Some confusion about voter eligibility arose during the Fire District election in April 2015. The District obtained legal advice and the rules have now been clarified. Voters should be aware of the updated interpretation of the rules.
To summarize, in order to be eligible to vote for the Fire Trustees, a person needs to meet all of the following four criteria. They must (1) be a Canadian citizen, (2) be eighteen years old or older, (3) have resided in British Columbia for at least six months before the election date, and
(4) be an owner of land in the improvement district or the authorized agent of a board or corporation that is an owner of land in the improvement district, or the legal representative of any land owner who has died (Order of Probate) or become insolvent (Bankruptcy Trustee). These rules arise from provincial law and the Fire District's letters patent and have been unchanged for many years.
The interpretation changes are as follows.
First, individuals who own more than one property may only vote once. This is the law as set out in the Election Act (BC).  One person, one vote.
Secondly, it was unclear last April whether mobile home owners were eligible to vote in a Fire District election. Legal advice confirms that a person who is a registered owner of a mobile home within a mobile home park and pays taxes for the services of the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District is entitled to vote for the Fire Trustees. In particular, owners at Brinkworthy are eligible to vote in the coming election.
Andrew Peat
Corporate Administration Officer
Salt Spring Island Fire Protection
Election by Voting Details
VOTING DAY for the election of Trustees will be open on Tuesday the first (1st) day of December 2015, TO QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE SALTSPRING ISLAND FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT at:
The Main Meeting Room of the Salt Spring Public Library, 129 McPhillips Avenue, Salt Spring Island, B.C.
AND SUCH VOTING PLACE SHALL BE OPEN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF Eight (8:00) A.M. and Eight (8:00) P.M.
ADVANCE VOTING for election of Trustees shall be open on Wednesday the Eighteenth (18th) of November 2015 TO QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE SALTSPRING ISLAND FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT between the hours of twelve Noon and eight (8:00) P.M. at the Main Meeting Room of the Salt Spring Public Library, 129 McPhillips Avenue, Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Candidates contesting a single seat that will complete its term at the 2016 AGM are:
Howard Baker
Howard Holzapfel
Michelle Mackie - candidate has officially withdrawn
Jim McLean
Doug Rajala
Candidates contesting two vacant seats with terms that expire at the 2017 AGM are:
Michael Craig
Fiona Foster
Mary Lynn Hetherington
Andy Hildebrand
A. Ross Van Winckel
Editor's Note: Salt Spring Island Fire Protection provided this clarification on November 12th, 2015 and has been updated for further clarity on November 18th, 2015. Read all submitted candidate profiles.
