ISSUES
The District of North Vancouver is home to a growing community with divergent needs and significant issues. I see, and hear what changes, and improvements our communities want. In addition to the issues that are necessary and on going, Council had three very large, once in a lifetime issues come before it in this term that will impact every citizen in the DNV for years to come. As member of Council, I am committed to ensuring community voices are heard at the decision table, to trying to get results from all 3 levels of government and continuing to ask the hard questions even if I don’t immediately get answers.
Recent and Ongoing Issues
Provincial Government Housing Legislation
(housing, rezoning, growth, public hearings)
Since 2023 the provincial government has passed several mandated Bills that have fundamentally changed how all local governments in B.C. can plan, consider and approve development and growth in our entire community. Council has lost some of their historical decision roles and the citizens have lost some opportunities to speak and affect decisions.
These rules require the District to enable increased density in neighbourhoods traditionally zoned for detached single-family homes, and near transit homes. This has removed our Councils ability to basically zone according to our Official Community Plan and limited when we can have a public hearing, thus taking away the community’s voice.
2023: Bill 44 Housing Statues (Residential Development) Amendment Act
• Local governments mandated to permit increased density (small-scale multi-unit housing forms) in certain single-family and duplex zones. However, zones that permit single-family homes with secondary suites and coach houses are not affected and are still allowed. Local governments mandated to permit increased density (small-scale multi-unit housing forms) in certain single-family and duplex zones. However, zones that permit single-family homes with secondary suites and coach houses are not affected and are still allowed. Please note, in October 2025, the provincial government introduced Bill 25, which will remove barriers to the development of small-scale, multi-unit housing by clarifying where this type of housing will be allowed.
• Local governments can no longer hold Public Hearings for residential development applications that meet the requirements under the new rules (Public Hearings are still optional for other types of rezonings such as commercial, industrial, institutional uses, unless there is an OCP amendment.)
• Local governments must prepare a Housing Needs Report by Dec. 31, 2024, and the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw must be amended by Dec. 31, 2025, to align with the Housing Needs Report and permit 20 years of future residential growth. The OCP must now also be updated every five years.
• Local governments can no longer hold Public Hearings for residential development applications that meet the requirements under the new rules (Public Hearings are still optional for other types of rezonings such as commercial, industrial, institutional uses, unless there is an OCP amendment.)
• Local governments must prepare a Housing Needs Report by Dec. 31, 2024, and the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw must be amended by Dec. 31, 2025, to align with the Housing Needs Report and permit 20 years of future residential growth. The OCP must now also be updated every five years.
2023: Bill 46 Housing Statues (Development Financing) Amendment Act
o Provides changes to local governments' Development Cost Charge powers. In addition to municipal utility, road and parks development cost charges, we can now charge developers growth-related capital charges for new or expanded Police and Fire facilities.
o Introduces new Amenity Cost Charge (ACC) powers that allow us to collect money from developers for other types of growth-related amenities, such as public art, daycares, and enhanced public areas. These charges are applied at the time of subdivision or building permit issuance, rather than being negotiated at the time of rezoning. ACC charges may be waived for affordable housing projects (just like DCC waivers).
2023: Bill 47 Housing Statues (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act
o The legislation changes the rules for the development in areas in proximity to major transit hubs, called Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs). In our community, the two TOAs are located at Phibbs Bus Exchange and Capilano University Bus Exchange. Within these areas, we are required to allow new minimum heights and densities.
o Within 200 metres of a major transit hub, the minimum allowable height is 12 storeys
o Between 200 and 400 metres of a major transit hub, the minimum allowable height is eight storeys
o The new rules require local governments to designate these areas by June 30, 2024
o Except for accessible parking, local governments can no longer require off-street parking for residential use in these areas. Parking standards for voluntarily provided residential parking (e.g. paving of parking areas) can still be required. Local governments can still require off-street parking for non-residential uses.
