeters waiting at the entrance of voting locations. Um their primary purpose will be first off to ensure that people know that they're in the right place and to have a map of the district available so that um anyone who um can confirm that these are this is the area within which u the voting is taking place and within which you must either live or own property in order to be an eligible

elector. If anyone can get to that greeter and advises them that they are unable to access the um voting place for whatever reason, for example, they are unable to get up the stairs or use the elevator in this room or if there's some issue which prevents their accessibility at Edward Milan Community School, then they uh alert us to that fact and we take the voting materials to them. Uh the local government act specifically has pro uh provisions in there allowing that in order to ensure that curbside voting may take place uh if necessary all other voting will temporarily be suspended uh in order so you might do that for example if you only had uh one or two people on duty and you wanted to ensure the uh security of the ballots while the election election officials were leaving the the room in order to go to a person to take the vote to them.

Um, so there is a requirement to get essentially as near as possible to the voting uh location in order to engage in curbside voting. But if a person makes it to this location, then we will bring the vote to them if they are unable to access it for whatever reason. Does that then go into like a sealed envelope? uh there are provisions under there where our staff would be required to take whatever precautions would be necessary to ensure that the secrecy of the ballot was maintained while the vote was being cast. So that could for example entail uh the use of a privacy envelope of which we are election bylaw um already mandates their use where uh where requested in order to ensure that a vote is secret between the mark being made and it being recorded on a voting machine. uh so a vote could be inserted into a privacy envelope and then multiple people witness the vote being walked to the ballot uh ballot machine and being cast. So there are ways essentially to ensure that everyone who

wishes to cast a vote can do so and that the security of the ballot is maintained while that takes place. Okay. Thank you. And just to councelor Baitman's point when you asked about the dining room at the community hall, I I'm going off memory here was that parking was a challenge. not all the time, but throughout the day where there was complaints that um some were away for the general election day and they were unable to vote or they had to circle around and come back and it wasn't like it wasn't certainly not the case all the time, but at certain times or when people were able to vote, they couldn't access parking and then the distance became a a barrier to participate.

Uh, okay. We'll look if that motion is ready to go on the screen.

that'll be just up in a moment. Your worship, I'm quite glad you had that subsequent fairly detailed question to fill the time. So, if there's anything else that anyone would like to know, I am happy to take more questions. Councelor Baitman. So in the p in the past I think uh community members could could um sign up to be um poll poll watchers or not that's not the right scrutiners. Scrutiners is that still possible for members of the community? Scrutiners are up to the candidate to determine that would be a not a district of souk function. Not a scrutin there there were paid positions that community members could um participate in in the past.

Uh through your worship there's a couple of different things um which are involved there. So uh as her worship has indicated um scrutinies for a election are appointed by the candidates and they watch the voting and ensure that it's uh all uh rules are complied with etc. Uh we will be looking to hire staff in order to work as work on the election. So I mentioned already that we intend to have greeters at the doors. We'll be hiring for those positions. We will have people sitting at the desks inside to make sure that um the individuals are either registered or can register on the day in order to get their ballot and provide them whatever assistance is required while they are voting. Our intention is both to look inside this organization for staff who wish to work those and also to hire externally although we have not yet begun the process of doing that.

And then I just thought of one other question although the motion's on the screen and that would be that there's usually an information session help for prospective candidates. Do you have a potential date set for that? Uh we do not have a date set for that. That is certainly going to happen but I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what the best time for it would be if council wish it would we would certainly be looking to do that prior to the nomination period. Uh so if council so considering that starts on September 1st, that would likely be at some point in early August or late July in order to give people time to uh consider everything they hear and dwell on its implications.

Yes. Okay. No, I'm glad to see that happening. Uh just something to consider is sometimes an outgoing elected official from another community uh may come to answer questions. Um I've accepted an invitation to attend not in soup but elsewhere. So that's something where you may want to as you as those individuals are known that may be something to consider as well. Okay. The the motion is live. I would be that council direct staff to proceed with amendments to the sign bylaw. Two, include restrictions on the use of district color pallet, establish rules for signage during election periods on roadways excluding private property, require removal of signs within 24 hours, and prohibit signs on municipal property. That's moved by councelor St.

Pierre and seconded by councelor Baitman. Any comments? Councelor St. Pierre. Councelor Baitman. Councelor Betos. I'll call the question. All in favor? And that carries unanimously. Thank you for your work on this and uh this is exciting. Okay. I think if anything as we give out newsletters is to share the highlights with the community. So interested uh folks are getting good information. Next up is 9.4. It's timely. Local government borrowing and referendum rules in British Columbia government law. And thank you your worship. That's me again because I really love voting and nerdy procedure around voting. Um although of course now my computer is not loading this so I may need to do this for memory which would be unfortunate. Um there we go. Sorry my apologies. So the uh this report is essentially come up to provide uh council with additional information as you consider what other options you would like to be on the ballot. Um so on October 17th of this year, of course, we're having our general election. So

there is time over the next few months to uh add additional items to that ballot. And this report lays out what some of those options would look like. for example, um seeking elector opinion. Um so that would be a pleverite or the referendum if you wish to take certain actions which require the ascent of the electors. Um in many ways, shapes and forms, uh these would all feel very much like voting in a general election and all of the existing rules that we've discussed over the last 20 minutes or so would uh generally apply for say uh the actual casting of votes. So, for example, it would be the same exact same uh advanced voting opportunities. It would be the exact same on the day voting opportunities. It would be the exact same curbside voting opportunities. Your uh things that you may wish to consider uh including what if you wish to have any votes, what types you wish to have and why that might be. So, um the report talks about uh I say the distinctions

between plebites and ascent. Um some important dates or timings to be aware of are that for example if we if you wish to engage in borrowing uh that requires the approval of the electors. So that can be the ascent of the electors in the form of a referendum or an alternative approval process. If you uh whichever way you wish to go with that, it would require first for the borrowing bylaw to be read three times and then after that to be approved by the inspector of municipalities, which takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks. So uh much as I indicated, some of our bylaws, if we want to be in effect for October, will need uh to be done within the next couple of months. Similarly, if you wish to engage in a borrowing bylaw, then we would need to have that in on an agenda for you to read three times within the next few meetings in order to be accomplished in time. Once a bylaw has

received uh the approval of the inspector, then an 80-day counter starts within which the voting must be held. Uh that of course would be timed to hit the October 17th date if you wished to have a vote take place on that day. Um so again I am very willing to take any questions you have on these. Um I think the only other thing I would like to note is that of course we we will organize a public vote on any occasion when the majority of council wishes to have one. Um in terms of um costs for a referendum they are because as I indicated the voting experience would essentially be identical. There would be the same number of advanced voting opportunities. We would still need to hire machines. We would need to hire staff. We would need to rent locations.

