In the recent article “Deep division over rock festival”, it was noted that at the public meeting for the Rock of the Woods Temporary Use Permit on Oct. 26 I made mention of a list of supporters from the Sahtlam/Sunrise Road neighbourhood and that we would not be making this list public due to privacy concerns. I would like to clarify that at that meeting I stated publicly that we have offered to make this list of local supporters available to Area E director Nicholson so that she may use it in her deliberations regarding the permit. To date, director Nicholson has not requested this information from us.
Since our founding in 2009 we have been an open and transparent community event. We are proud of our working relationship with CVRD staff, the Sahtlam Volunteer Fire Department, RCMP, and other emergency services and local stakeholders.
We trust that all CVRD directors will make their decision on our permit using evidence based decision making. Our operations plan is comprehensive and has been endorsed by various emergency services, including the local fire department. While there is a vocal minority in Area E opposed to this community event, the public record from Oct. 26 shows that there are many from the Sunrise Road neighbourhood and the wider Cowichan Valley that support the festival.
It now falls to all area directors to use the facts before them to make a sound and informed decision, taking into account the direct benefits of this festival for the residents of Area E and all residents of the Cowichan Valley.
We encourage residents of the Cowichan Valley to visit the CVRD’s website to read our operations plan and consult the minutes of the public meeting. We believe that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that this site is ideal for a safe, fun, and respectful community event.
Kelly Black
Rock of the Woods Music Festival