Fire Hall Planning Report
I am writing to let you know (and to pass it on) that the report, in all it's glory and detail is being posted to the Fire Department web site at hifd.org
The report part is easy to read, but it is the background information that makes for long reading.
It would be great if everyone who cares and intends on voting, when the time comes, reads the report and asks questions. Like everything, it pays to be informed and this subject has a lot of background, believe me. There is more than meets the eye and even skeptics will think twice after becoming aware of the facts.
Thanks
Giff
Hello Friends,
Our apologies to anyone who made the journey to the
yurt for the Goenka Vipassana Sit and/or Toning. The Yurt floor took longer than we thought for repairs and repainting. We have rescheduled the Meditation Sit for this Sunday and we will be back on schedule for yoga and meditation on Thursday morning beginning at 9:00.
A reminder about the Shamanic Journey Workshop on June
18th facilitated by Lynn Crawford; this workshop is
being offered as a Fund Raiser for the Yurt heating
system with a suggested donation of $50.00 - $75.00.
No one will be turned away, however, for lack of
funds. Please see our website,
www.deerheartsanctuary.com, for detailed information.
If you are interested in taking this workshop and the
currently scheduled date does not work for you and
please let us know because if there is enough interest
we could schedule to another day.
On Friday June 10th. Ron Sitter is hosting the first
Hornby Island Rhythm Circle with members of Kantata at
Joe King Club House from 8:30pm - 10:30pm. This is
open to everyone and we encourage you to come out for
this. No musical experience is necessary. If you
have something to shake, bring it along and join in
the fun. Ron just returned from a workshop on
Community Rhythm Circles in Vancouver and he is
excited to share his enthusiasm. This is an alcohol
free event.
Summer Solstice is almost upon us and we are
celebrating in the Yurt on Monday June 20th. There
will be Circle Dancing at 6:30 - 8:30pm. followed by a
music circle consisting of udu's, flutes, didges,
shakers, voice, etc. No loud drums please. For more information call Michelle at 335-0952.
And finally, please note the following workshops
scheduled for the beginning of July with Stephanie
Austin and Jim Hall. These folks are coming all the
way from Port Townsend and they have much to share in
their respective fields.
Astrology Forecast -- Summer 2005
With Stephanie Austin
Astrology helps us remember what we were born
for--what we came to learn and what we came to share
at this pivotal time on Earth. Join us for an in depth
look at the summer alignments and themes--what they
signify energetically and what they mean for us
personally. We¹ll talk about the power of the new
moons and full moons, retrogrades, planets changing
signs, and how to maximize the opportunities these
shifts offer. Whether you are a beginner or a longtime stargazer, this evening will help you learn more about yourself, your path, and how to utilize these alignments for personal and spiritual growth.
Stephanie will be available for personal astrological
readings at deerheart sanctuary on June 30th, July
1st, and July 3rd. An hour and a half in depth natal
and transit reading is $125. To schedule, please email Stephanie@EcoAstrology.com by June 27th; after that, contact Michelle at deerheart sanctuary.
Cost: $25
Date: Friday July 1st
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Stephanie Austin M.A. writes the New and Full Moon
Forecasts for the Mountain Astrologer magazine,
teaches Archetypal Astrology at John F. Kennedy
University, and has lectured at many regional and
international conferences. Her background includes
extensive personal growth work and studies in Flower
Essences, Ecopsychology, and Leslie Temple Thurston's
four-year teacher training program. She has been a
professional astrologer since 1986 and is now living
in Port Townsend, WA.
Medicine From the Spirit of Plants:
Using Plant Medicines for Transformation and to Boost Creativity
With Jim Hall
Small amounts of plant medicine work with the more
subtle properties of the plants. By using a few drops
of an herbal tincture or flower essence we have
harnessed the spiritual qualities rather than the more
physical properties. Utilizing the plant's energetic
nature helps dissolve the patterns and blocks to
manifesting our own essence. Join in a fascinating
evening on how to use the subtle energies of plants as
well as some simple but powerful visualizations to
increase the flow of your creative energy.
