Green space on the Tsawout land - claimed in the 2013 CRD draft plan
The 2013 CRD draft interim plan said at p. 12: "The Tsawout have identified a total of 53 hectares (132.5 acres) as green space. ....... A significant part of this green space and some of the most environmentally sensitive areas lie adjacent to the northern boundary of Island View Beach Regional Park and are contiguous with the park’s coastal and wetland ecosystems. ... Since the Tsawout First Nation and Island View Beach Regional Park share the same natural environment, with its unique assemblage of rare species and ecosystems, this reinforces the need for a collaborative management approach across jurisdictional boundaries."
The Tsawout Community Plan is at http://tsawout.com/files/Lands/CCP/Tsawout_CCP_1-52.pdf
The cover page says it is "For discussion with the Tsawout community".
The Tsawout Community Plan is at http://tsawout.com/files/Lands/CCP/Tsawout_CCP_1-52.pdf
The cover page says it is "For discussion with the Tsawout community".
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On the right is the part of the map from p.15 of the Tsawout Community Plan showing the "green space" north of the CRD Park. That land marked as green space is not owned by the band, it is held privately under Certificate of Possession title. The band cannot impose a green space zoning on this land, it requires the consent of those CP owners whose rights predate the Community Plan.
The Tsawout map says "Discussion need to take place with CP owners on this issue." On November 13, 2013 this question was put to CRD Parks Planning staff: |
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"At the time of the writing of the draft interim plan, had the Tsawout Comprehensive Community Plan been adopted, and had the CP owners of the area proposed as green space given their consent to this?".
The answer received was "The Tsawout Chief & Council formally adopted the Tsawout Land Use Plan in principle in 2011. Tsawout is in discussion with the land owners about the green space on the land use plan."
In other words, at the time of the drafting of this draft interim plan, and even at this current time, no green space has been set aside on the Tsawout land as implied by the CRD in the draft interim plan. The implication by the CRD that it had, was a gross misrepresentation to the public.
This misrepresentation by the CRD is not a negative reflection on the Tsawout. Their website was quite upfront - theirs was a discussion document only, and they made it clear that agreement had to be reached with the private CP owners before the green space proposal could proceed. It is also clear the Chief and Council would like to go this way, but they have steps to go through that have not been completed yet, and there can be no certainty those steps will be successful.
The answer received was "The Tsawout Chief & Council formally adopted the Tsawout Land Use Plan in principle in 2011. Tsawout is in discussion with the land owners about the green space on the land use plan."
In other words, at the time of the drafting of this draft interim plan, and even at this current time, no green space has been set aside on the Tsawout land as implied by the CRD in the draft interim plan. The implication by the CRD that it had, was a gross misrepresentation to the public.
This misrepresentation by the CRD is not a negative reflection on the Tsawout. Their website was quite upfront - theirs was a discussion document only, and they made it clear that agreement had to be reached with the private CP owners before the green space proposal could proceed. It is also clear the Chief and Council would like to go this way, but they have steps to go through that have not been completed yet, and there can be no certainty those steps will be successful.