2024: Bill 16 Housing Statutes Amendment Act
o Introduces a new Inclusionary Zoning tool that allows local governments to require a portion of new multi-family housing to be secured as affordable housing, regardless of the development approval process.
o Updates the Density Bonus tool, which allows local governments to secure affordable housing and amenities in exchange for higher density, to be consistent with Inclusionary Zoning.
o Gives local governments new authority to adopt bylaws that require developers to provide consistent support for renters, regardless of the development approval process.
o Gives local governments new authority to secure site-level infrastructure and transportation demand management measures from new development.
2025: Bill 25 Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment
o In October 2025, the provincial government introduced Bill 25, which will remove barriers to the development of small-scale, multi-unit housing by clarifying where this type of housing will be allowed.
• Since June 2024, we allowed up to 3 units – a house, suite and coach house – on all single-family lots within the urban containment boundary. Bill 25 requires the District to increase density in traditional single-family areas by allowing up to 4 – 6 units per lot in the form of small-scale multi-unit housing.
At the April 13, 2026, Council meeting, Council passed (not unanimously) a motion to not support the implementation of SSMUH in the District as implied by Bill 25.
I voted with the majority vote. I don’t want zoning decisions decided in Victoria, nor do I want my community to loose their voices as public hearings that are no longer allowed.
Chemtrade
The following gives my reasons for my repeated and final "no" on the Chemtrade decision on July 6, 2026.
This from the transcipt of my reasons for decision:
"First I'd like to say that safety is my first responsibility to the community,
And that's primary over any business.
whether it's private or not.
I also want to thank everybody that came out to all the meetings,
and all the presentations that were submitted, and put forward,
thank staff for their reports, and thank everybody who's been involved in this process.
I have to admit - I'm a little gob-smacked.
at what is going around this table.
I agree with Councillor Muri, Councillor Pope,
I'd like to make a few other points.
on a little bit of a different tone...
Number 1: this amendment..
this bylaw, is not in alignment with our OCP.
Our OCP has been since 2011,
It started being worked on in 2009.
and..we as a District, have been planning, all along how Maplewood would develop,
And we've continued with that planning and if you go down there now you can see all the homes and all the apartment blocks, and the
densification that's happening in there.
To have this land use... that close...to all the facilities down there including schools, seniors homes, and other facilities like that.
Is just... a danger..in my eyes... it's a danger.
One of the dangers we hear quite clearly was from our Firefighters... our Chief.
We asked him the question about what kind of man-power do we have on the North Shore? Should there be, an accident,
and there will be an accident, it's just timing.
and it may be low, but with this, with chlorine, even a low accident is going to have huge consequences.
So our Firefighter Chief said that we have approximately (I believe he said) 75 on the North Shore, firefighters.
And...that is not enough... he said that's not enough - it will overwhelm our firefighters and our emergency personnel.
Also I asked about equipment, do we have that equipment? do you have that training? Can you go right into the site, or do you have to stay out on the border of it?
We don't have the equipment.
We have been trained in hazard, but not with the equipment and not to the degree that would be needed here.
The City has a firehall that has some equipment in it,
But...it's for one or two people - we don't have the equipment
So our firefighters would be forced to stay back on the outer skirts of that.
and it would be up to the individuals that are being caught if there was an explosion.. or a leak of any kind.
It's up to them to get out... themselves.
And also I want to mention that when you hear about the "stay in place".. That doesn't work unless you have a totally sealed area to be in.
And I don't think any of us have totally sealed office buildings, or totally sealed houses.
So there is a danger. You may not even make it anywhere... to be rescued.
I noticed in the QRA, I was disappointed that there wasn't a lot of attention paid to the earthquake danger. And Vancouver is considered the most prone. The absolute most prone dangerous area for earthquakes to happen.
And where that's located - when an earthquake hits that, it's either going to liquify, or it's going to be spread out.
So again, there's no way to control it - it will just get worse.