The cost of a district-wide referendum is functionally the same as the cost of a election. Um so if you wish to have a referendum on the same day as an election, the marginal cost is extremely limited. It's essentially adding a little bit of statutory advertising. And the oh yes the only other mention diff difference I wanted to add it was about um so on that one on scrutinies well in an election scrutinies are appointed by the candidates for a referendum scrutiners do apply directly to the district um saying they are for or against uh either side of the proposition and then we can select scrutiners if there are people who supply who supply their names wishing to do that in order to watch over what we're doing and ensure that again all the rules are followed. Um, so if we're doing that at the same time as an election, it's essentially the added cost of advertising and not much else. If we are doing it at a different time to a election, it is essentially all the

costs of an election. So although we will organize one whenever you like, we would like you to bear that in mind to maybe either reduce the number of occasions or else increase the budget in order to allow for additional voting opportunities. So again with those I will very happily take any questions that you have. Okay I'll put uh the motion forward to receive for information by councelor St. Pierre and seconded by Bettos. Go ahead councelor St. Pierre. Thank you very much your worship. Uh I'm curious about uh our readiness to actually put forward a referendum on the through connector. uh given the short timelines and how quickly you'd have to bring this forward to council, how close are we to having the work done ahead of time and I know that much work has been done. So where are we? Are we good to go or what does it look like through the worship through your worship to the counselor? Uh detailed design of the project is proceeding.

uh we're in the 75 80% mark for the three phases. The really big concern would be whether or not we get notification of grant funding and we have no indications at this time that the funders will tell us anytime soon. So without having that information, uh we wouldn't be able to give council a good idea how many how much funds we would be borrowing for. So if I recall, we'd be asking the public roughly between 50 million and 25 or so, something to that effect depending on. So nothing too specific really. Now, if you wanted to take the worst case scenario, you would assume that you would get no borrowing or no grant funding and you would have to borrow the entire amount.

Okay, that being the case, I know the council has discussed uh things like uh presenting in different phases and although there are certainly advantages to do all doing all the work at once, uh it does seem possible that the public might bck at $50 million and that it might be useful to actually have it broken down in terms of what might be more acceptable. Uh is that going to be one of the options presented? I am preparing a report for May to try to break this all down into manageable pieces so council can have a wholesome disc discussion on it. Thank you for your difficult work. Councelor Betos then McMath.

I guess for me it's uh we do need to hear about those grants. If they don't come in in time, that's a different story. Um but I guess I need to know when is the drop dead date for receiving the grant information? I mean, we have to have it in so much advanced time to put it on the ballot. Uh, do you have anybody have those figures here? What is the drop dead date? Um, through your worship to councelor Betos, I would say we're within the next month area as Mr. Lois explained. Uh, if you wanted to do a full-blown borrowing bylaw, that would need to be started to be actioned by council next month. So, so we're definitely under a crunch time here to do a full-blown uh ref bylaw that would allow borrowing to occur.

Yeah, you answer my question. Thank you, Councelor McMath. Um just um clarity for myself with we have there's quite a few pieces in the air right now. Um, so will we have a special that aligns with the with all of those pieces where we discuss um what goes on the ballot, if it goes on the ballot, and the costs associated with those. Are you like referring to a special council meeting once we know what is on the ballot? Special or regular? like is is the timeline going to fit with the deadlines that are required for us to have all of those all of those pieces.

Uh through your worship to councelor Mcmath I'll maybe start and if I understand your question uh yeah that is the intention of staff is to um for Mr. Miller to present a more detailed report specifically on the thrup connector and um get some feedback from council on on what the options are based on the information we'll know at that time. Uh at this time as Mr. Miller stated, we don't we do not know the status of the major grants that we've applied for. So we understand that will be a major um decision point or factor in council's recommendations provided next month. Uh so uh yes, Councilman Math, the plan would be to present a report to council either at a regular meeting or at the uh will of the chair at a special meeting called to specifically talk about the through connector so we can get direction and get clarity on timelines.

If there is still a plebite question, council would like um just to confirm what that would look like um and options and so Mr. Miller will be um making best efforts to provide details and options to council for more wholesome conversation. Perfect. Thank you. Councelor Baitman. Yeah. So the current plan is it May 11th or the committee the whole on the 19th or the 25th? There are three scheduled meetings. 25th. Okay. And Mr. allow us. You've noted June 26 to to get these um get get a request into the inspector. Um would that be early June or late June? Uh through your worship to councelor Baitman. I'm frantically looking around the mathematicians further up the table who can I can tell you the timelines that are required. We would need to have the the referendum would take place at no more than 80 days after a bylaw got inspector approval which would take 6 to 8 weeks. So a bylaw would need to be have three readings and be sent to them s to 6 to 8 weeks before no more than 80

days before sep uh October 17th. And I'm going to need someone who knows numbers better than me to actually tell you what that date is. A July 5th deadline was Oh, no, sorry. That was to adopt the sign that was to adopt the signed bylaw, but we would still need to have this reviewed and inspected, which means it would it would need to be earlier than July. So, it would be the case of council will need to make a decision. So, I'm just I'm holding this book in my hand because at the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities, we received an update uh from the Union of BC Municipalities that the Build Community Canada fund uh which I'm think was what we applied to was 8:1 overs subscribed and the outcomes will not be known till the summer. I don't know if that was early, mid or late summer. Summer runs until September 21st, which means we may or may not even know. So I think it's the case that as we receive the report from staff, it would be making a decision on

what we know. Perhaps it may be a plebite question. Should we does the community want us to we've spent considerable time and funds designing a road. Does the community want the road? Or maybe they don't. Not everybody does. So maybe it would be a general plebside question or maybe it wouldn't. So I think it's the case where we have to at that point make a decision on what we know. Uh we'll have the dates and then determine then it's either going to move or it isn't because we don't know and or it'll be broken down into a section of we know we would decide 50 million or maybe it's part and it would be that. So that is the report that's coming and then in terms of hitting the deadline if it doesn't fall within the regular council schedule then as indicated by staff then special meetings would need to be called to be able to advance it accordingly. So we have to just go with what we know. Uh

the other unknown would be the number of candidates. So we may in terms of cost there is also a printing cost and a and an associated cost related to that. In one year we won election cycle we had I think two questions and I think more than one voting machine was required to be able to process two separate ballots. I can't recall if the CRD is progressing a referendum as well. So that potentially would also fall onto our particular ballot as well if it became regional in nature. Uh so we don't know those costs of printing. Um and whether it's our plebite or referendum or CRD referendum, the number of candidates will not be known until the nomination period closes. Um, in our last general election, I was advised that if we had or heard that if we had won or even two more, we would have gone to a double-sided ballot or we would have needed two different ballots to feed into the machine. We also don't know what the school board is doing because then we also host the trustee election on the same ballot. So, there's some

that we know and some that we don't. In which case, as more comes known, those decision points will come forward. We can only make a decision on what we know. which is some things in terms of process, but there's other things that are yet to be determined. Okay, go ahead, councelor Bman. Yeah, and I guess my only other point I see in the report here as of April 2026, the rate from the municipal finance authority for a 25 to 30-year borrowing is 4.85. So I assume in your report um we we'll see um see those kind of numbers in in real dollars. Yes, that's what we're saying.

Okay, that's great. Okay, so we'll move on. I'll call the question then. All those in favor of receipt and that's carried unanimously. Okay, we're going to carry on into our bylaw section into item 10. And we have one here for adoption and that is that council adopt the bylaw cited as property tax rate bylaw number 9412026. Moved by councelor St. Pierre, seconded by councelor Baitment. All those in favor? Any opposed? None opposed. That carries unanimously. There is no new business. There are no notices of motions to be read. So we do have one under 13.1 which is a motion for which notice has been given. So I will turn to councelor Baitman to read your motion into the record please.

Okay. So whereas 82.9% of district of souk voters on November 15, 2014 were in favor of developing local multi-use community center facilities serving seniors and youth. And whereas the district and the souk region communities health network have worked extensively on plans to establish the souk gathering place multigenerational center on lot A in the town center. And whereas the community has responded strongly to multiple fundraising efforts in recent years that have raised $293,979 to date towards construction of the soup gathering place. And whereas this funding falls substantially short of the TBD amount that will be required. Therefore, be it resolved that district of suit provide voters with an opportunity to respond to the following question in October 2026. In your opinion, should the district borrow up to 5 million to construct and operationalize the suit gathering place intergenerational center on lot A in the town center? Yes or no?

