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Cowichan budgets, taxes & public spending
Find historical reporting and commentary about budgets, taxes, infrastructure and the public spending discussed in Cowichan communities.
52 matching archived articles · Page 1 of 3 · Articles retain their original dates.
WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2025-04-13
Hogg Stuns NDP Machine in North Cowichan By-Election
The People Spoke Back in October 2023, North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas stood tall at a council meeting, riding high on ideology. “If you don’t like our direction,” he smirked, “vote differently next time.” So they did. On April 12, 2025, v…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2025-02-07
North Cowichan and Duncan Tax Hikes: When Will Enough Be Enough?
Let’s talk about these relentless tax hikes in North Cowichan and Duncan. Both municipalities are gearing up for 2025 budgets, and the numbers being tossed around are unreal: North Cowichan is debating a potential 15 to 20 percent tax incre…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2025-02-07
2025 North Cowichan By-Election
GET OUT AND VOTE in the North Cowichan by-election Advanced voting is available on April 2 and April 8, from 8 AM to 8 PM at Municipal Hall. If you miss those, the general voting day is Saturday, April 12, from 8 AM to 8 PM, with polling st…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2025-02-07
North Cowichan’s Spending Spree: Because Who Needs Groceries When You Can Have Electric cars?
In North Cowichan, a significant disconnect has emerged between municipal priorities and residents’ concerns. From the last poll we could find (before the last election and with a very poor number of participants), the data indicated that o…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2025-02-07
Cowichan’s Leadership is Failing—And Tariffs Just Proved It
For years, we’ve been saying it. We’ve written the articles, we’ve laid out the facts, and we’ve practically drawn these people a roadmap to common sense. And yet, here we are. Feb 1, the United States imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canadia…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2025-02-07
DEI Travels Sideways: How “Anti-Oppressive” Stories Might Backfire
North Cowichan’s 2025 Budget Includes DEI Training Corporate America spends approximately $8 billion annually on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, according to research by consulting firm McKinsey. This reflects an ongoing fi…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-12-11
City of Duncan Approves Major Utility Rate Increases
Rising utility rates and a more general squeeze on Cowichan Valley tax payers have severe effects on Duncan residents. With the city council approving major utility rate increases on November 18, Duncan residents are getting ready for growi…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-12-06
Controversy Erupts Over CVRD's $345 Garbage Collection Fee
The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) has long wrestled with challenges surrounding its waste management policies. The separation of garbage collection fees from property taxes, which caused confusion and frustration for many residen…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-11-26
An update to our 911 story - RE: Downloading Costs to Residents
“Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding the recent announcement about the E-Comm 911 services costs. Mayor and Council have been engaging with the province on this matter and have also discussed it with the Minister at UBCM…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-11-21
What's Next For Cowichan's Municipal Reserve?
North Cowichan’s Municipal Forest Reserve (MFR) hasn’t been in the spotlight much lately, but with 2025 closing in, the harsh reality of its dwindling reserve fund is impossible to ignore. Once a self-sufficient asset, the MFR has turned in…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-10-04
South Island Municipalities Hit With 911 Bombshell
The recent announcement that ten South Island municipalities will need to fully fund E-Comm 911 services by next April is deeply concerning. For years, the cost-sharing model split between the provincial and federal governments helped ensur…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-10-04
Luxury or Necessity? Cowichan Directors Split Over $240,000 Tech Upgrade
In the September 25th Regular Board Meeting of the CVRD, the board discussed the approval of a $240,000 upgrade to the boardroom’s audiovisual (AV) and web streaming system. The proposed resolution would amend the 2024 budget for general go…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-10-04
All Aboard: Vancouver Island’s Rail Revival Promises Prosperity and Progress
Restoring the Vancouver Island Railroad is a topic on the minds of most Island residents. The dormant rail line runs across my backyard and I have waited for this time to come since the last train passed by many years ago. People are curren…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-09-08
Balancing the Books: Why I’m Choosing the Conservative Path
Ever wonder why so many people get into politics? It’s usually with good intentions, right? Someone sees an issue—homelessness, low wages, crime—and thinks, "I could fix this mess." They know it’s not going to be quick or easy, but they’ve …
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-09-03
North Cowichan's Latest Adventure: Sue Big Oil… or is it "Sue Our Way to Irrelevance"
Once again, the North Cowichan Council is contemplating taking a bold new step—not into a future of innovation or fiscal responsibility, mind you, but right off the cliff into a pit of legal fantasies. Their latest brainwave? Jumping on the…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-08-29
Understanding Agenda 21 Locally: A Call to Awareness and Action
Two years ago, Agenda 2030 was called a conspiracy by many, and even used to shame some citizens running for local government who indicated that local policy was driven by the United Nations Sustainability Goals and Agenda 2030 (previously …
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-08-29
Sticks And Stones….But Words Can Never Hurt Me!
As a child, I was taught the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” as were most children in the Western world. It was a lesson in resilience, helping us navigate through life’s harsh words and insults…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-08-29
LtE: Are We Funding a Shadow Police Force in the Name of 'Bylaw Enforcement'?
Dear WWIND, I was having coffee with friends and watching the world go by when I noticed a brand new Ford pickup truck with full police type lights on it and two brand new, very expensive Mountain Bikes, racked by the tailgate. Two people i…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-08-29
The Implications of Tacit Agreements in Local Governance
Residents of North Cowichan and the broader Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) have been unexpectedly subjected to changes in their utility and garbage billing. These changes, including the removal of utility payments from the tax bil…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-07-21
The National Holiday No One Wants to Celebrate
Did you know that Canadians celebrate a unique kind of holiday on June 13th every year? It's called Tax Freedom Day, the day when the average Canadian has finally earned enough to pay off their total tax bill for the year to all levels of g…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-07-10
Edition 013 - July
View PDF version here Looking to advertise with WWIND? For sales and a rate sheet contact us at sales@wwind.caIf you’d like to submit an article for our next edition, contact us at editor@wwind.caView available packages and sizes here. Arti…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-07-10
Council Watch - July
Duncan: June 3 CAO: “Staff are reviewing the timing of the scramble crosswalk” Canada – Ingram Scramble Crossing Replacement with Protected Southbound Left Turn Signal. That Council direct staff to amend the Financial Plan to re-allocate th…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-07-10
LtE: Rising Property Taxes: A Struggle for Seniors in Duncan
Dear WWIND, Today I received my City of Duncan property tax notice. I was nervous about opening it, as last year I faced a $300 increase from the previous year. This year’s bill is $441 MORE than last year! How on earth does an octogenarian…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-07-10
Ignored and Overlooked: The Crisis of Youth Mental Health Funding
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. — Frederick Douglass “Healthy emotional and social development in our early years lays the foundation for mental health and resilience throughout the lifespan. Yet, 70 percent…
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