Island Rail Corridor

Towards a Shared Vision Report→

TOWARDS A SHARED VISION FOR THE ISLAND RAIL CORRIDOR CVRD

The CVRD facilitated a shared visioning process for the CVRD portion of the Island Rail Corridor lands (not including First Nations reserve lands bisected by the Corridor) that concluded in early 2025.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) provided a grant to support the development of the shared vision process across five Regional Districts and 14 First Nations.

The shared visioning process will culminate with a report which includes technical considerations, a summary of public engagement and First Nations consultation, and options and next steps.

TOWARDS A SHARED VISION

Background Report

A background report was compiled that summarizes the history of the corridor as well as recent planning studies relating to the reintroduction of freight and passenger services, infrastructure improvement costs and engagement activities to gather feedback from local authorities, Nations, stakeholders, and the public on their position and aspirations relating to the corridor.

Engagement and Collaboration Overview

A comprehensive engagement and collaboration process was delivered to work towards a shared vision for the Island Rail Corridor (IRC). It included collaboration with other Regional Districts, a Working Group, and the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF); as well as engagement with Nations, stakeholders and the public.

First Nations Engagement

First Nations engagement was undertaken with the intent of incorporating Cowichan Tribes, Penelakut Tribe, and Halalt, Malahat, Stz’uminus and Ts’uubaa-asatx First Nations visions for the corridor into the CVRD’s project understanding and outcomes. These six Nations have, or have had, partial ownership of the corridor as current members and past members of the Island Corridor Foundation, and have been participating in visioning in their own, diverse ways

TOWARDS A SHARED VISION: FIRST NATIONS & LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE CVRD

The Cowichan Valley Regional District is in the traditional, unceded territories of the Cowichan Tribes, Penelakut Tribe and the Ditidaht, Pacheedaht, Halalt, Stz'uminus, Ts'uubaa-asatx, Lyackson, Malahat, and Pauquachin First Nations.

Tzinquaw Dancers

Watch the Towards a Shared Vision video HERE

The region covers an area of 3,473 km2 on Vancouver Island between Malahat/Mill Bay and North Oyster. On the western edge of the region is the Pacific Ocean; the Salish Sea sits on the region's eastern border.

There are nine electoral areas in the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) and four incorporated municipalities.

The electoral areas fall within the scope of the Official Community Plan (OCP) for the Electoral Areas. The OCP provides policy direction for the electoral areas within a regional planning context.

The incorporated municipalities of Duncan, North Cowichan, Ladysmith, and Lake Cowichan each have their own official community plans.

For clarity, the portion of CVRD Rail in the Electoral Areas, First Nations, and Municipalities land is as follows:

Table 1 - Length of Island Corridor in CVRD & First Nation jurisdictions

Source bisected Reserve land: Thurber Engineering Limited Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (2024)
Source Electoral Area & Municipal Lands: CVRD GIS

The Island Rail Corridor is the collection of parcels of lands that make up the Corridor, including the Victoria Subdivision, the Port Alberni Subdivision, and the Wellcox Spur. The portion within the CVRD is the Victoria Subdivision.

STORY MAP

The Story Map is a visual representation of the Island Corridor. This mapping tool will help you get acquainted, at your own pace, with the Island Corridor in an interactive way. View maps of First Nations Traditional Territories, reserve lands, local government jurisdictional boundaries and land use designations.

It's an immersive resource where you can click, zoom, and explore the Island Corridor through maps and descriptions.

Click here for the Story Map which includes the following individual maps:

1. Island Corridor with First Nations Reserve Lands

2. Island Corridor with CVRD Bisecting Reserve Lands

3. First Nations Reserve Boundaries

4. First Nation Statement of Intent Boundaries

5. CVRD Official Community Plans Land Use Designations

6. CVRD Municipal & Electoral Area Boundaries

ONLINE SURVEY

Thank you to the 4000+ people who completed the survey.

The survey results will be shared in the final report presented to the CVRD Board and posted on PlanYourCowichan on February 26 2025.