In This Week’s Editor’s Note:
- Cumberland: 16 new lots in Phase 2a of Bevan Industrial Lands
- Courtenay: May 6 public hearing to update the OCP to consider removing development barriers
- BC Hydro: updates on all three projects
Cumberland: 16 new lots in Phase 2a of Bevan Industrial Lands
Village Council has approved a development permit and development variance permit for Phase 2a of Bevan Industrial Lands. Acciano Developments applied to subdivide a 30-acre parcel into sixteen lots: fifteen fee-simple industrial lots, one lot for municipal utilities, and a park dedication. A preliminary layout review (PLR) letter for fifteen lots was approved in September 2024 and was subsequently amended, with a revised PLR issued in January 2026 to request an additional fee-simple lot. A recently adopted Zoning Bylaw requires that buildings and structures associated with heavy industrial, natural resource extraction, recycling facility, silviculture, and wrecking yard uses must be setback a minimum of 50.0 meters from all lot lines abutting a Residential, Mixed-Use, or Public Use Zone. Phase 2 has been split into 30 acres in Phase 2a and 10 acres in Phase 2b, and 80% of Phase 2 is sold out. Phase 3 will be announced shortly.
Courtenay: May 6 public hearing to update the OCP to consider removing development barriers
The City of Courtenay is holding a public hearing to repeal and replace Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw No. 3070. This bylaw received first and second readings on February 25, 2026, and a public hearing is required before Council considers third reading. The update aligns with new provincial housing legislation (Bill 44), requiring local governments to plan for 20 years of housing needs and remove barriers to housing supply. The proposed OCP maintains the community’s 2022 vision while introducing updates such as revised population and housing projections, infrastructure policies to support growth, and expanded housing policies, including options for non- and below-market housing. Additional changes include select land use designation updates, new growth contribution frameworks, and a local area planning approach to guide neighbourhood-level development. The public hearing will be Wednesday, May 6 at 4:00 pm, and the CVRD Civic Room, 770 Harmston Avenue, Courtenay, or by Zoom. Further details can be found online at https://www.courtenay.ca/public-notices.
BC Hydro: updates on all three projects
BC Hydro provided city council with updates on three active projects in the Campbell River-area including the John Hart Dam seismic upgrades; Ladore Dam Spillway Gate Seismic Upgrade; and the Strathcona Dam Water Discharge Upgrade. Construction is underway on all three projects and focused on seismic resilience, operational reliability and long term safety. The John Hart Dam project is focused on strengthening the dam so it can withstand a 1-in-10,000-year major earthquake. The upstream and downstream berm placements are complete, significantly stabilizing the dam. Focus has now shifted to the main dam’s overflow spillway and the reconstruction of the road deck, with vehicle access slated for a 2029 reopening. A Request for Proposal for the hydro-mechanical scope was issued in December 2025. The Ladore Dam project is also to ensure the dam can safely withstand a major earthquake and continue to pass water downstream following such an event. The first spillway gate replacement for Ladore is scheduled for this fall. Following that, one spillway gate will be replaced each year. Overall project completion is targeted for 2028. Finally, the current position of the spillway gates on the Strathcona Dam limits the ability to lower reservoir levels after a major earthquake. To address this, the project includes construction of a new low-level outlet channel on the right bank of the dam. The contractor mobilized to the site late last year and is currently working on access road construction, overburden removal, and site preparation.
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