COAPCOAP + THE WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / TOPIC COLLECTION
Cowichan council motions, votes & decisions
Read archived coverage of council and board motions, votes and decisions, and the arguments people made around them.
46 matching archived articles · Page 1 of 2 · 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
Residents vs. Cell Towers: How Communities Are Pushing Back and Winning
As more and more residents push back against large cell towers in their neighbourhoods up and down the island, some local governments are starting to actually listen to the residents’ concerns about the Health Aspects, even though the Feder…
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
The Sherman Road Housing Project: 10 Years of Bureaucratic Backroom Deals and Ignoring the Public
How a Small, Contaminated Lot Became North Cowichan’s Latest High-Density Social Experiment Let’s take a walk down memory lane. It’s 2016. The world is worried about Brexit, Trump is shaking up U.S. politics (how ironic), and in North Cowic…
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
North Cowichan’s Controversial 30-Second Rule: Quick Queries or Civic Curtailment?
After writing an article about the insulting 30-second rule North Cowichan was looking into for question period that you can read below and sending an email to council regarding the displeasure of many residents, we received more informatio…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-11-26
Proactive Enforcement of Short-Term Rentals: A Shift in Strategy - CVRD
The board has announced a new approach to the enforcement of non-permitted short-term rentals in electoral areas. The proposed resolution aims to provide clear guidance to staff, stakeholders, and the public regarding the initiation of inve…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-11-26
LtE - Mismanagement of Taxpayer Dollars in the Cowichan Valley
Once again another Emergency Warming Centre has been approved by the Cowichan Valley Regional District at the parking lot behind the Ramada Inn Hotel. The CVRD will pay a rental charge for this location. Once again just proves that the CVRD…
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 / 2024-11-20
West Vista Terrace Project Gets Green Light in North Cowichan
WestWard Independent In a Nutshell! Crack open the day's highlights with quick, bite-sized articles that get straight to the point. Perfect for when you need the scoop without the fluff. In a thrilling turn of events at tonight's council me…
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 / 2024-09-04
Picking Apart North Cowichan's Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategy
The recent "Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategy" put forth by the Municipality of North Cowichan reads like a manifesto for radical change, with little room for debate or dissent. At a glance, it's clear that the report i…
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
CVRD Discusses Public Input
In a July meeting, the discussion on public input and its role in decision-making processes brought forth a multitude of perspectives from various directors. As the meeting unfolded, the directors shared their insights, revealing both the c…
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: Neglected Heritage: The Demise of the Cowichan Valley Hockey Stick
Dear WWIND, The hockey stick will disappear shortly. Why? The Cowichan Valley Regional District did not maintain the stick on a regular basis. That is applying high-quality waterproof paints, varnish, and stains regularly. Also regular main…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-05-24
Council Watch - May
April: - Rails to Trails’ spokesperson David Slade stated that federal and provincial funds were available for active transportation infrastructure, such as converting the railroad track into walking/biking paths, but not for reviving the r…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-05-24
The Slow Creep To Censorship- All levels of Government
At the CVRD meeting May 1st, there was discussion about adding a fine of $50k for undefined “extreme” circumstances where people do not report to the altering of their buildings on their land. They also added more divisions within the CVRD …
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-04-18
Bus Shelters To be Removed Amidst Public Safety Concerns
The CVRD board of directors appeared distressed and frustrated while voting to remove two bus shelters, one on James St. and the other next to London Drugs at the Village Green Mall in Duncan, during the CVRD meeting on March 27th. During t…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-04-18
Who Is the Municipality of North Cowichan Working For?
In 2013 North Cowichan passed a motion to join the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) a Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) initiative in partnership with ICLEI, a UN creation to monitor and steer local policy. The CVRD also beca…
Read the historical article →