Jim will be available for personal sessions at
deerheart sanctuary on June 30th, July 1st, and July
3rd. Sessions are $30/half hour, $60/hour, $90/hour
and a half. To schedule to a personal energetic
healing and/or herbal session, please email Jim at ecomedicine@yahoo.com by June 27th; after that contact Michelle at deerheart sanctuary.
Jim Hall M.A. is a compassionate and entertaining
healer and teacher who offers a mix of herbal lore,
medical intuition, and energetic healing tools. He is
a third generation healer whose mentors include
herbalist Michael Moore, David Hoffman, Choctaw herbal
healer Karyn Sanders, Pomo "Dreamer" Lorin Smith, and
medical intuitive Laurie Schryver. He teaches at the
California School for Herbal Studies and has a special
interest in holistic treatments for cancer. Jim has
practiced various forms of healing for 25 years and
currently resides in Port Townsend, WA.
Cost: $25
Date: Thursday June 30th
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Astrology and Healing: Manifesting Your Heart's Desire
With Stephanie and Jim
Saturn begins a two-year journey through Leo on July
16th. Also known as Chronos or Father Time, Saturn
calls us to be in time--on track with our karmic
schedule and dharmic gifts. Saturn in Leo tells us
it's time to take our power seriously. Time to focus
and express our unique essence. Time to manifest our
heart's desires.
In the morning we'll talk about Saturn in Leo, what it
means for each of us, and where it's going to show up
in our lives most directly. After a lunch break, we'll experience and learn some energy tools for dealing with the fears and beliefs that come up when we approach our creative edges. Join us for a day of exploring your unique gifts and how to work with the obstacles that get in your way.
Fee includes a current transit chart and a personal
planetary flower essence to take home. Please register
and email your birth date, time, and place to Stephanie@EcoAstrology.com by June 27th.
Jim and Stephanie will also be available for
individual sessions at deerheart sanctuary on June
30th, July 1st, and July 3rd; to schedule, email Jim at ecomedicine@yahoo.com or
Stephanie@EcoAstrology.com. by June 27th; after that
date contact Michelle at deerheart sanctuary.
Cost: Sliding Scale $100-$60
Date: Saturday July 2nd
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
That is all for now.
Blessings to all, Michelle & Kevin
New Antiquarian / Collectible Bookstore Open
Mykaljon wants to tell everyone that he's finished his bookstore / office
and it's now open for visitors by Chance or by Appointment.
I moved here last January, having closed a large antiquarian bookshop that
I'd run for 18 years in Vancouver and later Victoria. I am now set up here
now doing mostly internet sales. The bookshop is at 5275 Jerow, and is a
separate building full of interesting antiquarian and collectible books
with some modern paperbacks and literature.
There is an emphasis on fantasy, science fiction, detective fiction,
metaphysical and occult books.
15,000 books in stock, but mostly they are still in storage - I just
finished shelving the new building last week!
Michael John Thompson
Antiquarian Bookseller
5275 Jerow HI V0R 1Z0
335-1182
Short Term Rentals Proposal
by Tony Law
Hi Folks:
This post provides information on a proposal I prepared for the Local Trust Committee on 19 June which the Committee has agreed to put forward as a starting point for focussed discussion on how to actually permit short term rentals in a new Land Use Bylaw. The proposal attempts to reflect both the interests and concerns that have been articulated in the community over the past several years - and more intensely over the past several months. I am looking for a solution that provides an appropriate balance between interest and concerns and which most of the community can buy into in terms of it being reasonable, fair, straightforward and legally certain. I believe that the number of questionnaire results returned provides a valuable indication of community opinions (at least from those who feel strongly enough about the issue to respond or who are conscientious survey-responders!). It was re-assuring to see exactly the same level of questionnaires returned from both residents and non-resident property owners. (Survey results attached) It is my perception that the survey results mirror what we have been hearing through other forms of input: Namely, that:
- Most people view STRs as being generally beneficial to the community. Most people state that STRs should be permitted either by Temporary Use Permit or as an outright use (with outright permission being the preferred option). About half of respondents would like to see STRs controlled either by prohibition or by a permitting process, particularly on small lots.
