Understanding the Changing Landscape of Rural Planning

As Campbell River City Council considers joining the Strathcona Regional District’s Electoral Area Planning Service, ripples of uncertainty continue across the islands. The question isn’t just legal; it’s personal — a matter of belonging, identity, and how rural communities stay connected as they navigate decisions that affect them.

This is one lens on that story — shaped by my recent conversation with our former Area C Director Jim Abram, who served in local government for over 35 years, and my own reflections from a Cortes field trip to Hollyhock — another piece of the larger puzzle that continues to unfold across our region.

Social Profit Gathering Inspiration

On October 14, I joined more than sixty islanders for the Social Profit Gathering, hosted by the Cortes Island Community Foundation held at Hollyhock. “Social profit” and “social enterprise” describe how non-profits generate income: running businesses, small or large, where any profit or surplus is reinvested back into the organization or the wider community. The event brought together an incredible mix of non-profit leaders, volunteers, board members, and the people connected to them from Quadra, Cortes, and nearby islands — many wearing two or three of those hats at once.

Around the room, it was clear how much of the community work — whether supporting seniors, creating food security programs, caring for the children of our islands, and countless other efforts — is already being done by the people who live here, quietly holding our communities together and doing the everyday work of local government without the budgets or authority to match. We were asked to reflect on what’s working, what’s tricky, and what we might do differently. The conversation kept circling back to belonging, how knowing who we are shapes what we can build together.

Cortes Island for example has a remarkably strong sense of shared identity. That one step further removed from Vancouver Island has pushed them to build from within, furthering their resiliency. Quadra, by contrast, is less overtly isolated, we can make that trip for supplies, groceries, or connection. That proximity though doesn’t mean we lack community or sense of belonging. If anything, it means we balance two worlds: one that’s fiercely local, and another that’s just a short crossing away. That balance gives us a different kind of strength, one rooted in flexibility and collaboration.

Still, Cortes has tapped into something worth studying: a distinct sense of who they are. And as we look down the barrel of the city council’s encroaching influence on rural planning, perhaps that’s the lesson for us: to rediscover our own identity before someone else defines it for us. Looking back at my notes from that day, I found the final line I’d written both simple and telling: “It all comes down to people and connection.”

Legal & Political Reality

Jim Abram described Campbell River’s interest in joining the Electoral Area Planning Service as legal under provincial rules but complex in its implications. He explained that municipal and rural planning operate under very different realities. Abram noted that municipalities are used to having a wider range of services, things their population and tax base can sustain, while rural areas function in a much more context-driven way, often relying on community-driven solutions and a tolerance for imperfection.

In reflecting on what that means for us here I see: rural living comes with an unspoken agreement, the trade-off for space, quiet, and autonomy means our roads are holier than a soapbox on Sunday, a power outage is rarely shorter than an afternoon, and neighbours step up to create the missing pieces that they can see better than anyone, whether that’s a gym, a garden network, or a childcare program. “They’re different animals,” Abram said, “but both are valid.”

Abram also emphasized collaboration over conflict, noting the need for constructive focus moving forward: “We need to get through this next year... Every area has a huge amount of issues, and we can work on them together... It would be nice if everybody looked at where we are, what we’re doing, and what we need to do to move forward here  — not go at each others. That’s not the way to get along and govern.”

That reminder lands sharply now, as tensions grow over Campbell River’s intentions. While Council’s move to join the service is within its rights, many residents across the islands question whether collaboration is truly the goal. Regardless, the long-term reality remains the same: these communities will always be neighbours. Learning to stay peaceful, even in disagreement, may just be the most pragmatic path forward.

The Peaceful Takeover

I keep coming back to a different kind of response: a peaceful takeover. The term hostile takeover is being used a lot, and it’s not wrong. It’s no secret that Quadra, Cortes, and the rest of the SRD’s Areas A–D are caught in a tempestuous moment. The impacts of Campbell River’s potential move into rural planning could alter these lands for generations to come, yet we hold little control over them.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received was that you can’t control what happens to you — only how you respond to it. The power we hold, as individuals and as a larger, stronger collective, is in how we  stand together. If they believe a hostile takeover is the way forward, then our answer can be the opposite: to show the power of connection, a peaceful takeover built on knowledge, organization, and steady, public-facing rebellion. Not to dull our claws, but to prove how much we can accomplish before ever drawing them.

To be clear: this approach doesn’t replace the urgent work already underway — including Director Mawhinney’s call for Campbell River residents to write Council — but complements it by focusing on how we, as rural residents, hold steady in our response. That same spirit echoed at Hollyhock, reminding us that stability comes from connection, not conquest. The work ahead is nothing short of a battle, requiring perseverance, patience, coalition-building with our neighbours, showing up in public forums, and making sure rural voices are unified and clear.