And further that council direct staff to report on the suit gathering place intergenerational center on lot A in the town center including the steps required for inclusion of this question on the October ballot and the taxpayer implications based on current municipal finance authority rates. Okay, that's been moved. Do I have a seconder? Councelor St. Pierre seconding. Go ahead, councelor Baitman. Okay. So, I I think I've said much of what needs to be said in the whereas clauses. Um begin by stating very clearly this motion is for a plebite or a community opinion question on the ballot. It is not a binding borrowing question that would require a uh a borrowing bylaw. Uh it is not binding on the next council. In other words, u but it will provide direction for that group of people. Um, so I'll I'll note from the start here, I initially brought this potential motion to the souk age friendly committee last fall and it was wellreceived. I was urged to proceed and um I'll just go

through a few of these whereas clauses, the first clause around the 2014 plebite. Um, this was the largest single official show of support for any such question in the municipality's history. And yet of course the seniors remain homeless despite the fact that they are also the fastest growing demographic in souk. And um yeah that's whereas number one whereas number two uh I could go into great detail here about the work over the last decade starting with the formation of the souk community center advisory committee back in April 2015. the reps from Souk Community Association, Souk Fall Fair, Search and Souk Rotary Club, Sea Park, Transition Souk, among others. Um that that committee came forward with a recommendation in 2017 that council plan for multi-use community spaces at the Wadm's Way location. Um Carol Panolski, the tireless and dedicated um suit resident, she brought a delegation to council in late 2017 asking the district to reserve space on lot A for a new build senior's drop-in center which

council did indeed grant in 2018. Uh the souk uh the senior youth center reserve fund was created in July 2018. Um, in December, the L Sharet identified the northeast quadrant for the senior youth drop-in center with seniors housing above a a new and significant component to this story. Um, July 2019, the Northeast Quadrant L task force uh developed business case proposals for the drop-in center again paired with seniors affordable housing. Lad's eastern half was resoned in February 2021, April 2023 andou between the district and search and was finalized with a focus on the gathering place but plus senior housing on lot a gathering place development permit was approved unanimously in July 2023. In July 2025 last year, Search and learned that its latest and I think it was the third such application to BC housing to fund the senior's housing component had been declined and it announced Searchin's board announced that uh it was going to revert to the earlier plan of building the suit gathering place independent of a housing component and so that's been the process in brief.

There are other component pieces um but just as evidence for whereas the district and search and have been working extensively on plans over the decade. The third whereas clause talks about the fundraising committee truly a force of nature. That group of people they have raised close to 300,000 through events like the grand parade, the souk spectacular senior competitions, dances of the legion and a very steady tide of generous donations by citizens. Um my fourth whereas clause um all the fundraising to date is epic effort by a community but still well short of the mark. Uh the cost of the gathering place is now estimated with a modular build at upwards of $2.5 million. Um and additionally there's a need for ongoing operationaliz operate operating costs over time.

and my therefore clause. If we can scroll to that next page, um given over the last decade, it is entirely appropriate now to give voters an opportunity to confirm or not whether they want the district borrowing funds to complete and operationalize the project. The results will provide direction to the new council on the value of this community infrastructure to be contrasted with uh municipal road infrastructure. This is soft, not hard infrastructure, but it's soft infrastructure that in fact uh contributes dramatically to community wellness um and our local index of happiness. Th this um you all know about the intergenerational center. Um I have included the up to $5 million aspect in the motion since this project. I noted earlier half half of that amount is the current budget for the the modular build but with up to 5 million that creates um creative opportunities to create a a more of a multi-use um concept. You know, the Souk Arts Council needs a gallery and art studio spaces, um, a dedicated youth center,

um, a future location for the foundry BC office, um, a blackbox theater, which has been requested, um, by the Amber Academy, Sukar Players, Souville Harmonic. Um, this is described as the Swiss Army knife of social infrastructure because it can be completely it can be turned around in minutes flat and you can create multiple uses in that space. And also uh so yeah, there can be creative room if we look at up to five million. And yeah, so I think I've said it about all. I'll just close with a quote from the Gathering Place fundraising team. We are a vibrant group of folks aged 55 plus, many of whom are active and involved in the community. We volunteer, take classes, exercise, enjoy entertaining, and look forward to a long life in pursuit of healthy fun. It is only right that Souk has a dedicated space for everyone to gather with family and friends. So that would be an argument for the yes vote, but of course it will be a opportunity for everyone to say yes or no.

There we go. Thank you, Councelor St. Pierce. Seconder. Well, I think councelor Baitman has covered a lot of ground and most of the things I might have said. So that's I don't know what what do I say now? Uh actually what I would like to say is um I would like to open up the possibility of it not being on L as was presented by a member of the public because it's possible this could happen elsewhere. Uh I think including the spec the specificity it's getting later uh doesn't necessarily help the question. The question really for the public is do they want the district to invest uh their tax dollars in moving something like this forward? And I think that's more important than the exact location because that's really what they should want to know. Uh so I would suggest a friendly amendment to remove that tiny piece because I don't think it actually significantly changes things. It could still be on law 8 with all the work that's been done on that. But if another

option presents itself and seems viable then no one's no harm no foul. Uh I think that was really about it other than to say that it is an interesting question which promotes health in our community and more more to the community uh connections within the community via roads or connections via community center and I think that's something that the public should have a chance to decide on. Okay. Councelor Betos. Thank you your worship. Um what about yeah the um I'll start off with yours you know I don't need a survey to tell me that we the district need to move on building a seniors and youth center there's there's no question there we desperately need this space u I do have a bit of problem with the question posed uh even if we ask a non-binding question to suit citizens we may we need to make it crystal clear of what we're asking or purposely keeping it vague. And I I'll elaborate on that. You know, just what are we building? You know, we need

some conceptual drawings. Is 5 million enough? Uh what will it look like? Where is it to be located? And I I don't like to lock us into lot A. That quadrant was uh set for seniors housing. uh it may end up going to law a but I would like to leave that out and this business is about uh five million um I don't know if it is going to be enough I mean I know we have you know this module design but we're also talking about other uses if we put a if we put a 5 million cap on it and it comes in at 7 million then we start running into problems with people say just a sec here I voted for five million even though it's non-binding. I would I would purposely leave it out and just get a commitment that the citizens want us to get on with the senior center and and the youth center. So I would like to make a

an amendment and on a separate thing to eliminate the 5 million and to also eliminate the lot a there may be some other areas uh that we could put it and or it depends on what else comes out of the woodwork. So we'll go to there's a friendly amendment and now an amendment. So uh not I don't I didn't move on yours councelor St. Pierre because I didn't feel it was friendly. Uh whereas councelor is it's a it's I deem it to be as chair a material change so I didn't respond so much. Councelor Betos however is moving an amendment. So let's deal with that first. Uh it covers the two points you raised anyway. So that would be to remove the five million and to remove lot like what I'm looking at the screen ahead just what are what exactly is the amendment what are we doing our corporate officer to eliminate the 5 million in lot a so it would just say in the town center

