North Cowichan council is seeking a meeting with Jennifer Dyson, chair of the province’s Agricultural Land Commission, to urge changes to the ALC’s recent decision regarding the Chemainus River Campground.
Council agreed unanimously at its meeting on Dec. 6 that Mayor Rob Douglas attempt to schedule a meeting with Dyson as soon as possible, preferably before Christmas holidays begin, in recognition of how important the issue is to people’s livelihoods in the municipality.
Council also passed a motion requesting that the ALC extend its deadline of Oct. 31, 2024, for the campground to remove all structures at the three-hectare site associated with people staying there long-term, and that permission be given for all the long-term tenants currently at the campground to remain on site until the new deadline for their structures to be removed expires.
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“There are not many folks that are living there long term, but we’re trying to buy them some additional time in terms of continuing to reside on the property,” Douglas said.
“The idea would be [for the ALC] to act on this as soon as possible.”
The ALC decided in October to deny North Cowichan’s application for the campground, located at 8862 Trans Canada Hwy., to be excluded from the province’s Agricultural Land Reserve, but that it can remain a campground under its current ownership, which is non-transferable.
Long-term stays beyond 28 days are also not permitted, the ALC ruled, and any structures associated with long-term stays, such as sheds, patios and fencing, must be removed by Oct. 31, 2024.
John and Jeri Wyatt bought the property in 1980 and have operated the campground for 20 years on the site.
They sought to expand the campground in 2017 and the ALC began the process toward its recently released decision in 2018 on whether the campground could continue in the ALR or cease to exist and revert to agricultural usage.
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John subsequently died in September, leaving Jeri as the sole surviving owner.
She turns 80 next year and isn’t sure how long she can keep up the campground on her own, but is getting help from family members and people staying in the campsites.
Bill Routley, who served for two terms as the NDP MLA for the Cowichan Valley, spoke to council at its meeting on Dec. 6 on Jeri’s behalf.
He said the ALC’s decision has been devastating for her and the campground community.
“This has been heartbreaking for Jeri and it’s painful for me to watch,” Routley said.
“She’s in poor health and has lost 70 pounds as a result of the stress she’s under due to this issue, and it has killed John. Someone has to step up to the plate and fix this problem.”
Rob Conway, North Cowichan’s director of planning and building, said in a report that long-term residency within the campground is not condoned by the municipality’s zoning bylaw or ALC’s land-use regulations, but has been occurring nonetheless because of the housing shortage and lack of affordable housing options in the Cowichan region.
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“Compliance with the ALC’s decision will require residents currently housed at the campground to find alternative accommodation in a very difficult housing market,” he said.
Coun. Bruce Findlay said Conway’s report points out that the only way to appeal the ALC’s decision is if any new information came forward.
He wondered if the recent decision by the province to reduce short-term rentals in B.C. could be considered new information that is relevant to the issue.
“Hundreds of [short-term rental] units will be removed from the Cowichan Valley, and we’re talking about the potential of removing another 10 to 20 people from this property,” Findlay said.
“Is that not a reason to go back to the ALC with this?”
Douglas replied that he believes it could be beyond the scope of what the ALC would consider.
“But if I can get this meeting with the ALC chair, I can certainly bring that up,” he said.