Gambier committee seeks five-year record of permit violations
Trustees tabled a proposed bylaw change on Development Permit Area enforcement until staff report how violations were resolved and whether any went to court.
The Denman Firestarter · Governance · 2026-09-29 · Gambier Island
Staff will return with a five-calendar-year statistical report on Development Permit Area violations, including how they were resolved and the outcome of any resolved through litigation, before the committee considers directing staff to prepare an amended enforcement bylaw.[1]
The staff report said the Gambier and Keats Island land-use bylaws contain Development Permit Area guidelines and exemptions, but Bylaw Officers cannot currently assess penalties for work done in those areas without a permit.[1] Staff said enforcement has traditionally involved filing a notice of claim in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, while court injunctions can be costly and time-consuming; a bylaw amendment would be needed to use the Bylaw Enforcement Notice system.[1]
During discussion, staff reported two open files and eight closed files related to failure to obtain a permit for work in a Development Permit Area within the Local Trust Area.[1] The minutes record comments that further details would provide a broader picture, that some contraventions go unreported, and that a penalty system might encourage compliance.[1]
The committee carried a motion to table staff’s recommendation until its next regular meeting, when staff are to provide the requested report.[1] The minutes also record that the purpose of enforcement is to facilitate and encourage compliance, and that if compliance is occurring, a bylaw amendment might not be necessary.[1]
In a separate item, the committee approved an amendment to Keats Island Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 153 adding “First Nations” to a section referring to the Object of the Trust, then gave the amended bylaw third reading.[1]
Sources
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Gambier Island Local Trust Committee draft minutes, January 28, 2025
that staff’s recommendation that the Gambier Island Local Trust Committee direct staff to prepare an amended Bylaw Enforcement Notice bylaw for consideration be tabled to the next regular meeting of the Local Trust Committee and at that time staff return to the Local Trust Committee with a statistical report stating the number of development permit violations that have occurred over the past five calendar years, how they were resolved, and the outcome of any violations that were resolved by litigation.
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