COAPCOAP + THE WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / TOPIC COLLECTION
North Cowichan council & community policy
Follow the local debates about North Cowichan council, community planning, taxes and the practical effects of municipal decisions.
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119 matching archived articles · Page 1 of 5 · Articles retain their original dates.
COAP / 2025-06-27
Let Us Keep Our Hens: A Fair Crack at Food Security in North Cowichan
Support the Right to Backyard Hens for All North Cowichan Residents We, the undersigned, urge the North Cowichan Council to amend Section 48.1 of the Zoning Bylaw, which restricts poultry ownership to properties larger than 1675 m² (0.41 ac…
Read the historical article →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
When Does Hubris Become Dangerous?
I am sure we can all think of numerous examples; let me illustrate with one that I experienced personally. In 2020, North Cowichan completed the Chemainus Road Corridor Upgrade project, implemented as part of the MTP (Master Transportation …
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 / 2025-02-07
Edition 017 - February
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 / 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 / 2024-11-26
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 / 2024-11-26
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
Hydrogen Fleet Upgrade Proposal
“ Hello Council. As I asked in today’s council meeting question period, I am wondering if the municipality would be interested in improving fuel economy of gas and diesel vehicles in the municipal fleet through a very simple modification th…
Read the historical article →WESTWARD INDEPENDENT / 2024-11-26
Edition 016 - December
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 / 2024-11-21
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
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 / 2024-09-04
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
North Cowichan’s New Civic Engagement: Speed Dating for Questions
Hold onto your stopwatches, North Cowichan residents, because the latest council bylaw has turned public participation into an Olympic event. With just 30 seconds on the clock to ask a question during council meetings, it’s a mad dash to th…
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 →