Several weeks ago it was reported that the forestry pause in the Six Mountains area of British Columbia (previously called North Cowichan) had caused the council to divert about $800,000 from other uses to cover the forest department losses. This department had normally been funded by revenue from logging operations. Promised carbon offset money from UBC pension funds had not arrived.
The provincial budget also signals further losses to our municipality. While no one really cares about revenue sources, Selina Robinson does dedicate about one page of the 178 page document to who pays the bills. Minister Robinson, not known as a climate change denier, is happy to report a massive increase in forest revenue helping to keep the B.C. deficit down. We are all aware of the high cost of lumber, but that does benefit the bottom line of our B.C. budget. The amount necessary to borrow to build our new hospital and school will be reduced.
Save for the pause, the same would apply to North Cowichan. A safe estimate would be $2 million lost. That ups the tax increase to cover to about five per cent.
Glen Ridgway,
North Cowichan