The CKGI delegation will present our views to the Islands Trust (IT) at their regular meeting, to be held at the Women’s Institute on Gabriola Island. The delegation will speak to the OCP Amendments and Gabriola Commons application for amended zoning.
Our attendance was confirmed today, by IT officials, and we will be on the agenda for the meeting that starts at 10:15 AM on March 30th. Copies of the Agenda will be posted shortly on the Islands Trust website.
Gabriola Women’s Institute Hall
Address: 476 South Road Gabriola Island, BC
Meeting Details:
Please note the meeting is being held at 10:15 am at the Women’s Institute, and there will be a Town Hall at 12:00 noon.
Copies of the presentation will be posted here when complete. Please feel free to provide input on our comments using the form below or by email or attend a meeting.
True copy of written submission follows, oral presentation edited for time allotted.
Presentation to Islands Trust
March 30th 2010
Gabriola Radio Society
OCP Amendments
Gabriola Radio Society operating as CKGI is here today because the lands zoned on Gabriola for broadcast towers are not suitable for the difficult task of broadcasting to Gabriola. They are for the benefit of off islanders.
Gabriola Radio Society, # S- 49407, operating as Gabriola Co-op Radio, proposed CKGI-fm, has completed a CRTC Application to Obtain a Broadcasting Licence to Carry on a Community Radio Programming Undertaking. We are seeking a Type B licence. That application will be submitted for CRTC and Industry Canada Approval when our Engineering Brief determining our frequency and broadcast parameters has been updated. Co-op Radio will be regulated by the Federal Government under the Broadcast Act.
We recently had encountered a bit of opposition from Rogers Broadcasting Ltd in the form of their application for a repeater to expand their CIOC Ocean Adult Light rock Victoria BC service. The CRTC has denied Rogers Application and mentioned Gabriola Radio Society by name as a suitable applicant for use of the last channel useable from Gabriola. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-180
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-180.htm
We have received letters of support from Islands Trust, Gabriola Chamber of Commerce, Vancouver Island Regional Library, Gabriola Emergency Plan Co-ordinator, BC Ferries, PHC other NGO’s, Members of Parliament and the Legislature. The local Arts and Cultural community has also forwarded letters of support or participated in fund raising events to the benefit of our application. Our meetings and events are regularly covered in the local papers and our efforts have been featured on Television and in the Nanaimo Daily News. To date we have raised over $16,000 from the community to secure our broadcast licence.
The Regional District of Nanaimo has the authority to fund this undertaking if the RDN board of directors agree to do so. We will be seeking a referenda from the residents of electoral area B after we have received a CRTC decision to start broadcasting. Residents and property owners of electoral area B have been supporting the call for a referenda on this question of funding by a petition.
We agree to what ever funding the community decides to adopt for Co-op Radio.
The Fire Trustees have been substantial supporters of this proposed radio station, second only to the general public. The Fire Department is at a disadvantage planning for wild fire caused evacuation of the island. Fire officials do not know where a fire could start or what direction the wind may be blowing. They need to be able to communicate, in real time, to a fleeing public, evacuation instructions.
FM radio has been determined to be an appropriate way assist during an emergency. A trusted local community station would, by utilizing repeated emergency programming, regularly discussing wildfire evacuation and emergency planning updates be able to assist this effort. We have entered into discussions with Gabriola Emergency Social Services to do so. In fact, our coverage area is intended to coincide with the area under the responsibility of the Gabriola Emergency Co-ordinator to better assist during an emergency.
First Responders have requested we locate our tower on Gabriola so that access to the tower and broadcast facility can be accomplished during an emergency.
Be advised that a Gabriola tower site is our plan. However, the FM spectrum is crowded, allotments are all used up, channels are scarce, it may be impossible to find a channel from this location. Further, should we find a channel suitable to our needs with a transmitter on Gabriola, the CRTC approval process may determine it be allotted to another applicant or located at another tower site due to engineering requirements.
Our engineer has determined two sites as suited for coverage of Gabriola. The first is just east of the peak in the, currently zoned wilderness recreational, lands called the 707 acre property. The second is at the end of Chernoff Drive at Stoney Ridge. Our discussions with local officials reveal the Stoney Ridge site as best suited for broadcasting on Gabriola.
(show line of site charts)
Gabriola is shaped like a saddle with two peaks. The 707 acre property would be suited for a watch tower structure used in event of an emergency with portable radios. SAR or Fire Department officials could use it for a temporary communications platform. Hikers could use the tower to get a wonderful vista.
Conclusion
Our recommendation is that lands zoned for substantial towers on Gabriola be for the benefit of Gabriola.
Other matters with the OCP Review dealing with Climate Change.
- At CKGI No one speaks in favour of increasing density to resolve the current affordable housing issue, some have said it would be like putting gasoline on a fire. Many options have been presented to you I’m sure. I would like to speak in favour of holding density but permitting two novel approaches to encourage a larger home rental fleet and assist with first time or low income home owners.