- There was no significant difference regarding how primary residences and other residences should be addressed.
I therefore believe that a broadly supported proposal would be one that allows short term rentals to be carried out on any residential lot, but with regulations that address impacts (particularly on small lots. I believe that if this use is to be permitted as an accessory use to a residential use, then provisions should ensure that the primary residential use and character of the property is maintained. What I am proposing would, I think, permit the long-standing, traditional way that short term rentals are carried out on Hornby. It would also provide for property owners who wish to carry out this activity at a more commercial level to have this considered. Here is the proposal (footnotes explain the rationale for the suggestions - some variations are also suggested at the end):
A PROPOSAL FOR PERMITTING AND REGULATING VACATION RENTALS
Definitions:
vacation rental means the rental, lease or letting of a dwelling unit for overnight accommodation for a period of less than 30 consecutive days to paying guests who normally reside elsewhere;
residential vacation rentals means vacation rentals which are regulated to retain the residential character and use of the property;
commercial vacation rentals means vacation rentals which exceed the regulated limits applied to residential vacation rentals.
Permitted uses
Residential vacation rentals, carried out in accordance with regulations, are a permitted use in all residential and agricultural zones.
Commercial vacation rentals are only permitted through the issuance of a Temporary Commercial and Industrial Use Permit. (1)
Regulations for residential vacation rentals
1) Residential vacation rentals may only be carried out on lots that are:
a) 2ha or greater in area;b) less than 2 ha in area and which have:
i) a sign in place, readable from the road, that provides an on-island phone number of the owner or the owner’s agent;(2)
ii) fencing along or within all property lines adjacent to another lot.(3)
2) The residential vacation rental must (4)
a) use only rooms that are located within the dwelling unit;
b) provide no more than two beds per bedroom.
3) The number of bedrooms provided in a residential vacation rental must not exceed: (5)
a) 2 if the lot is 0.1ha or less;
b) 3 if the lot is more than 0.1 ha.
4) The minimum period for the rental, lease or letting of a dwelling unit for a residential vacation rental must be not less than 7 days.(6)
5) Residential vacation rentals can only be carried out within one period not exceeding 10 weeks in each calendar year.(7)
Notes:
(1) This can allow for applications if someone want to operate a short term rental year round, with an increased level of occupany or for shorter periods. The application process provides for comments from neighbouring property owners and review by the Advisory Planning Commission.
(2) A major concern is that neighbours often do not know who to call to deal with problems if they arise. At lease one property manager already puts such signs in place. They would only need to be in place why the rental is operating and they could be small and discrete as long as they are visible.
(3) Another significant concern on smaller lots is renters (or their dogs) wandering on to neighbouing lots.
(4) This regulation parallels that for B&Bs and therefore puts in place a comparable level of accountability with respect to occupancy.
(5) Again, this parallels the requirements for B&Bs and addresses one of the most significant concerns: too many people staying in a house and thereby eroding the sense of a residential neighbourhood. Very small lots (0.1ha or less), where residential ambience and water supply can be more of an issue, should likely have smaller occupancy limits. People wishing to conduct businesses with a higher level of occupancy could be considered for a TUP which would provide accountability for higher potential impacts.
(6) Frequent turnover of people staying in a STR can erode the residential ambience and can lead to the "weekend warrior" types of occupancy.
(7) Traditionally, STRs have been conducted over the summer when residents vacate their homes or when part-time residents are not actually using their properties. At this time of the year, most commercial tourist accommodation is operating at or near capacity. In order to retain the residential use of the property as the primary use, a dwelling unit should be available for residential use for most of the year (by the resident owner, non-resident owner, friends or family or residential tenants). A dwelling unit that is available as visitor accommodation year-round is operating more like a motel than a residence and is competing with commercially zoned torist accommodation. In other communities, dwelling units have been bought or built for the principal purpose of tourist accommodation. It is only happened here to a very small degree and may or may not become an issue. The use of TUPs for such commerciual STRs will enable the community to keep a handle on this possible trend.