This is, after all, about stewardship — of land, of community, and of process. No matter how political the mechanics become, people are still at the center of it all. If collaboration is to mean anything, it has to begin with listening, clarity, and respect. And if all of our peaceful tools don’t get the job done, well — claws weren’t built for show. We may choose to live gently, but we can still strike fast.

What Comes Next

Staying informed is resistance: connection is power.

Change doesn’t start in council chambers; it starts in communities — around our dinner tables, out walking at the Spit, and by backyard bonfires, with us. Stay tuned for our next update.

Your Editor, Melissa McKinney

At Stake: Control of the Electoral Area Planning Service

Campbell River City Council is considering paying about $450,000–$500,000 a year to join the Strathcona Regional District’s Electoral Area Planning Service. That service governs land use in the rural electoral areas: rezonings, Official Community Plan amendments, subdivision approvals, development permits, and the bylaws that hold those pieces together. Their joining would not deliver any planning work inside Campbell River; it would only give the City’s directors votes on rural planning decisions outside city limits.

Currently, four rural electoral-area directors make those decisions. If Campbell River opts in, its five municipal directors would sit at that table and could outvote the four rural directors on electoral-area planning items. That shift—five city votes versus four rural—sits at the heart of concerns about representation and local self-determination. The three rural directors from Area A (Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward), Area B (Cortes Island), and Area C (Quadra and the Discovery Islands) issued a joint press release on Oct. 1 warning that Campbell River’s move would “control rural area land use decisions” and cost city taxpayers roughly $500,000 a year—about $5 million over the next decade—with “no benefit to city residents.”

The legal doorway is straightforward. Provincial law allows a regional district and a municipality to enter an agreement for the municipality to participate in (and pay for) a planning service. Participation comes with voting at the service table. The same law lets a municipality withdraw by giving notice, while requiring it to stay long enough to finish any plan or bylaw it has already authorized. In practical terms: a city can join, vote on rural planning, and later leave—subject to those finish-up rules.

Campbell River directors have framed the rationale around regional growth and development. Campbell River Councillor and SRD Director Doug Chapman said, “Growth is going to happen at the north end of the island whether we like it or not. I would like to control how that happens,” adding that joining would allow the City to “stop bad decisions.”

Campbell River Councillor and SRD Director Ben Lanyon argued for “a more unified reputation as a region for development,” and spoke of “more workforce housing—the ability for people to live on Quadra and work in Campbell River more easily,” while criticizing rural decisions: “A lot of those decisions are made not for what I would say are for mathematical, economic, or logical reasons. They’re made for ideological reasons and that really bothers me.”

Campbell River Councillor and SRD Director Susan Sinnott expressed sadness that there was not more reciprocity between the “people that have different lifestyles” living rurally and the “pressures being felt in the large urban area.” She said: “Was it 1958 when the city of Campbell lost its waterfront to benefit Quadra? Campbell River had a waterfront and then it was filled in and probably those types of decisions if they were on a regional matter would’ve been more acceptable, or maybe more finely done, instead of the entire downtown of Campbell for losing its beaches.”

For context: Ripple Rock was removed in 1958 for navigation safety in Seymour Narrows. Campbell River’s beach was later filled (1959–61) to build Tyee Plaza—a City decision; regional districts only came into being in 1965.

Rural directors counter the city councillors that this would amount to buying influence over communities the City does not represent. The planning service exists to implement community-led visions in the electoral areas; municipal councillors would not gain services—only votes—over rural land use.

On October 2, Director Mark Vonesch of Area B shared in his newsletter a warning that Campbell River’s entry into the rural planning service would undermine local autonomy. He noted that the average tax savings for rural property owners (on Cortes Island) would amount to only about $57 per year. The phrase “hostile takeover” first appeared in community discussions as residents reacted to the proposal; both Vonesch and Area C Director Robyn Mawhinney have since adopted the term to describe growing public concern about losing control over rural land-use decisions.

​Rural planning, they add, is not guesswork. The lens is long: in the words of Director Mawhinney, “decisions are made to keep small communities viable in perpetuity.” That is a different kind of logic—not ideology, but stewardship. City councillors have been blatant in their intention—to push and control development. No mention has been made of care for the land or its residents.

Process-wise, the SRD has referred the concept to each municipal council for consideration, with staff presentations scheduled. Because the law allows a municipality to opt in (and later opt out) without a full service review, the decision point sits with Campbell River’s council. Director Mawhinney is asking Quadra residents to reach out to Campbell River residents now. She explains, “Ultimately, Campbell River joining the Electoral Area Land Use Planning Service rests with Campbell River city councillors. Unfortunately, Electoral Area Directors are not included in the decision. This is why Campbell River councillors need to hear from their own citizens what their priorities are for their hard-earned tax dollars.”

The request is simple and urgent: do not join. Keep City funds focused inside the City on City needs. Mawhinney added that she and Director Vonesch raised the issue with provincial officials at the Union of BC Municipalities convention and continue to seek a legislative solution.