your worship if I may I believe that if that um the the effect of the amendment would be to render render a plebite question of in your opinion, should the district borrow to construct and operationalize the suit gathering place intergenerational center in the town center? Yes or no? I'd be happy with that. Okay. So, that is the amendment. Is there a seconder? Councelor St. Pierre is seconding. So, go ahead. Councelor Betos, do you wish to motivate further? Yeah. Uh it's just that uh you know there's a lot of questions here and uh also the through road extension might impact on it too. But anyways, um you know, we also have to determine if Wuca is involved in it because the seniors aren't just going to be in in the city and we're going to be paying for it. So, you know, those questions have to be asked, too. So, um I just think I don't like to leave anything too vague, but I think it'll it'll bit the intent. I think uh I think it'll be an overwhelming success to the truth. I

think people uh and I'm sure even the people that are involved in the actual building of it know that things, you know, if it's two years out, five million may not be enough. So, I just think this is a a good way to proceed and I think it possibly heads off some complaints further down the line. So, okay, I'll go to councelor St. Pierre and then I'm putting myself in this. I'll put counselor McMath and then I'll speak. Go ahead. I I'm a bit challenged by removing the 5 million, but I tend to think that it could work. Uh I do think that the 5 million presents a limit that the public can actually sink their teeth into, but at the same time it's not at all necessarily accurate given that the cost could be lower or by some misfortune they could be higher. Uh and given that it's a plebite and not actually commitment to actually borrow, it's not actually a it doesn't have that that

kind of weight behind it. Uh I think I can accept councelor Betto's reasoning. Uh is this is really to determine the will of the public in terms of district moving forward with the idea of borrowing in order to make this thing happen. Uh I do think there's a lot of opportunities. Uh the BC builds helped us with the community health center. Uh I think that there may be opportunities for partnerships in terms of the arts. I think that there's even the possibility uh I recently spoke to people at BC lottery and uh there have been community centers combined with bingo halls. Uh I think that we need to be open to all options that can actually make this happen and the cost and the specific numbers given that they're not going to be exact in any way shape or form could be excluded. I think councelor Ben is okay councelor McMath can you both turn off your microphones. Go ahead, councelor McMath.

Um, I just had a couple questions. Um, perhaps councelor Baitman could clarify. Um, if this isn't locking us into anything and we're sort of looking for the will of the community and we already have an idea of the consensus, I'm just curious what the what the intent of this is. Well, I I would say the intent is to keep it on the front burner. Um there has been a, as I said earlier, a 12-ear process to get us to this point. Um since um Searchin's decision in July 2025, um it it's been at a bit of a standstill. Community fundraising continues and community interest clearly is still there, but this gives the next council some clear direction on um community will towards um getting this thing built.

Okay. Anything on the amendment? Any followup on the amendment, Councelor McMath? Um, just another um, [clears throat] well, I'll just say it and you tell me if it sticks for the amendment, but to me perhaps this could be postponed to when we're discussing our election pieces. It's it's going to be a part of it. So, it makes more sense to me that that's all part of the same meeting. There is going to be if this passes, the part of this motion is for staff to report back. So, it's all going to come forward at the same time. Anyway, that is in the that's not on the screen in front of us, but it is on the next part. There is a report coming. Okay, perfect. Thank you.

Sign up. Um, I'm going to speak against the amendment. Uh, I I appreciate what is being said. So, costs rise as they do and other items are identified. I'm recognizing as we heard through budget, there's the the property owner's ability to pay. So, let's say this came in at 7 million. What that then would do uh is motivate the volunteers to find the money and once they know that the district is already coming forward with a certain ask, it would be a strong to potential other funders. This went out to not a council chamber where people are identifying themselves, but it's a secret ballot. When you vote, it's a secret ballot and you can decide whatever way you want. So, it went to the community and it passed and there is support for $5 million that would then motivate the group searching in this case and other supporters to then find them the the extra money, which I have confidence that they do because the

district is coming forward with a clear defined ask. Then as we note as said it earlier in the public input section they can then say okay the district is committed to this now they can reach out to other funding organizations. Will you match it? Will you actually could you do this? Could you do that? Because there's a dollar amount that is said and if we don't include that people would say sure I'd support it but I don't want to pay for it. That is why we are here today without a senior center despite all of the work and support that has been done over the years.

We have turned over every single stone and that to try to advance this. This particular lot was developed because this was what the community wanted to see on the Watam's property or the lot a lot. And then the housing came afterwards. We need to have density. We need housing. That is also a clear ass. So we tried this proposal, this proposal, this proposal, that one, this. We've invested in several designs, several funding, waiting only to be turned down. No, no, no. Then we're told if you separate them, you would have a higher success. We can do the housing that'll be separate and we could do this uh and you could maybe do that as a community initiative. However, we're not having any luck in housing either aside from the BC build site. And now as you look forward, all you're hearing is cuts, cuts, cuts, cuts, cuts, cuts. And if we were going to focus on any initiative to advance housing, then I would say Air Manor would be the one that we would stand behind in terms of advancing independent living complex

assisted living care and the like. If we don't pinpoint the location, it'll come down. Well, where you going to do that? Are you going to do it over here? Over here, over here? This started at uh we'll do it with the library. We'll do it down on the mariner site. We are going to be planning and again planning again for other locations. So at some point in time you have to just say it's going to be here and we're going to do it there. What I'm hoping is we may gain insight or further breaking ground of the community health building. Then if that which seemingly is a goal, I don't know the timing of that. We do have other square footage uh set aside there.

council can make a decision point. Do we want to include it in that additional one or is it going to be a different one? That decision is yet to be made. If it's going to be combined with that, then maybe we would have a more clear one and maybe the borrowing and it would be tenency improvements potentially others uh in which case it would come down as less. But we still have outstanding needs for youth foundry, other community amenities and the like. So, uh, it just pins it down. The location was identified. Proximity to the library. The house center is located there. Hopefully will be. The WATMS parcel is still under development across the street. The transit hub is going to be located there. There's bus space that will make it easier for the bus to pull in. The programming and the alignment with the library makes a lot of sense.

In the event that there is additional funds, we could actually maybe advance the plaza, which would be a blank slate for all sorts of popup programming of all sorts intergenerational. It doesn't have to be a building. It could just be outside. Uh for those of you that are able to stick around later, I have a great PowerPoint about my church to Japan and I'll show you exactly what intergenerational spaces looks like. It's all outside. So, there is other opportunity if those two pieces don't exist. And maybe the next council's going to be gung-ho and do it. I don't know. But they're going to have to go back and ask and start the planning. We do excellent work planning. We get stuck in the implementation and delivery. Uh but I think in this case it may be an opener for anyone that's out door knocking. So hey, do you think we should actually go with the youth? Like for those of you that don't like door knocking, this is a good reason to knock on someone's door.

Did you know that there's an election coming? How do you feel about a senior's place in souk or an activity center? What do you think about that? You'll have an opportunity to weigh it. Great icebreaker. That's some election advice. You can see that I could be good at this. I'm not running. I'm just saying. I'm just giving you ideas because you got to get people out to vote. Um but this may be an opportunity. So again, I'm not in favor of uh of changing this. I think the motion stands. We're going to get a staff report soon and then let the public have a say. So let's say they say no, we cannot borrow. We cannot borrow. that sets search and free to be like, you know what, we still need to do this and we're going to find the money ourselves. We went to the the community, they're not comfortable with it. We need to do more work. We need to do this, that, or the rest. Similar to councelor Beto's point, it's not enough. Whatever.

