Three motions introduced by North Cowichan Coun. Bruce Findlay did not fare well at the council meeting on April 17.
Two motions, with one regarding the termination of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers and the other recommending that the municipality postpone the immediate implementation of Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, were defeated.
The third motion that council support the “Save BC Restaurants” program, initiated by the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association and Restaurants Canada, was only partially successful.
Council agreed that a letter would be sent to the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce asking that changes to liquor licensing be reviewed to see if red tape could be removed to make it easier for food establishments to operate.
In regards to ending the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers that were introduced during the pandemic which required all healthcare workers be vaccinated, which left some out of work, Findlay said it has left the healthcare industry stretched to the limit.
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Approximately 2,500 healthcare workers in B.C. still remain on the sidelines and want to return to work. Findlay said lifting the mandate would go a long way to deal with the growing healthcare crisis in the province.
“B.C. remains the only jurisdiction in North America that still has a vaccine mandate so I’m recommending we send a letter [to the province] requesting the termination of the mandate,” Findlay said.
Many council members agreed that the time for the vaccine mandate has passed, but questioned whether the issue should and could be dealt with at the municipal level.
Coun. Christopher Justice said that after some research, the facts of the matter are still not clear to him, but the issue has become very political in the community and the B.C. legislature.
He said, in his opinion, a letter from North Cowichan to the province would do little more than position the municipality on one side of the issue and would have no impact on public health policy.
The motion failed, but council did agree that Mayor Rob Douglas should seek further information from the province.
Findlay’s second motion was for North Cowichan to postpone the implementation of Level 4 of the province’s Zero-Carbon Step Code Emission program, which council adopted in October.
The ambitious program aims to see incremental reductions in GHG emissions from new buildings in B.C. in the coming years, and the province has introduced an energy step code to guide local governments in the mandatory transition to lower emissions.
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Council has voted to go the highest step, Level 4, in the program this year, despite having six years to achieve that goal.
Findlay said the building industry is not against the province’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions, but North Cowichan’s decision to accelerate the program is too much, too fast.
He said the industry is frustrated because different municipalities are choosing to be at different levels in the program, which makes it more difficult for builders who work across many jurisdictions.
Findlay said the province gave municipalities until 2030 to get to Level 4.
“They developed the code and the plan, so who are we to say let’s move it faster for ideological reasons?” he asked.
“The industry needs time to adapt so we should delay this and let industry catch up.”
A number of council members noted it’s important to deal with climate change sooner rather than later, and that council had already voted to move forward with Level 4 this year.
Coun. Chris Istace pointed out that many other adjacent communities to North Cowichan have committed to Level 4 this year.
“Stepping back now would put us out of alignment with the rest,” he said.
The motion failed.
As for Findlay’s motion to support initiatives to help food establishments in the province, he said the industry, which is the sixth biggest employer in the Cowichan Valley, was disproportionately affected by the province’s COVID-19 policies and the fallout from the pandemic.
Among the recommendations was that a letter be sent to the province urging that WorkSafeBC premiums be frozen and the overages in the program be returned to businesses most affected by excess premiums charges, and that the province reconsider minimum-wage levels, including an under-18 wage system, for entry-level positions such as food-service workers.
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Most council members agreed that reasonable actions should be taken to assist the restaurant industry, but some disagreed that minimum wage levels be reconsidered.
Coun. Mike Caljouw said the initiative to ensure a living wage for workers in B.C. has been ongoing for years.
“Everyone has a different opinion [on the issue], especially business owners and I understand that because it’s their cost,” he said.
Findlay said minimum wage was never intended to be a living wage.
He said in the restaurant industry, service providers regularly get tips and the average worker in his establishment makes more than the living wage as a result.
“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have a living wage, I’m saying that a 14-year-old that comes in to wash dishes should not get a living wage when they are still living at home,” Findlay said.
The main parts of Findlay’s motion failed, except for the letter to the chamber of commerce regarding liquor laws.