The economic impact
I said this at the very first meeting I think that all we need to do... all we would ask of Chemtrade is to continue making everything else they make, and try a new business model.
Don't produce..the liquid chlorine.
Produce the bleach. That's what we need here. That's what everybody wants..to convert that into.
So just manufacture the bleach here.
Not chlorine...liquid chlorine.
So it's a business case.. and it's a private company, and there's shareholders, so we all know how that works.
That would also mean that the employees would not lose their jobs,
They'd still have jobs..they'd still continue to work there, and they'd carry on with the other business that Chemtrade does.
The safer... the safer alternative is bleach.
and it can be produced there.
It's just not going to put the same amount of dollars into the bottom line.
There are jurisdictional boundaries that have to do with the rail.
We can't say anything, or control anything outside the land of Chemtrade,
because the rails are also federally controlled.
But we can do is look at the residual risk.
If something happening on the Chemtrade property has a residual risk,
we should identify that and how we might handle that.
And we haven't done that..(ran out of time) Thank you."
North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant
Metro Vancouver is responsible for regional infrastructure projects like for the wastewater treatment plant on District lands at 107 Pemberton Ave.
Where to start!
First, I have never been on any boards or committees at Metro. Metro usually has “Council on Council” meetings 2 or 3 times annually and invites each council that has a representative on their main board. Attendance is not mandatory but anyone attending is paid for their attendance. I have not gone to very many unless the agenda has been relevant and sometimes the only way to ask questions of the Metro personal and try to get answers directly from them. I am frustrated to say the information is usually the same as what they have already released. They are fairly scripted meetings. Last year I went to 1 of these meetings because the agenda was all on the NSWWTP and I thought I might find out some new information. Instead, when the attendees were allowed to ask questions the questions and answers contained no new information.
This project continued with no complete picture/information forthcoming of the disaster that was about to happen.
On Monday, September 27, 2021, the Metro Vancouver CAO Jerry Dobrolvony, and Cheryl Nelms, Metro Van Project Overview attended a DNV Council meeting to provide an update on the NSWWTP. “The contractor is having trouble staying on time and on budget” they said.
On Wednesday, September 29, approximately 36 hours later the General Contractor abandoned the project. At the time the budget was now $1.05 Billion CDN with no explanation for increased budget. Today the latest budget costing released is currently $3.86 Billion CDN with several costs not included in this latest cost projection. Metro Vancouver has not explained what specifically caused this latest increase of $2.81 Billion. There will still be costs associated with removing the old site infrastructure, the remedial work to the land, etc. As a councillor at DNV I was not privy to any additional information that our Metro representatives may have known due to Metro Van closed meeting protocols and/or possible NDA’s. Generally, most of council is learning information at the same time information is released to the public. The following video is of that 2021 meeting/update.
Past and Ongoing Issues
Transportation and Congestion
Find solutions to the daily gridlock, keep advocating for 3rd crossing bridge, highway lanes from Lonsdale to Mountain Highway, change the number of lanes travelling south on Mountain Hwy from 14th street to highway overpass, safe routes for all forms of active transportation
Attainable Housing for All
Diverse, “attainable” housing, advocate and find workable solutions for seniors and people who are homeless
Infrastructure
Must catch up to our growth, replace our aging systems & assets within or financial constraints, lobby Provincial & Federal governments for funding for housing, hospitals, schools, transportation etc.
Fiscal Sustainability
A balanced budget within our means to avoid overburdening property taxes, while maintaining services
Environmental Sustainability
Enforce current regulations, protect our parklands and wildlife, continue to develop and implement climate change strategies
Emergency preparedness
Continue to be prepared for climate emergencies ie: wildfires, floods, etc.
Wet Weather Pricing
Haven't heard of this yet? You will!
HERE is a video from Metro Vancouver.
The basic idea: Municipalities that receive more rain will pay fees to Metro Vancouver!
Any guesses how that is going to work out for North Vancouver District?