Assent Voting

Bylaw

Bylaw No. 923 — Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service Establishment Bylaw No. 923, 2026

Assent voting question

“Are you in favour of the Comox Valley Regional District Board adopting Bylaw No. 923 to create a new Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service for the acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of community parks, trails, and associated facilities within the Service Area?”

Who can vote

You may vote on this question if you are eligible to vote in the Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A. This includes eligible residents and eligible non-resident property owners.

Learn more about voter eligibility and registration

Baynes Sound area included in this proposal
 

Electoral Area A extends from the southern boundaries of the City of Courtenay and Village of Cumberland south to Cook Creek, the southern boundary of the Comox Valley Regional District. It includes Royston, Union Bay, Fanny Bay, Denman Island, and Hornby Island.

This proposal applies only to the Vancouver Island portion of Electoral Area A, including Royston, Union Bay, and Fanny Bay. It does not apply to Denman Island or Hornby Island.

View a map of the Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area

What is being proposed

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is proposing a new Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service for the Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A.

The proposed service would support community parks, trails, and related facilities in the Baynes Sound area.

Currently, one shared service supports parks and trails in:

1. The Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A
2. Electoral Area B
3. Electoral Area C

If approved, the shared service would be reorganized into two separate services:

1. Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service
2. Electoral Areas B and C Parks and Trails Service

What would change

If the bylaw is approved:

• The Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A would have its own parks and trails service
• The Baynes Sound service would have its own priorities, budget, and work plan for local parks and trails
• Property taxes collected through the Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service could be used only for parks, trails, and related facilities in the Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A
• Property taxes collected through the Electoral Areas B and C Parks and Trails Service could no longer be used for parks and trails in the Baynes Sound area
• The Electoral Area Services Committee and CVRD Board would continue to approve the service budget each year through the five-year financial planning process

What would stay the same

The CVRD would continue to manage and maintain parks, trails, and related facilities in the Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A.

The proposed change is about how parks and trails are funded and how service priorities, budgets, and work plans are set. It would not change public access to existing parks and trails.

Parks and trails in the proposed Baynes Sound service area

Examples of parks and trails that would be managed and maintained by the proposed Baynes Sound service include:

• Royston Seaside Trail
• Royston to Cumberland Railway Trail
• Glover Community Nature Park
• Union Bay Connector Trail
• Joe Walker Park
• Ship Peninsula Park
• Ships Point Park
• Fanny Bay Community Park
   

Explore all CVRD parks and trails

Why this is being proposed

The proposal follows a review of the current shared parks and trails service for Baynes Sound and Electoral Areas B and C.

In December 2025, the Electoral Area A Director initiated a process to consider concerns about service equity and related matters within the existing arrangement. Representatives from the participating areas met over several months with support from an independent facilitator to review options.

In June 2026, participants identified a proposed approach that would:

1. Create a separate parks and trails service for Baynes Sound
2. Maintain a separate parks and trails service for Electoral Areas B and C
3. Provide temporary financial contributions from the Baynes Sound service area to the Electoral Areas B and C service to support the transition

Transitional financial contributions

Creating a separate Baynes Sound service would reduce the funding available to the current shared service for Electoral Areas B and C. To help those areas adjust to the new funding arrangement, temporary annual contributions would be made to the Electoral Areas B and C Parks and Trails Service. These contributions would come from property tax requisitions from the Baynes Sound portion of Electoral Area A.  

The contributions would decrease each year and end after Year 6:

• Year 1: $82,666
• Year 2: $68,888
• Year 3: $55,110
• Year 4: $41,333
• Year 5: $27,555
• Year 6: $13,778
• Year 7 and each year after: $0

Cost and property taxes

A residential property in the Baynes Sound area assessed at $875,000 — the average assessed value in 2026 — currently pays about $143.25 per year toward the existing parks and trails service.

If the bylaw is approved, the Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service budget would be considered each year through the CVRD’s five-year financial planning process.

Based on existing service levels, costs, and revenues, the change is expected to be generally tax-neutral when the new service begins. This means the overall cost of the proposed Baynes Sound service is expected to be similar to Baynes Sound’s current share of the existing service.

Future property-tax impacts may change based on:

• Annual service budgets
• Assessed property values
• Service priorities and planned work
• Decisions made through the annual financial planning process

The bylaw also sets a maximum annual requisition: the maximum amount the service may collect through property taxes each year. This limit reflects Baynes Sound’s proportional share of the current shared service.

The maximum would be:

• $1,303,002, or
• $0.50 per $1,000 of net taxable value of land and improvements,

whichever amount is greater.

This does not mean that this amount would be collected every year. The actual amount collected would be set through the CVRD’s annual financial planning and budget process.

What happens if the bylaw is not approved

If the bylaw is not approved, the current shared parks and trails service for Baynes Sound and Electoral Areas B and C would remain in place.

Learn more

• Read Bylaw No. 923
• Read the June 2026 Report on Service Review
• View voting dates, locations, and voting options
• Learn about voter eligibility

Bylaw

Bylaw No. 915 — Fireworks Regulation Extended Service Conversion Bylaw No. 2002, 1997, Amendment No. 4

Assent voting question

“Are you in favour of the Comox Valley Regional District Board adopting Bylaw No. 915 to amend the Denman and Hornby Islands Bylaw Enforcement Service to include the provision of animal control services?”

Who can vote

You can vote on this question if you:

• Live or own property on Denman Island or Hornby Island. 
• Meet the voter eligibility requirements for the general local election.

For details, background information, and more regarding the assent vote for animal control, visit:

 Engage Comox Valley

Qualified electors in Electoral Area A can apply to be scrutineers for the assent voting process.
Scrutineers are volunteer positions. They may be appointed to observe at polling stations and other related proceedings.

For each assent voting question, up to two scrutineers will be appointed:

• One scrutineer in favour of the question.
• One scrutineer opposed to the question.

How to apply

To volunteer as a scrutineer, complete the application form for the assent voting question you’re interested in: 

Denman and Hornby Islands Animal Control

Baynes Sound Parks and Trails Service

Submit your completed application to Chief Election officer Jake Martens in one of the following ways:

• By fax: 250-334-4358
• By email: elections@comoxvalleyrd.ca
• In person or by mail:
  Comox Valley Regional District
  770 Harmston Avenue
  Courtenay BC V9N 0G8

Applications will be accepted from 9 am on September 1, 2026, until 4 pm on September 11, 2026.

In-person applications will only be accepted during regular CVRD office days and hours.

Questions

For more information about scrutineer requirements or how to apply, contact:

Jake Martens
Chief Election Officer
Comox Valley Regional District
Phone: 250-334-6000
Email: elections@comoxvalleyrd.ca