Residents of Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast Regional District's (SCRD) Area E and Area F will be waiting at least one more month to find out if the committee struck to study restructuring will recommend to the province that the question go to referendum.
The latest meeting, Feb. 8, got off to a rocky start when Chuck Weatherill, one of the two new members to the committee, wanted to present a letter he had received from John Rees of the SCRD to the public gallery in attendance at Eric Cardinall Hall. Weatherill appeared to have some difficulty in understanding one of the finer points of the meeting. As acting chair, Brian Sadler explained the meeting was not a meeting with the public but a meeting in front of the public. When Weatherill continued to insist that he be allowed to read the information to the public, Sadler informed him "to take the opportunity to share the information with the public on your own time."
New Area E director, Lorne Lewis, named Weatherill, a vocal opponent of restructuring at several public meetings held late last year, to the restructuring committee.
In making his choice, Lewis said Weatherill was the last of the original list of applicants for the committee.
"Chuck's position going on the committee is that 'he needs to be convinced of a reason for Elphinstone [Area E] to consider restructuring as a positive option'. Given that E has four representatives [on the committee], it would not be hard to find 25 per cent support for Chuck in Elphinstone ... He understands that he is there to represent Elphinstone and not his personal view," Lewis said in an email to Coast Reporter.
However, that did not appear to be the case Wednesday night when the question of restructuring appeared to be in debate rather than whether or not to recommend the province have a referendum for the people of the three areas.
Weatherill repeatedly told the committee he felt a meeting with the steering committee, composed of Lewis, Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk and newly-elected director for Area F, Lee Turnbull, was necessary. Weatherill based the request on Lewis' public position opposing restructuring.
However, chair Dave Hargreaves (arriving late after a family emergency) reminded the committee that the decision as to whether or not to proceed to referendum is to be made by them based on the findings of consultant Tom Reid and the results of the past public meetings, not on the position of the politicians.
"The steering committee does not have influence on this committee," Hargreaves said. "The key thing to point out is it doesn't matter what personal views are. We're not being asked whether we approve amalgamation but whether [the question] should go to referendum."
Because the committee has not yet received a letter of offer from the B.C. Ministry of Community Services outlining what could be expected in the event of restructuring, most of the members present felt they could not make a decision on proceeding to referendum.
"If the letter is a non-starter, there is no point in having a referendum," said committee member Donna McMahon.
Weatherill agreed.
"I want all the information from the province before making a decision," he said.
Committee member Agnes Labonte said there was enough information to ask for a referendum.
"The people will make the decision anyway," she noted.
The 10 committee members present, including other newcomer Tucker Forsythe representing the Town of Gibsons, voted to meet again in early March after the committee members have had a chance to study the province's offer.