Action right now: ask every Campbell River friend, neighbour, or relative you have to email mayorandcouncil@campbellriver.ca — and, if you’d like, BCC Director Mawhinney at rmawhinney@srd.ca so Area C knows your voice was heard.

Read about the Bird’s Eye’s Interactive Letter Generator in the next article. It’s quick and mostly multiple-choice; it builds your letter on-screen so you can copy it and email it in minutes.

After that, you’ll find our analysis of Campbell River’s budget priorities using the City’s own figures—so residents can decide what to include in their emails. Also included are the Sources & References for all the articles in this issue on the matter.

This IS the Action Plan URGENT

Here at the Bird’s Eye, we’ve built a simple tool to make speaking up fast, easy, and powerful. The letter generator walks you through a few short questions about what matters most to you — safety, housing, parks, non-profits, city priorities, etc — and then instantly builds your personalized letter right on the screen. It’s mostly multiple choice — quick, clear, and factual, with an optional space to add anything personal you’d like to include.

• No sign-up.
• No data collected.
• Your message, your words, your impact.

Find the letter generator here: tinyurl.com/TellCRCouncil

As Director Mawhinney emphasized, this IS the action plan — the single most direct and effective way rural residents can help stop Campbell River from joining the SRD Electoral Area Planning Service.

She’s been hearing the same thing from residents across the islands: “But I don’t really know anyone in town.” Isn’t that kind of the point — we are our own community, our own ecosystem, and that balance is what’s at stake.

Many of us have Campbell River friends, clinics, vets, favourite local shops, and even past Quadra residents. Those connections are the bridge. We need to reach out to every person we can — and share the letter generator link — so city residents understand what’s happening — and can speak up now.

It’s fast, it’s factual, and it puts public pressure exactly where it needs to be.

All you have to do is click, choose what matters most to you, and send your letter.

Use this link: tinyurl.com/TellCRCouncil

Here’s a short blurb for social media or even texts:

“Half a million dollars a year — for no new services inside Campbell River. That’s what Council is considering paying to join the SRD’s rural land-use planning service, giving City councillors votes over rural land decisions outside city limits. Campbell River residents can act now. Use the Bird’s Eye’s interactive letter generator — our Policy Mad Libs for civic action — to send your message to Council in minutes: tinyurl.com/TellCRCouncil.”

Campbell River’s Official Community Plan & Budget

In July 2025, the Campbell River City’s Official Community Plan (OCP) community survey identified these Top Priority Themes for work inside the City: Community Safety; Housing Options and Affordability; Parks and Trails; Community Facilities and other City Amenities; and Future Land-Use Planning (within the City).

Regardless of age, the same top three concerns recur: safety, housing and affordability, and parks and trails. Sixty-five percent of respondents rated the availability of housing options as fair or poor—an issue Quadra is no stranger to.

For the City’s 2025 budget cycle, Council approved a 2.89% tax increase alongside approximately $1.2 million in reductions. The community grants envelope was set at $700,000 (down from $931,000 in 2024) under a new Financial Assistance Policy adopted in November 2024—a change local non-profits have publicly opposed.

It raises an important question: if budget cuts total more than $1 million, what could $500,000 fund inside Campbell River in just one fiscal year? Below are a few items drawn directly from City budget lines that align with the community’s top priorities:

Community Safety — Downtown Cleanliness Program: $239,000. Two full years ≈ $478,000. Or, Community Safety Enhancements: $1,070,000 (lighting, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, and targeted bylaw/security work). $500,000 covers nearly half.

Housing (in-city enablers) — OCP & Zoning Update: $529,065. $500,000 almost fully funds a year of the planning work that helps clear the way for new homes in Campbell River.

Parks & Basic Upkeep — Vegetation & Public Tree Maintenance: $79,000 (pruning, danger-tree work, boulevard and park trees) + Pavement Management Plan: $110,000 (neighbourhood road surface care). Together that’s $189,000. A $500,000 spend could fund both in full and still leave $311,000 for other top priorities like safety or housing work.

Community Programs — Community Grants: $700,000 (down from $931,000). $500,000 would restore the $231,000 reduction and could even increase funding to the downtown non-profits hit hardest by those cuts—many of which work directly on safety and support with some of the most vulnerable members of the community in the City’s core.

People asked for safety, housing, parks, facilities, and inner-city planning. Half a million dollars could land right there—in cleaner streets, safer public spaces, repaired roads, planning work that helps homes happen, or restored support for the groups that keep neighbourhoods functioning and a city feel more like home.

Remember to get as many Campbell River residents to email mayorandcouncil@campbellriver.ca (they can BCC Director Mawhinney at rmawhinney@srd.ca to share their support) to say a clear NO to spending $500,000 annually on rural votes outside of the city instead of services inside the city that it needs.

Be sure to read the article above about our letter generator to help Campbell River residents make their voices heard in a meaningful way, in a matter of minutes! The link is: tinyurl.com/TellCRCouncil to create a personalized letter.