They may then find the money or pursue it in a different way, have more clarity. The next council can then say, "Okay, you know what? We're going to do a borrowing referendum. We have that information in the next term should this one fail." But we've got to get on with it. Uh I feel uh for uh Miss Penowski who's been a champion of this effort for a significantly long time. I'm reminded of the uh the protest or it was a very large rally outside of what put and motivated council to create a youth and and uh seniors reserve fund to begin with all the planning work some decade or and some ago. And uh the other point I'll raise if I've heard from two school groups namely I'll highlight Poy Elementary School that caught wind of this. They invited me to their town hall. They have all sorts of ideas on what they would like to see within the gathering place. They've called it the Ravens. I'm going to call it the Raven's

Nest uh since uh over what they've learned in school around cathan learning. What they would like to see are old-fashioned board games, chess and cribage. Apparently, their parents are not good enough at these games. They would like to engage with other elders. Many of them don't have grandparents here. They want to connect with another generation. They want to do it after school. They're still very keen. And I continue to hear that reinforced. Uh these were grade four students and I've heard it all the way up in every school group that I've met with. It's not just about a it's it's that connection of place. So, we're growing. We need to get on with it. Uh, and I think this doesn't bind the council into anything, but it provides a clear ask. So, I'm not in support of this and I'll stop talking.

So, anything else on the amendment, Councelor Baitman? Well, I I've spent weeks trying to get my thoughts together and you've just delivered a remarkably um coherent and off on the fly off the cuff. Thank you. Clearly not. You've lived it for you've lived it for the entire time of this process. I I agree about the sticking with the five million because uh it it has to be out there and up to 5 million borrowing gives me as a taxpayer uh some clarity. We heard earlier um from either either Miss Logans or Miss Dunn about certainty. the certainty here of there is up to five million and on lot A in the town center and that it's it's since 2015 2017 since that committee brought forward um its recommendation that it belongs on on law a um so yeah so I I will vote against the amendment as well on the amendment councelor Betos for a second time yeah councelor Baitman spoke to it. So, um I I I stick by uh what I said. I don't think what I'm proposing doesn't

change anything that uh uh the public wants here. It just that it it heads off a bit of trouble. Whether they're incentivized to uh get more money, but uh my understanding when we do these projects, they always tend to come in a lot more. And my concern was to uh I'm all for putting the center Don't get me wrong there. Uh I just was hoping that we'd we'd head off some problems in the future when someone and I know they will be there. If it comes in over $5 million, they'll say, "Well, that wasn't what we bargain for." And it creates another problem. But it's another problem that we just have to deal with.

So, uh uh I probably lose my amendment, but that's okay. I uh I would like to see it proceed in some form or another. So, I'll stop talking. Okay. Anything, Councelor St. here. Uh, bad news, Council Bettos. You're going to lose your amendment, I think. Yeah, that's I think that's coming. Yeah. Uh, given everything that's been said, I can't help but agree that even if we're going to have trouble, we might as well have it sooner rather than later and actually get some certainty so we can have more likelihood of being able to move forward. So, okay. On the amendment, all those in favor? One rolling opposed. Uh, councelor Baitman, Councelor St.

here myself are opposed. I'm not seeing opposition from councelor Mcmath. So she would be deemed to be in favor of the amendment. I am in favor. Favor. Okay, good. Thank you for that clarity. Uh so it fails. So we're on the main uh motion that came forward. Is there anything further on the main motion? This again will come forward through a staff report to the next meeting and we'll get all that information there. Okay. All those in favor? Any opposed? None opposed? That's unanimous. Thank you to everyone. Uh, okay. Yeah, that was a lot of work. As well as the age friendly committee. So, that's all right.

Yes, stop talking. Okay, so we're into correspondence. So, we have here requests for support pedestrian safety. Uh, correspondence pulled from councelor Baitman. So, I'll put the motion forward and that is a motion to receive for information by councelor Baitman, seconded by councelor St. Pierre. Go ahead and speak to it. So, I just wanted to pull this letter tonight to demonstrate again that the district continues to take public safety along Highway 14 entirely as seriously as it should be. Uh, I believe this was urged by Councelor Pearson and um immediately uh CEO Gray fired off this letter. Um it's worth noting the Idlemore intersection project will add new crosswalks in close proximity to Cenos Elementary. This construction begins in June. Uh we have also heard demonstrated needs through feedback and practical experience uh received from uh residents. Flashing lights at John Mir Elementary, a crosswalk at Maple Avenue South as requested by Alita Pierce in a letter um couple years ago. flashing lights at the crosswalk to Ed McGregor

Park, flashing lights at the Daniels Market crosswalk, and AC a new crosswalk at Drenan to access the bus stop on the south side. So anyway, it now it's over to former colleague uh MLA Lines to um to lobby the ministry and work with ICBC to address these needs ASAP. Miss Greg, uh thank you Rish. just had a brief update to provide to the letter. Um and that is just to state that um our new director of operations Jeff Miller has since uh met with uh representative staff representatives from uh ministry of transportation and infrastructure now I believe there transit sorry transportation and transit um and uh obviously this topic of conversation amongst others has come up so um this will continue to be something staff will advocate for and work with the province as much as we can to um uh facilitate these improvements.

Okay, call a question on receipt. All in favor? That's unanimous. Thank you. The next one was 14.2 Royal Place. Concerns from the elders. This was pulled for councelor Betos. So I'll first uh ask for a motion to receive by councelor Betos, seconded by St. Pierre. Go ahead and speak to it, please. Yeah, thank you, worship. Uh I I just want to make sure uh staff has uh contacted u uh the elders and let them know that uh there is uh they still have access to their property. Has that been done? Because sometimes these things just come in and nobody responds to them and I was concerned. They spoke to me at the open house and they were worried about uh not having access to their property. Has that been dealt with? Please do your worship to staff.

Yeah. Um I do have just a quick presentation um just to show what the circumstances are on that property. Um I am sharing

here. Uh I am sharing but it's not coming up. Can I open? Sure, that'd be great. Yeah.

So um the map of the plan up on the screen the uh sort of pink uh area larger area that's the Royop site of thank you of the proposed mixeduse commercial residential development and the green property on the left hand side lot you is the lot in question. Um there is a just going to the actual plan. Go to the next slide. Okay. Uh so there is an access uh road right of way that's shown in blue there. It's a full 20 meter uh right ofway width leading to lot Q. Um the and then it goes to a half uh rightway width going north. Um but that right ofway the residents are correct. Uh that does provide access that the only access they have and so that was a miss on Roy and staff's part. We were originally looking at that north south uh access as being a full right ofway width uh originally and uh it's since been reduced to a pedestrian right ofway going north south and so in the process of that change in

the status of that uh connection uh we missed this property being accessed. I had a meeting and just to go to the plans themselves. So, um maybe just the zoom here. So, you can see this is showing the access that the applicants were uh proposing on West Hook Road. They were going to have a roundabout and um access from the roundabout into their development and so and that would have blocked the access to L Q. Um when we referred this application to the Ministry of Transportation, they did not uh like the roundabout and said that that needed to be removed. And so this intersection is going to be changed uh anyway. And uh in a meeting with the Roy representatives last week, they said that they would ensure that that access was uh continued and would not be blocked as it was in the original plan. So good on that's why you have these public open houses so that you know these types of things don't get missed and so it was good for the residents to have uh brought that to our attention and we will make sure that they have access in the future.

Thank you uh for that report a lot more detailed than I thought just a yes would have been fine but but that that's okay. So I take it by that that they will be informed that they do have access. Yes. Simple as that. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Marshall, uh, for that presentation. Can you please turn off your microphone? Thank you. Uh, I'll move into our next section. Um, items removed from consent, your worship. Yes. Sorry, I don't believe you voted on receiving that letter for information. We did not. Uh, all those in favor of receipt. Thank you very much. That's unanimous. Uh the items removed from consent were correspondents that will move to the next regular agenda. So this takes us to council verbal reports. I'll look to see if council members have councelor St. Pierre does which I think like all of us attended the uh AIC conference that which happened just this last weekend. As a matter of fact got back just yesterday.

