John Rice Area D Director

I have just posted my Directors Report for May 2026.

johnforaread.ca

Great seeing the new bus shelter being installed at Engles Rd.

NEWS - All Open Burning Banned Throughout the SRD

(Campbell River, BC) – The Coastal Fire Centre is prohibiting all open burning across the region, and local fire service areas are also implementing their own full open burning bans.

As of noon on Thursday May 7, 2026 campfires, backyard fires and beach fires are not permitted in any area of the Strathcona Regional District.

This means that no open burning is permitted at all.

For burning concerns in any of the areas listed below, call the Coastal Fire Centre at 250-951-4209:
All of Electoral Area A (Sayward Valley).
Areas of Electoral Area B (Cortes Island) not located within the Cortes Island Fire Protection Area.
All of Electoral Area C (Quadra & Discovery Islands) EXCEPT the area within the South Quadra Island Improvement District.
All of Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay / Buttle Lake) EXCEPT for the area within the Black Creek / Oyster Bay Fire Protection Local Area.

For other local fire services areas in the Regional District, please call the following phone numbers with any burning concerns (as requested by the Fire Chiefs of the departments listed below):
Black Creek / Oyster Bay Local Fire Protection Area - 250-830-7155
City of Campbell River - 250-286-6266
Cortes Island Fire Protection Area – 9-1-1
South Quadra Island Improvement District – 9-1-1
Village of Gold River – 9-1-1
Village of Sayward – 9-1-1
Village of Tahsis – 9-1-1
Village of Zeballos – 9-1-1

To stay informed and learn more about restrictions or which fire protection area you reside in please visit www.srd.ca/fire

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Media Contact: Shaun Koopman – SRD Manager, Emergency Services 250-830-6702 | [email protected]

www.srd.ca

It is rare that I post a second Directors' Report.

My updated report can be found at
https://johnforaread.ca/PDF_Files/Directors%20Report%20April%202026%20part%202.pdf

Thank you to the Area D residents who attended the last Regional Board meeting. While it was difficult to sit through the long meeting, your conduct and professionalism did not go unnoticed.

Thank you to the Strathcona Standard and their reporting.

johnforaread.ca

For those interested, I have posted this month's Directors Report

This months report includes

• Aquatic Centre Update
• Home Away from Home Lodge and Workforce Housing update
• Water Meter Project Update
• Traffic Study on Highway 19A Update
• Meetings with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit
• Oyster Bay Rest Stop Concerns
• Oyster River Enhancement Society
• New Bus Stops and Shelters

This month's report can be found

johnforaread.ca

Strathcona Gardens Funding Participants Possible Change

In 2023, I brought a motion to the Regional Board asking that staff return further reports in the hopes of answering the question “Why is Area D the only Electoral Area paying into the Strathcona Gardens?”

Well, at the April Regional Board Meeting, the board will be voting on whether Quadra Island should join the funding participants.
Every other Regional District on Vancouver Island has realized years ago that to have strong Recreational Facilities that are well funded, it does take the entire Regional District to chip in.

Further, every other regional district on Vancouver Island recognizes that Recreational Faculties bring value to their entire Regional District.

The exception is our Strathcona Regional District.

Please read my Director's Report.

https://johnforaread.ca/PDF_Files/Directors%20Report%20March%202026.pdf

Please take a few minutes to complete the brief survey found at
https://form.jotform.com/260856892719070

Let's send a strong message to the Regional Board that it is time for Quadra Island residents to help pay for a facility that they have used and enjoyed for years.

Strathcona Gardens Service Please click the link to complete this form.

Just posted this months Directors Report

It can be found at
https://johnforaread.ca/PDF_Files/Directors%20Report%20March%202026.pdf

The hot topic this month was the Strathcona Gardens. Finally the Regional Board is tackling what every other Regional District on this Island have already resolved years ago and that is who should be included when it comes to funding Recreational Facilities.

Take the time to read my report as this is a very important issue.

johnforaread.ca

Strathcona Gardens Service Participants Might Be Changing

As many may not know in the community the Strathcona Gardens is a Regional District asset, not a City of Campbell River asset.

As always, there is so much misinformation regarding the gardens, and now that the regional board will be deciding a motion at Wednesday's board meeting to have Area C or a portion of Area C join this service, I also feel it is important for Area D residents to understand why I brought this motion to the board back in the summer of 2023.

All other Regional Districts on the Island and the mainland do have electoral area’s pay into a recreation service when they should be. This is not a city of campbell river facility, it is a regional district facility, yet for many years who have paid to keep this facility open. It was time to have the regional district, through a series of reports, look into why other electoral area’s should not be paying, or should they be paying.

The reports before the board for wed meeting are pretty clear, and they do make a case that the service participants should be expanded.

For me, as the Area Director, it is about fairness and what the gardens bring to the regional district.

To correct some misinformation for all the folks on the Southern End of Area D there is an active petition claiming many things.

1. Taxes did not go up 9%. Taxes for the SRD services in 2026 is a net zero increase when compared to last year.
2. On specific services such as fire and water which comes from the Comox Valley RD please note the following
1. meter water rates went up 2.5% and fire remains the same cost as last year.
2. The parcel tax for water infrastructure replacement did increase as per the schedule released by the Comox Valley RD last year. Compared to last year this parcel tax increased from $ 251 in 2025 to $318 for 2026.

If any residents on the TAX increase for 2026 is not clear please call me. 250.203.1598

For those who could not attend my last town hall on March 7th, here is a quick recap.
https://johnforaread.ca/PDF_Files/New%20Release%20March%202026.pdf

Thank you!

johnforaread.ca