Maureen Young - Re-Elected

Local resident Maureen Young will serve a second term as Regional Director for RDN Electoral Area C, following re-election by acclamation in local government elections on November 15, 2008. As an RDN Board member Director Young will also chair the Grants-in-Aid Advisory Committee and the Electoral Area C Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Committee. She is a member of the Executive Committee, the Sustainability Select Committee, and the Parks and Trails Advisory Committee.

Parks Committee Opening

Residents interested in community parks management can apply for a position available this spring on the East Wellington/Pleasant Valley Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Committee (POSAC). The successful applicant will have a two-year term on the committee. Residents must submit an application to the RDN Administration Office by 4pm, April 17, 2009.

The East Wellington/Pleasant Valley POSAC is one of six electoral area committees of appointed representatives that meet 3 times a year to discuss RDN community parks and trails and provide advice to the RDN Board. RDN Electoral Area C Director Maureen Young is a member of the local POSAC, along with six local residents.

All POSAC meetings are open to the public. More information on the committee and the application process is available at www.rdn.bc.ca.

Agricultural Advisory Committee

Food security will play a larger role on the regional agenda this year with the establishment of a regional Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC). The RDN Board approved the ten-person committee in June, 2008, and received applications for membership over the winter. The committee will include two residents from School District 68, two residents from District 69, two members of agricultural organizations, one member of a shellfish aquaculture organization, two RDN electoral area directors, and one RDN municipal director.

Communities throughout BC are establishing AACs as global food prices continue to rise, and support for local food production becomes more important. As of January there were 36 AACs in BC. The provincial government has been supportive, enabling AACs to work closely with the BC Agricultural Land Commission to address the needs of local farms inside and outside the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The AAC will hold regular public meetings and provide valuable input to the Regional Board on agriculture issues as they apply to land management, water drainage and groundwater protection, expanded use of ALR lands, and zoning regulations. Watch for more information on the AAC in local newspapers and at www.rdn.bc.ca as meetings begin this year.

Search and Rescue Funding

Local communities and the RDN will do more in 2009 to help ensure search and rescue volunteers have the facility and equipment needed for their jobs. In 2008 the RDN Board approved a new Southern Community Search and Rescue Service, which will contribute $27,000 per year of tax-collected funds for Nanaimo Search and Rescue operations in Electoral Areas A, B, and C, and Nanaimo and Lantzville.

The funding will cover rental costs for NSAR at its new base in Harewood Fire Hall in Nanaimo, and support vehicle operations and other equipment. NSAR volunteers had previously been without a facility or ongoing funding, using their homes to store equipment.

Operation Dry Timber

The community of Extension is providing key assistance in regional emergency preparedness. On February 11, 2009 residents participated in a full-scale emergency exercise, called Operation Dry Timber, which simulated the threat of a wildfire spreading into local residential areas. As part of the exercise volunteer fire fighters established an Incident Command Post at Extension Fire Hall, providing on-site support to RDN staff and emergency responders throughout the region. Local RCMP and Search and Rescue members visited homes in Extension to simulate an evacuation notice.

The success of Operation Dry Timber will help the RDN update its emergency plan, and improve inter-agency coordination for large-scale incidents such as fires.

Area C is the RDN’s largest jurisdiction, covering more than 100,000 hectares, and includes several neighborhoods where wildfires are a concern. The majority of Extension residents live in areas where forests meet the community, also known as interface areas. Fires in such areas were identified as the top threat in the RDN’s 2006 Hazard Vulnerability Risk Analysis.

As fire season approaches RDN staff will continue to consult with local residents and fire fighting volunteers to encourage emergency preparedness. RDN staff also recommends that residents read the FireSmart manual, available at www.BCWildfire.ca, and conduct a home fire safety assessment. A few basic fire safety steps include preparing a grab-n-go bag, discussing potential hazards and evacuation needs with neighbours, and storing propane tanks and other types of fuel at least ten metres away from homes. A wide variety of articles and resources on emergency preparedness, as well as the RDN Fire Hazard Map, are available at www.rdn.bc.ca.

Fire Protection Update

Fire protection along Spruston and Timberlands Roads in Cassidy is now provided by a fire department in the RDN. On January 1, 2009 the Cranberry Fire Department (CFD) began providing fire protection and emergency response in the area. Before January 1, 2009 the North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department had provided the service. The RDN Board recommended transferring responsibility to the CFD following a review of fire protection boundaries in 2007.

The RDN asked residents to approve permanent fire protection boundary changes for the area in a November 15, 2008 referendum. The proposed change would have transferred responsibility for the Yellowpoint- Waterloo Fire Protection Area, which includes parts of Cassidy, south Cedar and Yellowpoint in Electoral Areas A and C, to the Cranberry Improvement District and the North Cedar Improvement District. Cedar and Yellowpoint residents voted in favor of the changes, but Cassidy residents did not support them.

As an alternative to a permanent boundary change for Cassidy, the RDN negotiated a two-year emergency response agreement with the Cranberry Improvement District, effective January 1, 2009. The RDN also purchased a new fire truck for use at the Hallberg Road fire hall in Cassidy. That fire hall acts as a secondary response point for the CFD to reach properties in Cassidy. More information on the fire protection changes is available at www.rdn.bc.ca.

Meadow Drive Community Park

The RDN is establishing a new local community park with input from residents. The site, known as Meadow Drive Community Park, covers more than 1.69 hectares of forests and cleared land, and includes a creek, near Meadow Drive. Once developed, it will feature a playing field, a playground, and trails throughout the wooded area. Meadow Drive Community Park will be the neighborhood’s first community park, enabling local residents to play and relax close to home without driving to another community. The RDN has received $36,991 in federal and provincial funding for the park from the LocalMotion program, which will enable the RDN to finish the project in 2009.

Local residents have shaped the park plan over the past year. In 2008 the East Wellington/Pleasant Valley Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee met with RDN staff to discuss the project, and held an open house to introduce the park. The RDN also conducted a survey to gather additional input. For more information on Meadow Drive Community Park, residents can call the RDN Recreation and Parks administration office at 250-248-3252 (toll free 1-888-828-2069).