Good and Hopeful News Regarding the Harbourview Area!!

I hope this email will bring good news to all...I am happy to inform everyone of the status of today's CRD Board meeting regarding the potential donation of $3 million to the TLC towards the purchase of the Seraphim lands (aka "Harbourview lands").

First off, I thank everyone that took the time out to attend today's meeting. An even bigger thank you to those that presented their concerns to the Board. It was a pretty intimidating task to speak before 22 Board members representing the various municipalities and a large crowd of public attendees. You all did extremely well at getting your points across.

Now the news....

As a direct result of the IRC's continual perseverance regarding this issue, the CRD Board had too many concerns about the potential contribution of $3 M to the TLC to conduct their vote at today's meeting (as was planned). The Board agreed to reconvene next Wednesday, Jan 17 @ 9:00am to revisit the issue and make a decision to vote in favour/or against this action. This meeting will again be conducted "in camera" (behind closed doors), but you are more than welcome to sit outside the boardroom and wait to be invited into the room to hear the Board rise and report and the end of the meeting (that will be done in public).

What does that mean to the IRC? It means terrific news!! Congratulate yourselves for all your hard work with this cause. Metchosin Mayor & Board Member, Karen Watson stated to me that the major points of concern holding up their decision to vote was due to our "kicking and screaming" about the issue. But now is not the time to give up, in fact we now need to get our point across even more to those CRD members that represent each of our municipalities. Now more than ever, I beg you to take a minute to jot down your concerns about this issue to your CRD Board representative. You will find a list of those reps at : http://www.crd.bc.ca/board/01muni.htm

I suggest that letters be better sent by way of fax instead of email to ensure that they are received by the appropriate person. It is far too easy for emails to be ignored. The other option would be by phone call, most of the Board member's phone numbers are listed on the crd site. But in the end, anyway you can get your letters to your Board member is better than not contacting them at all.

Also, Bill Turner (Director of the TLC) was "urged" by Karen Watson to sit down with me to come up with some compromises with regards to this property before next Wednesdays meeting in hopes of solving some of the Board's concerns. Tentatively, Bill and I will meet this Saturday afternoon.

We are in an extremely powerful position at this point, the TLC had thought they would have received a decision by the end of the day, and it is due to us that this did not happen. It is also due to our actions that we may have some say in the negotiations between the TLC and CRD in this land acquisition deal.

Any further comments and inquiries may be directed to me by way of email or by phone at 604-642-7259.

Thank you,

--

Lori Hryniuk
Island Rock Crawlers Events Coordinator & Land Use Representative
lhryniuk@home.com