Uh, as usual, really, really well presented, informative, um, a lot of good work, especially on the resolutions, which were actually very quickly done. Um, less drama than usual, but a lot of good work happened perhaps anyway or even better. Uh, I personally found it a wonderful opportunity to actually go through various policies and actually draft proposals to improve them and actually meet with the people in the room who could actually help make them happen. So, as always, just a really valuable opportunity to make the work that we need happen. Other reports, councelor Baitman. Oh, I'm off. Okay. So, yes, I I was at AIC as well, and it was um I added up 20 hours of working convention time over three days indoors at the Victoria Convention Center while spring was bursting out all over. So that was um that was good because it was it always fascinating um highlight for me one of the highlights was a session um promoting the use of community assemblies and this was led by the

former green BC leader Sonia Feno and she's championing the use of community assemblies as a tool by which to address the growing crisis in our democracies all this polarization and yeah So these assemblies, if if you're unfamiliar with them, people are chosen at random, similar to a jury. Uh so that the group reflects the whole community, different ages, backgrounds, jobs, and experiences. They're you used um incre there there's a a trend towards using them for official community plans for um uh where have I got this? Yeah, recreation facilities, boundary changes, health care, social issues, the whole package. So, these are very transparent public processes and um yeah, I think I I may well make a motion to to they're prepared to come to councils to tell tell us about these community assemblies and I think it's be worth hearing from. Um there was also a number of sessions island health session on recruitment of health professionals.

That's a very competitive field. it's up to individual communities to really roll out the red carpet and provide opportunities to attract and retain uh health care professionals. Um fascinating resolution session. Yeah, not not a lot of drama, but uh some some Yeah, I could go into great detail, but I'll stop. I will I will also note I went to the opening day of the Sou Country Market at Woodside Farm. That is fantastic new location. um more vendors, uh good parking both on site at Woodside and across the street at the Baptist church. And several of the vendors told me yes, people were pulling over on their way up to the parks and beaches and buying stuff. So well done Teresa Wilman and her team and of course Sukarama, which Al will undoubtedly speak about. Um yeah, so I won't go there. And I've mentioned the Victoria Family Court earlier.

One of the things we're we're doing at the family court is um writing Ottawa as an advocacy piece um to because we heard from Mist about all this uh social media influencing of young people. So Australia has banned um social media platforms for youth 16 years of age or younger. So we're recommending that here in Canada. Okay. Councelor Betos. Yeah. Thank you. to uh your worship. Uh first of all uh with the AVIC um I attended a very interesting seminar on the Kawa's first tribe uh first nations controversy and the DRIPA controversy and we had some lawyers there very well spoken that gave us quite an indepth rundown and it was very interesting and I certainly have a a better understanding of a very complex issue and it is very complex But uh it was it was a an hour well spent to sit there and listen to these uh very learned gentlemen talk about the ins and outs of treaty negotiations and why it was uh so

profound for the couch and first nations uh to win their case which I believe they were going on for many years and $30 million to get to where they are. So that was that was fun uh and informative. Uh the other course is Sukarama. I give credit to our staff. Uh they had this wonderful Plinko game there and uh they played the pink Plinko and you they got to ask a skill testing question and uh when I was running it I always asked the same one and that was are you aware of 247 pleasing and fire and they were everybody that answered they were aware of it and they were thankful to have it. So it was it was very interesting. I spent uh I was down there anyways because of the lions, but I spent pretty much the full day down there and uh our staff did an excellent job. So, yeah, it was fun and well attended. Very well attended.

That's it. Thanks. Okay, thank you. I'm sort of pulling my notes together and Avic is the association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities. So, all communities all the way over to the Sunset Sunshine Coast and all the way up to Haidaguay. Uh most of the pieces have been named. In terms of resolutions though, there were three that really stood out to me. Uh one of them from Oak Bay on soil relocation regulations. The Ministry of Environment requires soil relocation to meet provincial remediation standards at a receiving site and that the threshold does not account for the natural presence of chlorides in soil from the deposition of salt spray. So this would be and this could be occurring just natural lands that are that receive salt from the ocean are deemed to be contaminated and must be treated as such. Therefore they must be uh hauled up island and paid for and and disposed of in that way and unable to use as bill for infrastructure improvements and the like even though it's just natural

setting. So I'm curious to see and I seem to recall that might have been been our higher hit at charter. So I've asked staff just to advise on that. But as we progress town center development, this is a whole other piece of expense coming our way. The other one was the Naimo regional district around scaling building code requirements for smaller space to meet affordability and hopefully to remove some other burdens uh on much greater builds. late resolution from a scholy malt around changes to the provincial property tax deferment program and such to include an income threshold to support low-income seniors and those on a fixed income as that was intended for in the first place. Uh so those were just some of the highlights. The rest of them are in this notes. Uh some pieces that are that I do want to share though is I mentioned council club. This is a school a program that we've launched several years ago.

The students have branded it as such. Uh we recently welcomed the grade five Souk Elementary Miss Gates class uh to the room. Uh their priorities were on parks. They were nearly tied on priorities for one of them is spend the money. Spend your tax model. They all found the exercise difficult. Uh equal split around parks and trails uh and parks sorry parks and trees, trails and sidewalks uh roads and wastewater. Uh the girl guides or the embers uh arrived. They received fire safety training and then were here with Cassandra and I this past Sunday. Thank you, Cassandra. Their priorities came up with parks and trees followed by sidewalks and trails. They felt those were the most useful. The Cubs came in on Tuesday evening as well as they had toured the fire department previously.

They received a session with Miss Cruz on emergency planning and what to prepare for. Their priority overwhelming was towards police and fire with parks and trails in a close second. The group in particular are looking for opportunities to partner with our parks on any special projects. So I'll leave that there. Tomorrow morning, POA kindergarten is coming this way from Miss Bey's class. Uh so look forward to welcoming them. I also attended health forum 4.0. This is led by a squamalt. It was hosted in call with this time. They provided updates on attachment to physicians and data received through the Ministry to Island Health. So note to those without a family uh doctor, family physician, you need to be on the health registry. They said that if you said that you've been on the list for seven years, well, it's only been existent for three years. So, and even if you are new to the community and attached elsewhere, you can still put yourself on this list.

This informs all of our planning work. So, if you want to get access to someone local in this area or within the health region, you need to be on this list. So, please remember that. Uh, I'm also on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as a committee member, but I am on the defense task force. So, as we've heard, the federal government is and will continue to be investing heavily in defense. Where this impacts us is CFBS squymalt of course is uh home to uh our Navy base as well as Coast Guard which is located out in Port Renfruit. So there is a focus on dual use infrastructure to benefit both the bases the services as well as the communities that lead to them. So in this case we are home to many uh veterans and those that are serving both uh civilian and uh Navy and military. Um there's resources and the like that all need to be needed. So it's informative and I'm grateful to be there. On another note, uh there was last week the global

civility summit hosted by Diane Collins Sukra. You may know her from Savior City and she's now written this book called Lead with Civility, which is a handbook for univil times. I had the privilege of writing an essay and being published within this work. So I start on page 265. uh is just under six pages. The book as she's pushing it is available through Amazon. On the weekend, I had my inspiration. My peers sign the book. They were the ones uh elected peers in local government uh that have basically are sort of they're they're the reason why I'm still here. So, if you wonder why I'm long serving, it's because of their motivation, inspiration, support, especially those around the table here as well. So, that was a highlight for me. Never been published before.

uh also with the South Island Reconciliation Advisory Committee. My understanding is the province will be holding updates in our community on treaty in the near future. So stay tuned. They are leading this. This is all through the province directly. Um and they'll be putting all that information together. And there's on a personal note, I recently toured Journey Middle School. I've only been in the gym. I've never really in the office, not because I was in trouble, but just to check in. Uh so it's just interesting to see the rest of the school and how it serves the the community that's growing. There's around 600 in that school population and continuing to grow uh and all of the unique challenges they have. Um so I'm looking forward to learning more about that and I it was just I was personal note because my son will start there but just to learn more about the school and what they offer was insightful for me.

