Mayor’s report November 18

 Report to Council

I recently attended a health care summit in Nanaimo along with our CAO. One of the big issues is recruitment to deal with the shortage of trained doctors and nurses. Due to the political issues south of the border, many medical professionals are emigrating to Canada to work which will alleviate these pressures.  Steps are being taken to streamline the approval process for medical professionals, which has in a large part been responsible for the shortages. We are doing ok in Tahsis at the moment with our current need being for a second receptionist. I have noticed that in the years that I have lived here that waits for appointments have increased from one week to four though.

Following our last council meeting I had directed staff to add more comprehensive information and plans regarding Phase 3 of our flood and tsunami control project. The Village website has now been updated.

At the regional district level, I have been providing input regarding the Heritage Conservation Act which is being updated following province-wide consultation. One of the most common concerns is regarding slow response times and increasing costs around development permit applications which has a chilling effect on new housing development. The provincial government will need to recruit and fund more archaeologists in order to speed up assessments and reduce backlogs. I was also advocating for education, interpretive and conservation signage for sites such as burial caves, which are common along our coast and are subject to plundering by souvenir collectors. People are not allowed to plunder our cemeteries and First Nation internment sites deserve the same level of respect. Penalties need to be tightened up and enforced.

The Island Coastal Economic Trust, of which I am a Board member, is undergoing a provincial legislative review along with all trusts, which is a first step to recapitalizing. Last year, we received a $10 million cash infusion to keep it running until 2027. We are seeking enough funding to enable it to continue operating using future investment revenue alone ensuring financial stability and sustainability. Tahsis and communities across the Island apply to fund economic development projects. All communities are represented on the Regional Advisory Committee and we have recently extended that representation to First Nation bands with their consultation and approval. I have just sent a letter representing mayors across our provincial riding to our MLA asking to meet regarding this.  

Once again, I was honoured to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies. As part of an immigrant family to Canada, I grew up with the stories of WW2, which had ended just 12 years before my birth day. My six uncles fought in the war and miraculously all survived. My parents, who were the youngest of each family, grew up during the war with the constant threat of bombing. A bomb destroyed a house on our street. Both my parents served in the military just after the war. They emigrated because they thought WW3 was coming and would be nuclear. They did not want to raise their children under this threat and so we moved to Canada. What a blessing they gave to their kids and future offspring.  But it doesnt mean the threat of totalitarianism has ever gone away. In fact it seems closer than it has been in years when you see what is going on south of the border. But I feel like Canada is on the right track at least for now. It continues to remain true that if we dont remind ourselves of the evils of the past, that we condemn ourselves to a bleak future.  May we continue to build a world which is kind and equitable to all, no matter their race or beliefs.