Resumption of the Sorrento-Blind Bay Incorporation Study process

Updated September 23, 2020

As of June 2020, the pause button was pushed on the Sorrento-Blind Bay Incorporation Study process due to restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the CSRD is ready to resume the process, beginning with its first meeting since February 2020. It will be held Tuesday, October, 6, 2020 from 6 PM to 8:30 PM at the Shuswap Lake Estates Community Centre. 

Due to the continued COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings up to a maximum of 50 people, there will be 30 seats available at the Shuswap Lake Estates Community Centre for the public to attend. In-person seating is on a first come, first served basis (no reservations). The CSRD will also be offering an electronic option for the public to attend via the Zoom platform, with details to follow. There will be a 20-minute question period beginning at 7:30 PM. Questions will be taken from the audience, as well as from those viewing remotely.

Given that the Committee has not met for eight months, the consultants will briefly review with the group the purpose of the Incorporation Study, the methodology being followed, and the role of the Incorporation Study Committee, as well as a revised study timeline.

The October 6, 2020 meeting will also include a review of the Parks & Recreation, Solid Waste & Recycling, and Transportation service sheets, along with the Governance and Water Services issue sheets.

This will be followed by another meeting on October 29, 2020 at the Sorrento Memorial Hall. 

A new governance option

In February 2019, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing received and endorsed a request from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) Board of Directors to commission an Incorporation Study for the Sorrento-Blind Bay portion of Electoral Area C.

The primary purpose of the Incorporation Study is to provide the electors of Sorrento and Blind Bay with the information and understanding required to make an informed decision on incorporation. The study will conduct a thorough, objective and technical examination of the incorporation option and its implications for residents in the proposed area. It will also contrast the findings with those associated with the proposed "default option" of dividing the existing Electoral Area C into two separate Electoral Areas. 

Of course, there are many questions regarding incorporation and what it may mean to the current residents of Electoral Area C. We have developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions to give you some answers. As the Incorporation Study process moves along, the FAQ document is intended to be an evolving document. It will be updated with new questions and the most current information as it becomes available.

View Frequently Asked Questions

View Service and Issue Sheets

View Current State Report

“I hope that all residents in Blind Bay and Sorrento get actively involved in this process and take every opportunity to become thoroughly informed."

— Electoral Area C Director Paul Demenok

 

The current Sorrento-Blind Bay Incorporation Study Area boundary was developed as part of the boundary analysis exercise commissioned by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs in 2018. Based on this review, the Board recommended the Sorrento-Blind Bay scenario, with its associated boundary, for further study through a Sorrento-Blind Bay Incorporation Study. The Board also recommended that, in the event incorporation were not chosen, Electoral Area C be divided into two electoral areas using the boundary recommended for the Two Electoral Areas scenario. The Ministry accepted these recommendations. Any change to the boundary must be agreed to, and ultimately implemented, by the Ministry.

To find out more about the boundaries for either the proposed Sorrento-Blind Bay Incorporation and the Two Electoral Areas model, see our interactive map below:

The Incorporation Committee will be supported in all stages of its work by an independent, qualified consultant who will report to the committee, but was selected by the CSRD. At the September, 19, 2019 Regular Board Meeting, Directors approved awarding the study contract to Neilson Strategies Ltd. for a total cost of $118,500. 

Neilson Strategies Ltd. will be responsible for undertaking all research and analysis, for facilitating all community engagement, and for preparing a written report on the potential change to the local government structure, as well as the implications of such a change. The details of the study are included in the work plan below.

View Incorporation Study Work Plan

Due to the need to temporarily pause the study, an amended work plan and timeline has been developed by Neilson Strategies Ltd. to guide the process. 

View Revised Work Plan and Timeline

The committee, which will include the Electoral Area C Director, will provide oversight and direction on the study process. Once a report is prepared by the consultant, the committee will present the findings to the CSRD Board and then make a recommendation to the Directors on an incorporation referendum or giving further consideration to dividing Electoral Area C into two separate Electoral Areas. This was supported as an alternative option, should an incorporation process not proceed.

A decision on incorporation would have to get the approval of the electorate through a referendum vote before any change could be made.