Okay. So I'm going to take you that'll conclude the council verbal reports. Yes, councelor St. Pierre. Sorry. Uh, as everyone was talking about what was going on, I realized that there were some very important things that happened at the conference that I just did want to mention very briefly. Uh, one of them is actually the Strong Towns movement. They had a fantastic speaker who made it very clear. Well, he didn't make it clear, but it became clear that he had been a pastor in the past because could really speak and with passion and with statistics and some really excellent information on Strong Towns. I think that all of us were probably inspired by his thinking. I'm I wish actually strangely uh councelor Haldane had been there but um I recommend that people have a look because I think it's something that souk needs to be looking at in a very serious way. Uh I also took in an excellent presentation on AI and the people that were doing that were very clear that it can really be tailored to the needs of the community

while keeping extremely safe. And I'm very excited to share that with staff and with council in the near future because I think I don't know if anyone else took that one in but it was it was tremendous and I spoke afterwards to one of the presenters and uh hoping to follow up on that. Finally, I'm very sorry councelor Beettos. I wasn't at Sukurama the first time in many years and that's because I was actually in last rehearsal. No, I wasn't. Final rehearsal for uh presentation of coral evolution uh next Friday Sue Community Center. It's going to be good. Sorry. This Friday, Sue Community Center, 7 o'clock. Just saying. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. So, um, if you'll bear with me as, uh, this we're going to move into the Nator report, which was is the new item 18. I put together this PowerPoint to share with you. Um, I've never done a PowerPoint in here. Okay. So first of all, where is Nattori? This is our now sister city. So in the top right, you'll see a map of Japan and where is highlighted is Sai. So you can see Tokyo sort of there. That's so your main point of entry. Sai is just up the coast. That's the main uh city in that area. And Nati is sort of between uh Sai and the Pacific Ocean. Uh the area where I spend most of my time was in the Uriyag neighborhood. Uh this area in both the top left a little bit um zoomed in and in the bottom right. Uh just for some context here uh the Tohoku region which is the northeastern part of Honshu the largest island of Japan uh consists of six prefectures. Akita, Aamorei, Fukushima,

Iwattate, Yamagate and Miyag. It's known to have a reputation as remote scenic region with a harsh climate, somewhat rural in nature, 66,952 kilometers squared, population of 8.331385 million. Uh for context, uh it's about double the size of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island coming into 31,000 or so, 931,500. uh but this would would be deemed to be re uh the uh the remote rural part aside from Hokkaido the northern island Sai has a population of just about 1.1 the largest city in the To<unkhoka area and the 12th most populated in Japan the area itself has been inhabited for what they have in writ written text about 20,000 years. Uh however, Saii itself was formed in about 1600s.

I put this figure up here. This is uh a tribute to Dee Masamune. Masamune was a significant historical influence. He was both a Japanese samurai and daimo during the azuchi momoyama period. So in the early edeto period roughly 1567 to 1636. Uh saii he formed and founded saii itself and also they say built the canals around Nattorii uh as well. Uh the character in the middle is the official mascot of Miyagi Prefecture. You can see he's sporting uh the samurai helmet uh and his head is an unagi or a rice uh bulb which is to pay tribute to the food culture of that particular region. He can be seen in a happy coat uh sporting uh uses a sport mascot or sometimes samurai wear depending on the events. Uh in the castle ruins they were lost due to fire. uh tremendously scenic view uh and some of the uh some remain and then sort of in the bottom center you can see how stansions even incorporate the legacy of Masamune.

So uh this here is from Journey Middle School just sort of show our friendship ntori between with Nator and Souk that has prevailed all the years and the various classes uh or the various delegates that have toured. Oops. Oh, that's right. These are just some pictures that I found uh in my sort of archives over the years from my very first address as a mayor visiting to a visiting class. You can see my son hanging on to the desk in the corner in the upper right. Uh and then over the years the different students that have visited the last class visiting last year. And here are some more of both the Nator delegation performing a traditional dance visiting uh on whiff and spit as well as um spending time in chambers.

Uh so here is just the area focus again. Uh if you zoom in on the left, the larger one, you can see Maple Hall that after this area was devastated by the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake, Canadians gathered together and lumber was sent to build that particular facility. Uh and then when I spoke of the canal, this was created from the 1600s. Uh and then of course these were the various areas where my visit took place. Um the government of Nator is comprised of an elected mayor, legislature of 21 members. The economy is agriculture and fishing and secondary processing industries. There's also like Nikon camera factory, Saporro Brewery. There's several historic sites and artifacts related to the late Date Masamune, including 300-year-old pine trees by the Nator River dyke said to have been planted by Masamune himself.

Oh, what is that? I was greeted in Yuryag. This is outside the maple pavilion. Um the this was the Yuriyag Tao Preservation Society. So, Tao drummers who had greeted me. There was also youth performing youth and children as well. And they knew that my son was with me. So they also wanted to engage and have children uh also uh perform. Next one. Can you hit play on this? I don't know how to make it play. This is a recording. Okay. So, if we're friends on Facebook, you'll be able to catch the actual performance, but it was um it it was an outstanding performance. Here in the background on the bottom right was a Google image because I in my excitement didn't take a lot of pictures and then my son was in charge of taking official photos and then he got distracted and forgot. So the bottom is the pine trees that survived the tsunami. On the upper right you'll see a banner there. The waters went to the top

of that over 10 m in height. Uh this is a market that occurs every Saturday. Uh the particular day that I was there tied in with a holiday. Um and then I gave an address to the crowd. I'm there on the stage and the with the mayor to my right and an interpreter to my left and then they always put up the the Canada sign. Uh the flag, the Canadian flag that always flies was a gift from that we've given over the years as it needs to be replaced. Here's just the outside. Um, again, the picture isn't very great, but the uh the Friendship Pavilion inside is on the the bigger picture on the right just shows the before and after uh from the event.

And in the bottom, my son wasn't happy with me because this is where they actually sell a lot of Canadian products. He saw some cookies he liked. I refused to buy them. Uh, and then he wouldn't move out of the picture. But the point of me showing this is there are empty shelves there. And that is the space they've created is they would one day love to showcase souk products. And so it's the symbolic of leaving and holding the space. Also inside of here are different places to get food and community events and the like. A lot of our student artwork is also displayed in this building.

