Positively Forward

Following our local elections in which, happily, the three candidates endorsed by Positively Forward (Holman, Grove and Patrick) were successful in their bids to become elected officials, our coordinating group took a short break. Just time enough to recharge. We remain committed to conducting research  to advance better local governance options, as well as monitoring the work and initiatives of our elected officials. We are also dedicated to keeping channels of communication open, with you our supporters, and with our CRD director, the two trustees, as well as with local commission representatives. All part of pushing for increased transparency and accountability within our governance system. Governance Updates We were delighted that CRD director Gary Holman held a public session on his budget allocations last month. The room was full and interest high. Sadly, the trustees did not see fit to follow suit. This is the second  consecutive year that Positively Forward's r…

Positively Forward is pleased to announce the release of its report, "Improving Capital Regional District(CRD) Service Delivery on Salt Spring Island: options for positive change" . A team of researchers, writers and their editor prepared the 44- page report, working for more than ten months to complete the study. Their work is based, in large part, on the evidence, analysis and observations provided by 32 people, all of whom, in different capacities, have first hand experience working with or for the CRD These include current or former CRD directors and staff members, as well as current or former CRD commissioners , local service commissioners and consultants to the CRD. Their information was collected from in depth personal interviews and through questionnaires. Lead researcher, Maxine Leichter said: " The report is the culmination of a great deal of effort and commitment on the part of many people, not least of whom are those who agreed to be interviewed about CRD serv…

Over 700 islanders — your friends, colleagues, and neighbours — have come out against incorporation. Click on this link to see who has signed on, including: Dan Jason, Andrea Le Borgne, David Miller, Richard Murakami, Andrea Palframan, Sue Newman, Deirdre Roland, Brian Brett, Jade Snow Rosen, Bob Twaites, Sue Earle, Harry Warner, Lea Weir, Tiff Wightman… Every vote counts. Join our supporters in voting NO.

Former trustee, David Borrowman speaking at a recent Positively NO public information event. https://youtu.be/j8cu9T_4Bd0

There are many reasons to oppose incorporation. Click on this Top Ten list. Salt Spring is again facing a referendum on Saturday, September 9 as to whether the island should incorporate. It is the issue that won't go away. A previous referendum about whether to incorporate, in 2002, failed; 70% of voters opposed it. The Many Islanders Opposed to Incorporation are campaigning under the banner of ‘Positively NO’. We are proud of Salt Spring’s many accomplishments and the fact that we have an engaged community without the over-development associated with so many other tourist destinations. Positively NO believes that a municipality is not an appropriate fit for Salt Spring’s rural island community. We recognize that Salt Spring is a very special place which has remained that way precisely because of the visionary all-party legislation introduced in 1974 to create the Islands Trust Act. Here are our Top Ten Reasons to Vote NO on September 9.

Island resident and the author of " A Short History of Progress", Ronald Wright speaking at a recent Positively NO event. https://youtu.be/uwZCh1bitBE

Humorist, writer and former broadcaster, Arthur Black giving a speech recently on why he's a NO supporter. https://youtu.be/Wkx-mlXd5zo

Tiffany Wightman is an educator, counsellor and a circus director. She has called Salt Spring home for 17 years. She explains the many reasons for voting NO, adding " I think that what we've got is pretty radical...so I'm voting NO with the idea that it is a radical move". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5H6wvGzWZw

First Nations consultant, Kathleen Johnnie, talks about the differences between a municipality and the Trust and Regional Districts with regards to requirements for consultations with First Nations. The video was shot at a recent information session for undecided voters organized by Positively NO.

Economist and researcher, Richard Kerr was a member of the incorporation study group 15 years ago. At that time he was a supporter of incorporation. Today he is a NO supporter. In this clip from a recent information session for undecided voters, he explains his reasons for switching.

Who are the many islanders opposed to incorporation? Here are some of us: your friends, neighbours and colleagues.

At a recent Q&A session at one of the undecided events organized by Positively No, Linda Adams explains the relationship of a municipal council to the Islands Trust as it has been experienced on Bowen Island. https://youtu.be/rPa_egyCHrE

The Positively No referendum campaign is calling on our locally-elected Islands Trust Trustees, George Grams and Peter Grove, and our CRD Director, Wayne McIntyre, to correct misleading statements made by the pro-incorporation Yes campaign about a municipality’s legal obligation to the Islands Trust. In a letter sent to them today, the Positively No campaign called their attention to recent advertisements in which the Yes side stated: "The council will be legally bound to support Trust aims" (Driftwood, August 23) "A municipality is LEGALLY BOUND to support the aims of the Trust” (Driftwood, August 23 and august 16) "Our local council would be bound by ‘preserve and protect’" (Fishbowl, July) The Islands Trust has responded to this issue on its website (repeated on the Salt Spring Exchange August 24). The relevant excerpt from their response is as follows: "In summary, direct land use control on Salt Spring Island would be under the authority of the new municip…

Patricia Lockie, former journalist and communications consultant, gives the introductory speech at an event for undecided voters put on by the Positively NO group at Meaden Hall on Aug.22. Patricia outlined the benefits to the individual and to the community of a no vote. https://youtu.be/JnKgnN_VKnA

The incorporation debate is generating creative and exciting solution-seeking discussions throughout our island. Conversations about those things we love about Salt Spring - and the reasons we moved here - are being enriched by explorations of creative ways to enhance local governance without incorporating. Most of these conversations are random, taking place while shopping at our favourite stores, at potlucks, and even while walking our dogs. But, a growing number of those conversations, driven by concern of the increased taxes, liability, and development that incorporation could bring, are focused upon rejecting incorporation and, instead, seeking promising local governance opportunities. Emerging from these wide-ranging discussions are a number of viable and exciting options available to us if we do not incorporate. Many of these could be implemented under existing policies and legislation; a few would require provincial approval - a very real option given the recent c…

Young spoken word poet and activist Taryn Muldoon explains why she is voting NO. https://youtu.be/glc__iHDdik

Indeed, incorporation will be a disaster for local farms. David Borrowman—a former local trustee for the Islands Trust—wrote: "Once the rhetoric has settled, I expect that incorporation would mean moving from an under-serviced rural area to an impoverished municipality.” If Salt Spring wants to remain a rural area, it makes sense to look at what could happen to the farming economy if we were to vote to incorporate. We know that farmers will be hardest hit by property tax increases. The provincial Farm Tax Exemption for farmers’ homes and buildings will be phased out over five years. The Urban Systems’ incorporation report estimates that farm property taxes would increase by $194/year on average, a 10% increase. Increases applied to all residential property would raise taxes even further. The district of West Kelowna incorporated in 2008. Five years later, after the transition period, farmers faced property tax increases of up to 240%, whereas the average homeowner had in…

Arthur Black - former CBC radio host, frequent columnist in many journals that you read, successful and indefatigable writer of popular books (that you should read), and generally witty man about town... elaborates on why "NO" is the new Black. https://youtu.be/tjJcj3E-Rc0