Boundary Study for Electoral Area F

Building on the momentum of the 2022-2023 Electoral Area F Governance and Services Study completed in May 2023. The Ministry has provided a $45,000 grant to the RDN to undertake a boundary study in Electoral Area F as the next step in the study process.

In the May 2023, committee recommendation to undertaking an incorporation study for Electoral Area F, the RDN Board subsequently requested approval and funding from the Ministry for an incorporation study.  In its evaluation of the request, the Ministry identified several reasons why proceeding directly to an incorporation study was not appropriate for Electoral Area F:

• The findings from the governance study included residents’ desire to have robust land use and planning bylaws in place to protect the rural environment. Many of these issues can be addressed through the Official Community Plan, which is currently being updated.
• Public participation rates for community outreach events held during the governance study were low.
• Incorporation of the entire Electoral Area is not viable due to the number of farms that would be impacted (i.e., farms are taxed at a higher rate in municipalities).
• There is not a strong sense of shared identity across the communities in Electoral Area F.

• The Electoral Area F Governance and Services Study did not specify which portion of the Electoral Area is most suitable for incorporation.
   

The Ministry recognizes there is a strong desire from the Regional District to build on the momentum of the Governance and Services Study. To address some of the mentioned concerns, the Ministry approved the undertaking of a Boundary Study. Such a study would help determine any viable geography within the Electoral Area F that would benefit from an incorporation study and provide opportunities for additional public engagement to bolster the findings of the governance study.

To learn more about this project, visit the Boundary Study for Electoral Area F Get Involved page.

Chronology

In October 2020, the RDN requested approval and funding from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for a phase one Governance and Services Study for Electoral Area F, to gather and analyze facts about the current state of governance and service delivery, obtain feedback from the community, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide a final report to the RDN Board with recommendations.

On January 13, 2022, Minister of Municipal Affairs approved the Governance and Services Study as the first phase in a potentially longer study process, with a grant of $60,000. The study was led by an external consulting team and a study committee of Electoral Area F residents. Five committee meetings were held between May 2022 and April 2023; all meetings were open to the public and were attended by a Ministry representative.  The interim study report was completed in June 2022 and public engagement took place between November 2022 and February 2023, including five open houses, online and printed survey, and other opportunities for the public to learn more and share their views. Throughout the study process, the study committee worked closely with the consulting team, providing suggestions about education materials, advising on and participating in public engagement, and developing a recommendation for the final report.

On May 9, 2023, the study committee Chair and the RDN’s consultant team, provided a presentation and the final report to the Board. The Board approved the Area F study committee’s recommendation to proceed with an Incorporation Study as the next stage in the study process. On May 30, 2023, the RDN wrote to Minister, requesting approval and funding for an Electoral Area F Incorporation Study.

On March 13, 2024, correspondence was received from Minister Kang awarding the RDN a grant of $45,000 for a Boundary Study for Electoral Area F.

General Information on Restructure Studies

The approach of the Province of BC's Ministry of Municipal Affairs to local government structure changes is guided by the principles of inter-jurisdictional collaboration and broad consultation. Incorporation is significant, costly and time-consuming and provincial funding for such initiatives is limited. More information is available on the Province's website.