Oyster River Bank Protection Service AAP
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AAP Public Notice – January 11, 2026
Public notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors for the Strathcona Regional District may proceed with final passage and adoption of Bylaw No. 625, being Oyster River Bank Protection Local Service Establishment Bylaw 1989, Amendment No. 1, at its meeting of Wednesday, March 25, 2026 unless at least 10% of the eligible electors within the proposed service area submit elector response forms not later than 12:00 noon on March 16, 2026.
Bylaw No. 625 proposes to amend the boundaries of the Oyster Riverbank protection area to be coterminous with those established for the Oyster River flood protection service in Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay-Buttle Lake).
The number of eligible electors within the boundaries of the proposed service area for the riverbank protection service has been fairly determined to be 704 and the number of valid elector objections required to prevent the adoption of Bylaw No. 625 without first obtaining the assent of the electors by voting is 71. Elector response forms must be in the form approved by the Regional Board and may be obtained online at https://srd.ca/oyster-river-bank-aap/ or in person at the Regional District office during regular office hours. Only persons who qualify as electors within the proposed boundaries of the Oyster riverbank protection service are entitled to sign and submit an elector response form.
Elector Response Forms
Elector response forms must be in the form approved by the Regional Board which are available below or in person at the Regional District office during regular office hours. Only persons who qualify as electors within the proposed Oyster River Bank protection service area are entitled to sign and submit an elector response form.
FAQ
1 – What is an Alternative Approval Process (AAP)?
An Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is used to measure the level of support from electors for a bylaw, contract, or other initiative being proposed by the local government. The rules governing the AAP process are contained in the Local Government Act of BC.
The Regional Board will typically advertise its intent and high-level information on the nature of the initiative and the financial impact on the community should the approval process be successful. The initiative is deemed to be approved by the community if less than 10% of electors submit a petition form objecting to proceeding without a vote of electors.
2 – Why did the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) choose an Alternative Approval Process?
- The cost of an AAP is significantly less than seeking approval via voting at a referendum and is often preferred for that reason. If the AAP process isn’t successful (at least 10% of electors submit written objection forms), the Regional Board then determines whether the proposal should be taken to a vote of the electors or dismissed altogether.
- An AAP is truly an opinion poll in that the Board may either proceed to adoption if there is little opposition, or proceed with assent voting if ratepayer support is uncertain.
3 – If I am opposed to Bylaw No. 625, how can I submit a response?
Electors who are opposed to the Regional Board adopting Bylaw No. 625 without first obtaining assent of the electors by voting can submit a completed copy of the response form in person or by mail/courier to the Regional District corporate office at 990 Cedar Street in Campbell River not later than 12:00 noon on March 16, 20265.
The Regional District can only accept originally signed forms. Completed forms submitted by email or by fax machine cannot be accepted.
Following the deadline, each response form is reviewed by the Corporate Officer to confirm its authenticity and to verify the elector status of the person submitting the form. A report outlining the results of the alternative approval process is then submitted for consideration by the Regional Board.
4 – Since the AAP only counts electors against the project, is there anything I can do show my support for the project?
Persons who support the establishment of the Oyster River Bank Protection Service need not participate in the AAP since, by not submitting a response form, they are assumed to be in favour of the initiative.
There are other ways they can show their support such as sharing their perspective with others and what it means to them, their family, and the community.
5 – When will the results of the Alternative Approval Process be known?
Responses must be delivered to the SRD not later than the deadline, 12:00 noon on March 20, 2026.
The results of the AAP should be publicly available when the agenda for the board meeting is published on March 25, 2026. If the result is uncertain because voter eligibility has not been finalized, the results will be available on the April 2026 Board Agenda.
Resources
Contact
For more information about Bylaw No. 625 or this alternative approval process, please contact Tom Yates – SRD Corporate Services Senior Manager at 250-830-6704 | tyates@srd.ca