(8) There are other concerns that some people have suggested should be regulated (water use, waste disposal, noise, etc). However these are either a) issues cannot be regulated other than through a permitting process or b) issues that cannot be readily enforced. Regulations should probably be supplemented by advocated "guidelines" as proposed in the OCP.
Possible variations
A) A Temporary Use Permit could be required for lots under 0.25ha.
B) A Temporary Use Permit could be required for lots under 0.1ha
C) The upper limit for number of bedrooms could set at 4 for lots over 1ha.
D) The minimal rental period could be increased to, say, 14 days.
E) The period in which rentals may be carried out could be reduced to 8 weeks.
F) The period in which rentals carried may be carried out could be increased to 12 weeks.
I would like to emphasize that this proposal is merely being put out for discussion purposes. I believe it is time to focus in on what a workable solution would look like.
I know that both Salt Spring and Gabriola local trust committees are proposing Temporary Use Permits as the solution for their communities (and the trustees from those islands have suggested that I am being "irresponsible" in suggesting our community look at STRs as an outright permitted use.
However, I believe our community has a different history and context. I also have misgivings about TUPs as being administrative overkill for a use that many people want to see carried out. I believe that TUPs should be reserved for those situations that are clearly more commercial in nature and/or likely to have more impacts than an accessory residential use.
I also do not want to see our community torn apart on this or any other issue (I see both the Salt Spring and Gabriola, communities becoming very divided on this issue).
I would like to put out a call for all of us to come to the upcoming meetings in a co-operative problem-solving mode and with respect for the range of intesrts and concerns surrounding this issue. We are really good at this when we choose this approach!
Tony Law
Islands Trustee
Deadline extended for comments on Land Use Bylaw
The Local trust Committee has decided to extend the deadline for comments on the first draft of a new Land Use Bylaw to the end of July.
Please leave comments in the box at the "Free Post". They can also be e-mailed to dmarlor@islandstrust.bc.ca or mailed to the Hornby Island Local Trust Committee, Islands Trust, 1627 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8R 1H8.
We have asked staff to prepare a report on the input received and to prepare a second draft based upon this input. These will be presented to the Committee at its September meeting.
Many thanks to all who came out to the four Community Information Meetings; we heard some valuable input. The first draft provides a professional planning approach to implementing the OCP. We now need to re-shape it so that it is in accord with what works for our community.
Among other comments, we heard three main themes:
1. regulation should be limited and should focus upon. preventing the worst;
2. a more permissive approach should be taken with respect to livelihood opportunities, especially home occupations and agriculture;
3. there should be more flexibility around building size and configuration. We have taken note of this input and you will see it reflected in the second draft.
tony
Hornby Island Community Rhythm Circle
“No Musical Experience Needed”
Bring a bell, a couple of sticks to bang together, a drum, a home made shaker or anything else you want to use as a percussion toy. This is a free-flow rhythm circle and is not structured or choreographed music. It is not a performance...it is a dynamic music circle.
Date: June 10 (Friday)
Time: 8:30-10:30 pm
Location: Joe King Park
Cause: Community Feel-Good Event.
Kantata, your local percussion ensemble, is very pleased to invite you to this community rhythm circle. All are invited to come and enjoy two hours of free flow rhythm, healing and fun. This is a rhythm event for non-musicians – it will be your groove.
This is a child-friendly event – but it will be loud.
An offering is requested to help our Hornby Musicians pay their expenses for an upcoming gig on Cortes Island.
Namaste Friends,
We were surprised that the calendar didn't make it
into the First Edition this month and so we have
included a simple version for you here. The first week of June the Yurt will NOT
be available because we are redoing the floor. This
month will begin with the Goenka sit on June 5th.
We held our first silent meditation/yoga retreat this
past weekend and we were held with such beauty and
love by this land and all who supported us. Thank you
to Ambika for nourishing us with your light and to all
those who joined us for Satsang. There were three of
us who stayed in silence for the entire weekend and we
all agreed that the not speaking part was easy...it
was the constant inner chatter and the fiction that
spins out from this when there is no distraction that
was challenging. Our task was to simply be with
it...to cultivate some equanimity and witness the
stories that were spinning out automatically and
unconsciously. Quite revealing! Our minds have been
trained, programmed if you will to be reactive.
