Hamilton Marsh.... Taxes on Taxes
Anyone following the RDN proposed purchase of the Hamilton Marsh will recall that the purchase price of this 360 hectare parcel was $30 million dollars. In their wisdom the RDN board directors which represent every property owner within the RDN including Nanaimo, Lantzville, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and all the electoral areas, decided that the purchase was to be funded via $22.5 Million in debt to be repaid by tax payers over 20 years and $7.5M by way of funding contribu
Nov 195 min read
RDN Taxpayer Alliance
It is refreshing to see some push back to the ongoing tax increases imposed by the RDN over the past several years. The RDN Taxpayer Alliance ( RDN TA) is a group of Resident and Neighbourhood Associations who have come together to advocate for tax reform to ensure property tax increases do not out pace the taxpayers ability to pay them. The RDN TA has been actively engaging local residents to enhance awareness and to gain understanding of ...
Nov 192 min read
Getting to Zero
Recently, the Mayor of Vancouver directed city staff to produce a budget with a zero percent increase in taxes. Closer to home, John Wilson, CEO of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, wrote an article in the Business Examiner calling on the thirteen municipalities in the greater Victoria area to follow suit.
Nov 95 min read
Why Should You Consider a Run For Municipal Office
Over the past many months we have seen the direct impact municipal decisions can have on our day to day lives. Two very recent examples include the shocking rejection of a much needed service, the new private long term care facility proposed for the old college site, and then there is the "out of the blue" acquisition ....
Nov 93 min read
Long Term Care ...We can't wait for Government to solve this problem.
In October 2023 , Island Health and the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District announced a new long term care (LTC) facility to be built in Lantzville. The press release stated "The new building will bring a total of 306 long-term care beds to the region, including a 20-bed hospice unit and a 26-bed specialized population unit. The new care home is designed to have four main buildings, each containing six “households” that will include single bedrooms ...
Sep 203 min read
Municipal Spending... a Runaway Train
This week, the Business Council of BC published their findings after taking a closer look at the exceptional growth in BC municipal spending. The report highlights high property tax inflation over the past decade as a prominent contributor to to declining affordability in BC.
This is a direct consequence of runaway growth in municipal "operating" expenses, which are largely funded from property taxes.
Sep 203 min read
Eaglecrest - More Details Released
The Eaglecrest Golf Course purchase was a major topic at the Qualicum Beach council meeting on September 17, 2025. At the meeting, council passed resolutions to amend the zoning and Official Community Plan for portions of the Eaglecrest Golf Course lands. The actual amendments are complex ...
Sep 208 min read
