Coast Mountain News Thursday, June 6, 2012
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Vol. 29 | No. 12 Thursday, June 6, 2013
CCRD hires new CAO, Darla Blake
Serving the Bella Coola Valley and the Chilcotin
Serving the Bella CoolaPage Valley and the Chilcotin
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CoastMountainNews.com
The airport dike will remain 'as is' for now. The community voted a definitive 'no' in last month's diking referendum.
Valley residents vote a resounding ‘no’ in dike referendum CAITLIN THOMPSON The residents of the Bella Coola Valley have spoken loud and clear in regards to whether or not they will support the CCRD’s efforts to become a diking authority, and the answer was a definitive no. Two bylaws were passed in recent months paving the way towards the referen-
dum. Bylaws 415 and 416, which would establish the Bella Coola Dike Service and authorize the borrowing of over one million dollars respectively, were passed earlier this year. On May 25, residents were asked whether or not they supported these initiatives. Out of an estimated 1000 eligible voters, 458 turned out to cast their votes. 30 voted yes,
and 428 voted no. To be eligible to vote, you had to be over 18 years and a registered property owner or renter in the Bella Coola Valley. Nuxalk Nation members residing on IR#1 were unable to vote because they do not pay property taxes while living on reserve. “It’s difficult to determine the percentage of voters who cast a ballot,” said Acting
CAO Isabell Hadford. “The latest census figures from 2011 show that 1,067 people live in Areas C, D, and E of the Bella Coola Valley, however we don’t know how many of these people are of voting age and these figures may have changed since 2011. The number of valid votes cast was 458 and the CCRD is pleased that so many people took the time to vote.”
Taking on the airport dike was a controversial choice, and many residents expressed that they felt that private property should be afforded the same level of protection. However, the CCRD responded that the federal and provincial governments’ would only look at funding the airport dike as it provided SEE FUTURE ON PAGE 3