Cultivating equanimity is a step toward freedom. We
all enjoyed glimpses of this throughout the retreat.
Our next retreat will be held on the weekend of June
24th - June 27th. The cost for the weekend is $150.00
and includes camping, meals and yoga classes. The
Satsangs are open to the community by donation and
once again we will be sharing teachings on non duality
with audio tapes of Adyashanti.
On June 18th. 2005, Lynn Crawford has offered to hold
her workshop on Shamanic Journeying as a fund raiser
for deerheart. This money will go toward a heating
system for the yurt. There is more detail at the end
of this newsletter. Thank you Lynn!
Amanda Hale will be offering her 'Writing From The
Body' workshops every Thursday afternoon from 1:30pm -
4:00pm. in the Yurt. The cost for this workshop is
$30.00 and for more info please check our web site: www.deerheartsanctuary.com
On Thursday mornings please join us for mediation at
9:00 and yoga from 9:50 until 11:00 in silence.
* Circle Dancing has been canceled for June 8th. and
will resume on June 22nd. for a Solstice Celebration.
Ron sitter has just returned from a 'Community
Drumming Workshop' in Vancouver and he will be
offering this out to the community. We will let you
know when a date, location and other details have been confirmed.
Upcoming in July and August
"Singing With the Whole Self" -- facilitated by Louise
Jarvis
"Dances of Universal Peace" -- facilitated by Basera
Astrology Workshop -- facilitated by Stephanie Austin
Plant Spirit Medicine -- facilitated by Jim Hall
Silent Meditation Yoga Retreats -- facilitated by
deerheart sanctuary
Yoga Intensives -- facilitated by various teachers
Enjoy!
Blessings, Michelle and Kevin
-------------------------------------
Fund Raiser for deerheart sanctuary
"Neither in body nor in mind do we inhabit the world
of those hunting races of the Paleolithic millennia,
to whose lives & life ways we nevertheless owe the
very forms of our bodies & structures of our minds.
Memories of their animal envoys still must sleep,
somehow, within us; for they wake a little & stir when
we venture into wilderness...Whatever the inward
darkness may have been to which the shaman of those
caves descended in their trances, the same must lie
within ourselves, nightly visited by sleep." -Joseph
Campbell
PARTING THE VEIL:
An Introduction to Shamanic Journeying with Lynn
Crawford
Saturday, June 18, 10am-5pm
Deerheart Sanctuary
Suggested Donation $75.00 (includes lunch)
Learn a practical method for applying ancient
knowledge to modern life. In traditional societies,
shamans interfaced between the seen and unseen worlds.
By entering nonordinary reality through dream & other
means, they connected their communities to sources of
medicine, food, & wisdom. Contemporary students of
shamanism have uncovered core practices common to
shamanic cultures on all continents. The JOURNEY is
one of them. Through the journey, you will gain a tool
for accessing inner guides, retrieving lost selves and
lost power, dismantling conditioned habits of
reactivity, experiencing direct revelation. If you
would like to get outside the box of your usual
perceptions, develop a more conscious relationship to
power, and contact sources of energy, insight, healing
and wholeness on behalf of yourself and others, please
join us.
Lynn Crawford, LCSW has been a psychotherapist and
student of Buddhism in San Francisco for over 20
years. She is also a hypnotherapist, and is training
in core shamanic practices with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D at
AnamCara Foundation.
For more information and to register, check out the
website at www.deerheartsanctuary.com; 250-335-0952;
Hornby Island, BC
June Calendar for deerheart sanctuary. For program
details, see www.deerheartsanctuary.com, click on
calendar and the program you're interested in.