1) permit lands where a guest cottage is already permitted to have the lands leased under a 99 year lease for a guest cottage to be constructed. Maintain the size limit. This would address the issue of it not being feasible financially to build another dwelling strictly for rental.
2) to lower carbon emissions permit lands where a guest cottage is permitted to have a basement suit. A basement suit uses less energy and is more efficient over a separate dwelling, maintain the size requirements.
AGES rezone Application
We were encouraged by the AGES group to establish radio studio services at their site at 675 North Road, a property currently under review for rezoning.
We had been donated computer servers by the Islands Trust which we desired to use for community benefit, a digital commons if you will.
With considerable effort, during a time of great duress (Roger intervention in our application to broadcast) requested establishing a community computer service in 2 square feet of the building at the main house and were denied on the grounds it would imply AGES support for a wireless radio service.
Our partnership with the AGES group is all but over. We no longer desire to partner with this group on siting a radio studio at their site. We have no interest in working with this group. The last thing I heard from our volunteers was that it is time for a regime change at the farm. My main concern was the AGES group rejected our application on the grounds of the potential for radio wave emissions and didn’t consult us on the matter prior to denying our application. The AGES group doesn’t seem to have a cogent philosophy.
Notes
Co-op Radio Intended Land Use on Gabriola
Studio
Our studio use is defined under Bylaw 177 as a public utility as we would be regulated by the federal government under the Broadcast Act. We ceased discussions with the Gabriola Commons to locate our studio offices there. No Islands Trust involvement is expected for the studio offices.
Tower Site
Existing Tower Sites on Gabriola were designed for service off Gabriola Island, that is not to service Gabriola. A suitable site has been found on Gabriola that addresses the engineering problems of broadcasting to a island with substantial intervening topography and most of the population living on the shorelines.
This proposed tower site, (that 1 hectare parcel in remainder SW 1/4 of Section 9 Gabriola Island, Nanaimo Land District), referred to as, Stoney Ridge is currently zoned Resource (R) as outlined in bylaw 177, Section D.2.4.
Subsequent to the contract expiring, the property owners have agreed to sell Co-op Radio the parcel, subject to appropriate government approvals and vendor financing. A one year option was agreed to by the parties expiring January 1st, 2007.
It is our intent, when appropriate, subject to land owners consent, to establish a right of way and apply to amend Bylaw 177 to include the 1 hectare lot with an approved use of FM tower.
The adjacent lot is serviced by Hydro and Shaw Cable, Telus phone lines are nearby.
Regulations and Reference Documents pertinent to Land Use.
Letter of Support from Islands Trust, dated December 18, 2002, File number GB/05
Industry Canada CPC-2-0-03, Issue 3, June 24, 1995, Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Policy, Client Procedures Circular, Environmental Process, Radiofrequency Fields and Land-Use Consultation (included)
CPC-2-0-03 also refers to the following Broadcast Procedures and Rules that the following publications give further information about broadcast undertaking municipal consultation:
• Broadcast Procedures and Rules, Part II (BPR-II) Section C-10.4.2
• Broadcast Procedures and Rules, Part III (BPR-III) Sections C-5.5.2, D-1.3 and F-1.3
• Broadcast Procedures and Rules, Part IV (BPR-IV) Sections C-5.5.2, D-1.3, F-1.3 and H-2.2
• Broadcast Procedure 23 (BP-23) Section 6.11
Gabriola Island Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 166, 1997, Consolidated: November, 2005
Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee Bylaw No. 177, Schedules A, B and C, Appendixes A, B, C , D and E. Adopted November 22, 1999, Consolidated November, 2005.
Guidelines for Local Trust Committee Sponsored or Initiated Development Applications Policy Manual Code: 4.1.xiii Date: May 20, 2004; Date Approved June 10, 2004
ISLANDS TRUST ACT, [RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 239, Copyright (c) 2004: Queen’s Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, [RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 323, Copyright (c) 2004: Queen’s Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Regulations and Reference Documents pertinent to Land Use ( continued )
CHAPTER B-9.01, Broadcasting Act, 1991
Community Radio Policy (Public Notices CRTC 2000-13, 2000-13-1 )
RDN Finance Report on Authority to fund community radio station, November 8th, 2005. (copy included)
Gabriola Co-op Radio CRTC Application, http://members.shaw.ca/gabriolaradio/
Proposed Island Trust Application for Sub Division Review (incomplete)
Proposed Island Trust Bylaw Amendment Application Form (incomplete)
Contract of Purchase and Sale (expired) between Gabriola Radio Society, buyer and Dave & Keni Lorette, seller for the 1 hectare parcel in SW 1/4 section 9 Gabriola Island, Nanaimo Land District including Title Search and Covenant EN117471
