September 7 Council Highlights

From the regular Council meeting on September 7, 2022

The District of Kent extends its sincerest condolences to the Royal Family as they mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We are grateful for her decades of faithful service to the Commonwealth and wish King Charles III a long and prosperous reign.

Our flags will remain at half-mast until sunset on the day of the memorial service.

Mayor’s Update

On August 20^th, Mayor Pranger and Council hosted a reception for the Mayor of Cebu, Philippines, Mr. Michael Rama, and his delegation, along with members from St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Mayor Rama was invited to the community as the City of Cebu is the home of the Santo Niño de Cebu.

After the reception, they proceeded to a special mass and dedication of the shrine. Entertainment that day included a troupe of traditional Filipino dancers for a crowd of approximately 2,000 people. Thank you to Mayor Rama and St. Anthony’s volunteers for a splendid day!

Cebu Delegation

Mayor Rama and his family, Mayor Pranger, Councillors Spaeti, Post & Schwichtenberg, and the delegation from Cebu.

The “Council-nauts” team formed by Mayor and Council, participated in the August 27^th Swim-a-thon fundraiser at the Ferny Coombe Outdoor Pool. Mayor Pranger commented that a great time was had by all those who attended and that the event raised approximately $13,000 towards the new Regional Aquatic Centre. Thank you to the volunteers, participants, and first responders including the two teams from Kent Harrison Search and Rescue, and to the Agassiz Harrison Aquanauts for hosting the event!

Councillors Watchorn and Spaeti attended the funeral on August 24for Mr. John Dumas, a former and well-known teacher at both Kent and Harrison Elementary schools. Mr. Dumas will be greatly missed, and we would like to pass our condolences to his family during this difficult time.

BC Hydro Kiosk Decorative Wrap Program

Council has approved new decorative wraps for up to eight utility boxes in the community. Future programs will look at wrapping utility boxes in the Mount Woodside area. Mayor Pranger will be working with Councillor Post to select the photos.

Rezoning for Proposed Buddhist Monastery

The Bilingual Buddhist Association has approached the District with plans to build a monastery on its property located in the Mount Woodside area. The proposal requires an amendment to the Official Community Plan (OCP) and the creation of a new zone of Institutional Assembly (PS3). Permitted uses for this new zone includes assembly, civic or cultural/religious campus use and could include buildings such as education facilities, dormitories, overnight camps or offices.

A Public Hearing on the proposed OCP and rezoning will be held on October 12, 2022 at 7:00 PM at Municipal Hall. More information please contact Lisa Beaulieu, Director of Development Services at mlbeaulieu@kentbc.ca.

2022 Terry Fox Run

The annual Agassiz-Harrison Terry Fox run will be held Sunday, September 18, 2022. Registration will start at 9 AM at 1525 MacKay Crescent and the run kicks off at 10 AM.

For more information or to donate, please visit https://terryfox.org/terry-fox-run/ .

Proclamations

Mayor Pranger has declared September as “Literacy Month” and October as “Circular Economy Month”.

Literacy Month is to help raise awareness of the important role that literacy plays in the lives of adults, children, and families, as well as the impact it has on youth, Indigenous and immigrant communities. For more information or to find a literacy program near you, please visit https://decoda.ca .

What is a “Circular Economy” and why are we dedicating October to it? The Government of Canada defines a circular economy as an economy that, “… retains and recovers as much value as possible from resources by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling products and materials.”. By declaring October as “Circular Economy Month”, we are committing to waste reduction, resource conservation, and community education for sustainable living in the District of Kent. If you would like to learn more about this concept and how you can help, please visit https://www.rcbc.ca/resources/circular-economy .