5 Sun. Vipassana Meditation for Goenka Old Students
6 Mon. New Moon Toning
9 Thurs. Silent Thursdays
9 Thurs. Writing From the Body
16 Thurs. Silent Thursdays
16 Thurs. Writing From the Body
18 Sat. deerheart fundraiser -- PARTING THE VEIL: An
Introduction to Shamanic Journeying
19 Sun. Day of Silent Meditation
20 Mon. Full Moon Toning
22 Wed. Solstice Celebration Circle Dancing
23 Thurs. Silent Thursdays
23 Thurs. Writing From the Body
24 Fri. Silent Meditation/Yoga Retreat
25 Sat. Silent Meditation/Yoga Retreat
26 Sun. Silent Meditation/Yoga Retreat
27 Mon. Silent Meditation/Yoga Retreat
30 Thurs. Silent Thursdays
30 Thurs. Writing From the Body
About Short-Term Rentals
Over the past few days I have talked with a number of people seeking clarification and assurance around the issue of short term rentals - so this message is intended to help provide this.
One question a few people have asked is whether the way this issue is being dealt with on Salt Spring (total or at least partial pohibition) will set a precedent for Hornby.
The answer is "no". Each local government makes its own decison based upon what is most appropriate for the particular community (and within the constraints of relevant legislation).
On Hornby, the decision will be made by the Local Trust Committee.
The trustees have been taking a neutral position on this issue so far. We have been reading and listening to community comments (some very thoughtful ideas), receiving professional advice on possible options and seeing what we can learn from how this issue is playing out in other small communities.
We have been trying to provide feed-back to the community on what we have been hearing and learning.
We will NOT be making any proposals to the community on how short term rentals might be addressed until we have received input from the community on what option(s) would be most appropriate for Hornby.
This input will be derived from a questionnaire that will be sent in the next week or so to every household and every off-island property owner.
The results of this questionnaire will be published in the First Edition and on the web site and will guide the Local Trust Committee in preparing a proposal for community consideration.
The Local Trust Committee will Not be giving First Reading to any proposed bylaw relating to this issue until the Committee believes that it has a proposal that will be broadly acceptable to the community.
Here is what Trustee Eleanor Kneffel has written on the subject:
The LTC is not advocating any direction on this – it is up to the community to decide. To assure you, I highly doubt that the community would want to ban short term vacation rentals; there may be some individuals, of course, but not the majority by any stretch
I would echo her statement. I would also say that the situation on Hornby is different from that of some other communities because on Hornby there has been a long tradition of vacation rentals carried out (particularly on larger lots) by residents and with few concerns raised about the impacts. In other communities (like Salt Spring) they are being conducted on a much more commercial and aggressive scale.
However, that practice is starting to happen on Hornby and Denman with dewllings being bought specifically to operate for commercial visitor accommodation purposes. There is also concern about the change in scale and intensity of short term rentals on Hornby (particularly on smaller lots) and about where this is leading in terms of eroding the authenticity of residential neighbourhoods.
What I am hoping to hear from the community is some wisdom with respect to the appropriate conditions and requirements for short term rentals to be carried out in a way that will maintain both the ambience of the community and what has become a key source of income that enables quite a number of residents to continue living on Hornby.
As a planning agency, it is our responsibility to challenge the community to look at trends and practices that are occuring so that we can collectively consider what we might need to do to ensure that we don't end up somewhere where we don't want to be.
Please feel free to pass these comments on. (There has been quite a bit of misinformation and misrepresentation circulating.). Also please provide your suggestions on the questionnaire.
Eleanor and I fully appreciate that this is a big issue for a lot of folks - with important impacts upon their lives. We understand the anxiety that exists on all sides of the issue.
Our hope is that we can work towards a workable resolution that the great majority of people will find to be fair and reasonable.
We need everyone's help to arrive at that point!
Tony Law
Hornby Free Radio : CHFR-FM Open House
Come to Joe King Ball Park on May 22 nd! We’re having an open house and work party combo all day to the soundtrack of DJs spinning. There’s lots to do! If you don’t feel like working, hang out in the yard with the kids and play games, listen to music and talk to the Hornby Community Radio Society Board members.