This is sort of in the same area. It is the uh the Nator Trail Center where we held our ceremonial events and had lunch and outside is sort of this outdoor space that I had described. Um this was where they wanted to create intergenerational spaces and you can learn more about it if you Google it but outside was a place where you can rent bikes. Uh the trail network itself that has been created is I think it's well about 40 kilometers of a loop uh through the new coastal forest. There's a playground, there's a water park, there is um there's a skate park, there's a multicourt sport box. Uh this is also home to a six uh I can't remember. I think it's about a 10story hotel that has an onsen and a cafe and everything inside. So that's what is within the cycling center and the trail center is a lot of um additional uses. It's also a place where they want to encourage

camping and it would be a hub to service people that are looking to do some camping. Great cafe, beautiful views. This was an interesting feature. Uh it's it you can jump on it. My kid was drawn to it right away, but it's um like an outdoor trampoline, I suppose, uh that inflates. And then there's also a water park that is on and off depending on the season. This is a view from the top. Um, this is also a video. Again, content heavy, but off in the distance you'll see uh some new apartment buildings. This whole area being devastated, they are no longer going to build on. uh they've raised the ground by over 5 m and then have been building on top of that. The area that's not used though is still home to a lot of solar panels uh that provides a lot of new energy.

This overwhelmed me. I'm on the top. This is also a gathering place. You can see the multi-use gen intergenerational space below and the coastal forest. In the 16 years they've planted 7 million trees in addition to uh the seaw wall and of course the Pacific Ocean is on the left. Uh Sai would be over towards the right. Uh and it was just um like I was so inspired to see this and of course I was asked how many trees we have planted in 16 years. Um so that might be a good project for the scouts to uh count them for us. Uh but it was remarkable um to see that in its place within here is the um actual event. So I provided remarks. Uh Mayor Yamada also provided his remarks. Again that's the interpreter to my right. Um following that we exchanged signs. Glad I ironed ours that morning.

The Nator flag itself um was adopted in 1959, the year following the establishment of Nattori City. It's based on the kanji or written character for Na with the circle symbolizing harmony and unity within the new city. And furthermore, the single dot at the center represents the preservation of their core values while also signifying future development. What is interesting and I went quickly on an earlier slide. There are these stone tablets. Um might go back to it. This one is quite makes one think here. Oh, it's this one I scanned over. The stone tablets on the right was written by ancestors who said do not build here.

This area is prone to tsunamis. However, they had since that time built seaw walls and the focus more on earthquake safety. There have been earthquakes and tsunamis, but never to the extent of what was. Uh in the top right with the Tor gates is on record Japan's smallest mountain. Uh though they say it was humanmade by in the Masamune era, it may have been a lookout to the sea. It was home to a deity Benzite who is often found near water. The original structure was washed away, but it was reestablished. The tsunami came right over this. However, the next month, the cherry tree still bloomed, and that brought hope to the community. In the top left in the distance, you can see the housing that has been built on the elevated ground. And in the bottom left was a is a memorial to those that were lost in the tsunami event. uh at the top it's it's to display a bud and the top of that particular monument is the

height of the waters. Uh the bud of is to renewal and reopening. That event was a 9.1 undersea mega- thrust earthquake that lasted about 6 minutes. The tsunami waves were over 10 meters and the population had less than 30 minutes between the two events while continually hit by aftershocks. The area of Uriyagi was completely devastated. Uh, in all of Miyagi, over 19,759 lost their lives. 6,243 were injured and 2553 were missing. This is also an area where I lived and worked in 1992. So, I'm familiar with this area all the way down and up to Ishomaki. So it was it was incredibly moving to be here in this way and to uh complete this work and to see what has happened. In my whole time there I saw nothing that would suggest that an event of that size had taken place. Any rubble that was left behind was deliberately placed as a reminder only. Uh it the rebuilding all the way out to Ishomaki was was beyond inspiring I would say. Uh there again is the exchange of flags.

Here's all of us uh that were present that day. The city councilors, chambers of commerce, uh there were three other assistant English teachers uh that live in the in in Miyagi. Uh folks from the prefecture. Uh it it was quite a delegation that day. This is the actual uh event of course media uh interviewed followed uh that will be from the Tohoku region newspaper uh wonderful report. So made the news there and then we shared lunch and in the top left you can see my lunch. All of the sushi came from Shiogama, which is very close by and a uh known to have the best sushi in Japan. Lucky me. Uh the tempura I started eating already. Uh in the corner right is a simmer dish called sinab. This is a dish with a savory stock from chicken, bock root, and shimei mushrooms topped with si, which is a local vegetable indigenous to Natator specifically. It's a wild herb kind of like a parsley I think but you can eat the roots stems and the leaves

has a refreshing aroma crispy crunchy texture and I just share that because they've really been trying to highlight local food production local foods and all the benefits of that u so we shared that together the interesting part was dessert was a beautifully large delicious strawberry uh apparently amongst the farmers they have a who grows the best strawberry competition every year and we received uh the the winning strawberries. All of the food was locally sourced except for they said the prawn and the tempura. It's stuck. Okay. And then I just wanted to end with these pictures. Uh this was when we uh Mayor Yamada came and met. He was also part of a delegation to Ottawa to with the thanks for the rebuilding effort and then of course our photos taken from that day.

So I have a few other PE pieces to share. Um so this is the the official document that I brought back. So in Japanese and English, this is the actual signed sister city agreement. This is said newspaper because I have that one for the scrapbook club, right? Circle. I did not the one on the front page, but it's just right in there. So, newspapers are still Yeah, it's a much larger size publication on the path, but I brought a few home with me. Um, I'd also like council's help to open the gift. So, this is sort of a vase. I'll I'll give that to somebody to open.

And there's also this gift. And as council members are opening it, I will explain this. So this is Sendai Susaku Hariko. It's a traditional craft of the Sai area and it is a complete set of the 12 zodiac animals. So this is about the Haro. Each piece is lovingly handcrafted. The washi paper is carefully dyed, color set, and layered piece by piece like a torn paper collage, repeating the process until each figure each figure comes to life. The Japanese zodiac junishi consists of 12 animals. The rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Each representing one year in sequence completing a full cycle. As you know, we are in the year of the horse. So, there's some information there.

Yes. That is the base. Oh, I was gonna send this over. Oh my. So, there's all the pieces. So, there's Well, I we probably should. They're right here. So, I'll put counselors to work. Okay. And I just wanted to add um a few other people that were there now that I have this in front of me was the Miyagi Prefectural Council, the Nattori City Council, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Yuryagi Port Morning Market Cooperative Association representative, the International Exchange Committee, uh staff from Ntoria City, and then uh the three for Canadian foreign language teaching teaching assistants. We also received remarks uh from the government of Canada and this would be the minister councelor Lorie Peters of the Canadian Embassy who was unable to join us but provided remarks as well as a video recording. So it was a it was an amazing experience.

It was a privilege to represent souk. Uh there were some concerns by community about the cost of all of this that was passed by resolution to support upwards I think maybe $600 towards the gift that I brought and is now on display in the pavilion itself. the cost of travel I covered myself through I don't think it's that interesting but yeah just so you know the the cost of travel and all my expenses I covered on my own so little interactive work here but on that um with this report I'll just look if for if anyone's paying attention to receive the report by councelor Baitman seconded by councelor St. here. Uh if anyone is interested in learning more about this or travel to Japan, I have a lot I could share with you on points of interest, what to see and do. Uh Tohoku is open for tourism. It is not as busy as Tokyo. I was in Tokyo at the busy scramble intersection. In 90 seconds, our entire population and then

some walked through that crosswalk. So, if you're looking to escape that, there are other places to go that are amazing. and the food and hospitality is fantastic. So on that note, I'll call question all in favor or all in favor. And on that note, that brings us to the end. So I'll look for a motion to adjourn by councelor St. Pierre, seconded by Baitman. Thank you very much to those of you that have stayed in the room with us tonight and those of you viewing online. This will be added to the foyer outside and on display uh for the generations to come. But thank you for bearing with me and hanging out to hear this presentation. All those in favor of a German and we're done. Thank you.