SIL/SRS
Sechelt council has appointed new directors to two now-defunct companies – Sechelt Innovations Limited (SIL) and Sechelt Recreation Service (SRS) – in order to “conduct necessary business.”
The two companies were set up by the previous council, which tasked SIL with economic development and SRS with the operation of the Sechelt golf course for a time.
SRS became obsolete after golf course operations were handed back to Sechelt Golf and Country Club Ltd. in September 2012, and the current council decided to pull the plug on SIL in February 2015.
Interim corporate officer Gerry van der Wolf told council on March 2 that it needed to approve new directors for the companies for “housekeeping” reasons, noting “audits are pending on these incorporations.”
“I’m hearing that we need to put something in place so we can actually do our legislative requirements with regards to filing and then we can look at what we need to do to address the situation moving forward,” noted Coun. Darnelda Siegers.
Council unanimously appointed Bill Beamish, Michael Vance and Gerry van der Wolf to SIL and to SRS as well.
Siegers then made a motion that staff come back with a recommendation about how to proceed with the companies. The motion was unanimously supported.
Garden project
Kym Chi and Laura Walker of One Straw Society made a pitch to save the community garden on Ocean Avenue known as the Ocean Vegetables Community Farm during the March 2 regular council meeting.
The community vegetable garden was planted in 2013 at the prompting of Sechelt volunteer Donald Robb, who rallied the community for the cause and has since passed away.
Chi and Walker laid out their plans to rejuvenate the site by creating a total of 27 raised garden beds featuring free organic produce for the public, installing new community seating, and restoring the existing cob bench, complementing it with a covered area to keep it from falling into disrepair again.
“The project completion will be led by local professionals with volunteers and then be stewarded and maintained by two coordinators, organizations including Grow Your Own Dinner, Sunshine Coast Fruit Tree Project, Sechelt Alternative School and Sunshine Coast Seed Collective, and with community members through a volunteer program,” Chi said.
Council seemed receptive to the idea with Coun. Darren Inkster noting he would like to see a group take over long-term maintenance of the site.
Chi and Walker said they would provide more detailed plans to the district in the future.
Fees waived
Council unanimously decided to waive a $300 development permit fee and $2,500 building permit fee for the construction of a live-fire practice building and a storage garage at the Sechelt Volunteer Fire Department’s fire training facility on Mason Road.
The fire department requested the reprieve because the buildings will provide training opportunities for the fire department, which will ultimately benefit the community.
Councillors were quick to grant the request on March 2 with Siegers saying, “This is a valuable service to our community,” and Coun. Mike Shanks adding, “I think this is the least we could do for our retiring fire chief.”