We will have an information table set up with application forms available for aspiring DJs, talk show hosts and radio personalities. If you don’t want to host a show but want to help somehow, fill out a volunteer application form and tell us what your ‘area of expertise’ is; we will call on you when we need youl If you want a DJ slot at the open house, drop by the gas bar or call Albini at 3252.
Starting at 8 pm there will be a dance with live music; admission is free with an HCRS membership. Memberships are $10; if you are already a member, you pay nothing.
Please Note: This is an alcohol-free family event. Those who come with drink in hand will be asked to leave.
 Word Of Mouth was born on April 1, 2005, precisely at midnight. This site is an Aries Sun with Capricorn Moon and Sagittarius rising. Like all babies, it's not quite finished; it's got a long way to go and it needs help. On this page you'll find listings of upcoming events and news of various happenings on the island. This is also the space for updates from island groups and societies. Spread the Word!
About The Single Transferable Vote Thingie:
Thanks to Phil Bailey's diligent reminders, and an email he sent out with some informative links, I did a little research to find out what the heck the Single Transferable Vote thingie is all about. The following is from the Know-STV site, which is not in favour of the change. As a former northerner, I have had reservations about this system--I have known just enough to fear that the entire north of the province would be effectively disenfranchised if this system is adopted. These questions and answers help make the potential problems clear.
This first article speaks against STV. A second article follows, which presents the 'yes' side of the argument. Please read both before making up your mind--and check out the links for more information. This is a complicated subject and we all need to be informed.
More from the site the first article came from: knowstv.ca
More from the site the second article came from: www.fairvotingbc.com
The 'yes' campaign: stvforbc.com
The Citizens' Assembly Alumni site: bc-stv.ca
And, if you want to try a demo of the system, go here: bc.demochoice.org/index.html
The Single Transferable Vote — Questions & Answers
Produced by KNOW STV
The following are factual Questions and Answers about STV that should be considered by all voters before they decide how to vote on May 17, 2005.
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The Single-Transferable Vote (STV) is an alternative to the First Past The Post electoral system currently in use in Canada and every province, as well as in the United Kingdom and United States. It is also sometimes called the Single Member Plurality system.
First Past The Post is used by the most people — about 45% — in the world living in democracies, in about 67 countries.
STV is used in just two countries nationally: Ireland and Malta, representing about one 10th of 1% of the world population. It is also used in the jurisdictions of Northern Ireland, as well as the Australian senate and in some Australian states, such as Tasmania.
Other countries use a variety of electoral systems, with List Proportional Representation and the Two Round System being the next most popular after First Past The Post.
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Under STV in BC, there would be fewer but much larger constituencies in which voters elect their Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) to represent their interests.
BC currently has 79 different constituencies but under STV there could be as few as18 constituencies or less. Each larger constituency would have from two or three members in rural areas to as many as seven MLAs in larger urban areas.
Voters would rank all candidates in that larger constituency by their personal preference, with a 1 being their first choice, 2 their second and so on. Voters can rank every candidate in their constituency if they want to.
A mathematical formula called the Droop Quota is used to determine the percentage of support a particular candidate needs. This quota will be different depending on the number of seats in your constituency. The quota is the number of valid votes cast divided by the number of seats plus one, plus one vote.
The method of transferring ranked preferences is called the "Weighted Inclusive Gregory Method" (see Citizens Assembly Technical Report for details).
In a constituency of 100,000 voters electing three members the number of votes needed to win is 25,001: that is 100,000 divided by 4 (3 + 1) + 1 vote.
When counting the vote, all number 1 preferences are counted first. Once a candidate has received enough votes to win, the number 2 preference choices of those voters are counted and so on until all candidates are elected in the constituency. Click here for an explanation of STV vote counting.
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None of those questions can be answered until after the referendum on May 17, 2005. If BC voters vote yes to STV, the Electoral Boundaries Commission — an independent commission established by the government, will draw up new constituency boundaries and determine the size of each constituency.
But you can click here to see how BC’s constituencies might look under STV, in a map prepared by the pro-STV group Fair Voting BC.
You can also look at the Citizens Assembly Technical Report, which discusses these and other issues.
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