South Cowichan Community Issues Assessment

What’s Happening?

The CVRD is seeking community input on current issues and concerns around governance and service delivery in the South Cowichan communities of Mill Bay/Malahat, Shawnigan Lake, and Cobble Hill (Electoral Areas A, B, and C). The outcome of this assessment will help residents and the CVRD understand the current situation and together, understand if service or governance gaps exist and identify any next steps required. This assessment will not include recommendations to explore a new governance structure or outline changes in service delivery.

Key elements and objectives of this project include:

• A comprehensive technical review that describes the current planning context, governance structure as well as the various roles, responsibilities, and jurisdictions of service providers for each of the South Cowichan communities.
• Hear what the community has to say about current issues and concerns around governance and service delivery.
• Connect with First Nations governments in the South Cowichan area to understand their perspectives, concerns, and ideas.
• Engage key community groups, private service providers, and improvement districts to articulate the issues they see in South Cowichan overall.
• Summarize all the above findings for consideration by residents to the CVRD Board.

Project Timeline

What Areas are Included in this Assessment?

South Cowichan communities included in this assessment are:

• Electoral Area A (Mill Bay/ Malahat)
• Electoral Area B (Shawnigan Lake)
• Electoral Area C (Cobble Hill)

Within these communities, engagement groups identified include:

• All residents within Electoral Area A, B, and C (whether renters, owners, seasonal, etc.)
• Property owners who may live outside the South Cowichan area
• Local community groups (representing residents in the area)
• Residents associations
• Representatives from various CVRD committees (i.e. Parks Advisory Committee), as identified
• Improvement districts
• Private service providers
• CVRD Board Directors
• Relevant Provincial Ministries
• Neighbouring jurisdictions - First Nations (government-to-government meetings)