Following an impassioned plea by Lasqueti Islanders, Powell River Regional District directors will have a strong sampling of opinion when they make a decision about establishing a 911 service on the island.
At the Thursday, March 19, meeting of the regional district’s committee of the whole, directors heard a presentation from 10 island representatives packed into the boardroom, requesting a year’s grace to examine available systems for dispatching first responders in emergencies. The board is scheduled to make a decision on implementation of the 911 system at its Thursday, March 26, board meeting, which is the last opportunity before final adoption of its budget.
Colin Palmer, Electoral Area C director who chairs the committee of the whole, said his preference would be to rescind the bylaw, get it off the table, go back to square one with the people from Lasqueti Island and talk about exactly what they can come up with.
“It might lead to 911,” he said.
After hearing a lengthy presentation from Lasqueti representative Andrew Fall, and commentary from other islanders in attendance, Palmer said that having listened to the opinion, including thoughts from a former fire chief, he did not think the regional district would be in any jeopardy from the courts if the 911 bylaw did not proceed in the coming budget.
One of the main concerns for the regional board in proceeding with the establishment of the 911 system was the board’s liability if the island should be left without a dispatching system. Later this year, Telus will be phasing out the pager system that has been used to notify first responders.
Palmer said he’d read a legal opinion on the matter in detail.
“It’s a bit wishy-washy,” Palmer said. “They are not sure, either. I don’t think this board would be negligent in simply abandoning this bylaw and going back to square one.”
Merrick Anderson, Electoral Area E director, teleconferencing from Lasqueti, said he does not believe the regional board would be liable if there was an emergency communications system lapse on the island. He said he believes the implementation of the 911 system would vastly improve the medical response on the island but that it wouldn’t change response significantly for the infrequent fires on the island.
“I think 911 is best for the island but it’s clear that Lasqueti is not going to listen unless we give them a chance to talk it over,” he said.
The committee carried the following recommendation: that the committee receive this report as information to best guide them in their decision process for consideration of adoption of the Powell River Emergency Telephone Extended Service Amendment Bylaw No. 317.1, 2015, and the House Numbering Service Area Amendment Bylaw No. 350.1, 2014.
In introducing the recommendation, Palmer said, “You’re going to know what we are all thinking, you can make your assumptions and you can go from there,” Palmer said.
Prior to the committee’s discussion, Fall said public consultation has not occurred in the process to date on the establishment of 911 and house numbering services on Lasqueti.
“The public was not even aware of this process until the public meeting on February 13, after the establishing bylaws had passed third readings, even after they had been approved by the Inspector of Municipalities,” he said. “The [February] 13 meeting simply notified people of what had been decided, and did not seek input on a decision to be made. How can consent be given for services on behalf of our electoral area before Lasqueti residents were even aware that these services were being contemplated?”
Fall said the delegation was requesting the smallest change in process that would enable public input.
“We are only asking that the board postpone the decision on final adoption of Bylaws 317.1 and 350.1 for one year, until after a public process that includes consultation has occurred on Lasqueti,” he said. “Please do not vote in favour of final adoption of these bylaws at the March board meeting.
“We want to be clear that this delegation is neither for nor against the 911 service. We are for proper public process for establishing regional services.”
