FRENCH CREEK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
What’s New
Emergence Preparedness Week – May 4 to 10, 2025
At our Annual General Meeting last evening May 7, 2025, RDN Staff – Linda Ryan, Emergency Program Coordinator and Evan Bryn-Jones, FireSmart Coordinator Presented a PowerPoint on Emergency Preparedness and FireSmart.
A PDF of the presentation link – Emergency Preparedness 2025
Ravensong Pool Expansion Referendum Information for French Creek Property Owners
February 2025
You have received notice for the referendum on the Ravensong Pool expansion project which is asking for your approval for the RDN to borrow $30 million dollars to partially fund this project. The RDN will also be spending a further $6 million to fully fund the total cost of $36 million.
It is important you take the time to vote which is Saturday April 5th 8am to 8pm at St. Columba Presbyterian Church on Wembley Road for French Creek.
There will be a public Information Session on Wednesday March 12th at St. Columba Church from 5 to 7:30 pm.
Information you need to consider –
This project will cost in excess of $36 million and will be financed by a $30 million loan plus Capital Reserve Funds now on hand that you contributed in previous years and additionally by annual Reserve Contributions through your taxes in future years. You will pay for the loan and you will pay annual Capital Reserve Contributions if the project goes ahead. In effect you will pay twice.
Ravensong is used by a small number of repetitive users from various Regional Areas plus the munis of Qualicum and Parksville. A significant majority of Oceanside residents do not use the facility but if the project goes ahead, 100% of residents will pay for the expansion. French Creek Area G properties will pay approximately $109.46 per year for 20 years to retire the debt. This does not include annual operating expenditures for the expanded facility which will increase by 146% by 2029 from 2024. Increased operating costs will continue beyond 2029.
When making your decision you need to consider a number of other major factors that are/will be increasing your property tax bill starting in 2025. These figures do not include the 5.25% service fee charged by the Province for collecting taxes on behalf of the RDN;
– by 2028 the French Creek Pollution Control Centre (FCPCC) renovation and upgrade debt repayment for a residual amount of $77 million will cost you $400 per year for 20 years according to RDN forecasts. This does not include operating expenditures which will increase 123% by 2029 from 2024 for the larger facility.
– FCRA is a member of the RDN Taxpayer Alliance which forecasts Hospital capital project tax costs will increase by 234% by 2029. There will be 5 projects concurrently underway of which only one will satisfy medical procedure needs instead of travelling to Victoria.
– general RDN taxation for Area G will increase by 164% over the next 5 years. The single largest portion of this is due to Transportation Services (buses) that will increase by a compounding average of 18.9% per year up to 2029. In dollar terms transportation tax contributions will be 242% higher in 2029 for a service utilized by extremely few residents. To support this statement is the fact that Fare Revenue is forecast to only increase by 151% from 2025 which means bus service will be increasingly subsidized by your tax dollars while benefitting few users.
The preceding may be difficult to apply to the annual tax cost for your particular property. As a comparison, if you paid $2,970 in 2024, including the additional homeowner grant reduction for those over 65, you can expect your tax cost in 2029 will be more than $5,000. This does not include the amount you would pay for the Ravensong project which will add a further $110 per year plus increased operating expenditures.
You are aware that the RDN Taxpayer Alliance has made representations with financial projections to the RDN Board of Directors that taxes in all categories must either be reduced or eliminated. An anticipated annual cost of $110 for the Ravensong Pool expansion will increase the adverse taxation effect anticipated based on the approved RDN 2025-2029 Financial Plan. If you vote to support the Ravensong expansion, you need to consider whether you can afford to pay property taxes that are anticipated to increase by more than 182% by 2029.
Prepared by the French Creek Residents Association
RDN Taxation Information
Email – December 12, 2024 – To all members……….
Together with other community association groups, at the RDN Board Meeting on Tuesday Dec10th, there were 4 presentations on the proposed excessive tax increases put forth by RDN Staff.
We had support from six Directors but most notably there was little support from a majority of RDN Directors who represent municipalities such as Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum. These communities are less affected by RDN financial plans because they direct their own tax plans and systems and only share costs for services that may be provided by the RDN such as bus service, garbage collection and sewage treatment. They also don’t pay a 5.25% service charge for our tax billings prepared by the Province of BC Surveyor of Taxes which increases our costs. You would think on that basis the municipalities would be more sympathetic to the cost to property owners in the rural Areas which includes our own French Creek Area G. This doesn’t appear to be the case and we are certainly disappointed in the Parksville and Qualicum Directors which includes both Mayors.
There will be further discussion at the RDN Board and hopefully some revision to the 2025 portion of the Financial Plan. They have until the end of March to approve that portion before 2025 tax billings are prepared. The RDN Taxpayer Alliance that we have joined together with other associations and community groups will continue in our efforts to gain further support on the Board to curtail future tax increases that we cannot afford.
See this digital article from the PQB News. Regional District of Nanaimo adopts 5-year financial plan as taxpayers protest
Email – November 30, 2024 – We are all affected by annual taxes which have increased disproportionately in recent years. Since 2014 French Creek taxes have increased by 134%. The RDN is currently reviewing a 5 year Financial Plan that will have the effect of increasing your taxes by a further 58% by 2029. This plan does not include budget amounts for the Nanaimo Regional Hospital which have risen 193% since 2022.
Many taxpayers are suffering because our financial resources are limited. On the surface it appears the RDN Board of Directors are not giving sufficient attention to curtailing tax increases proposed by Staff coupled with a number of proposed new capital projects such as the Ravensong pool upgrade/expansion which only serves a small portion of our community. If this project goes ahead it will add a cost of approximately $110 to your annual tax bill. This amount is not included in the Financial Plan increase of 58% mentioned above. Transportation Services (Bus service) is slated to increase by 199% over the next 5 years even though usage is very low on rural routes. There is also discussion by RDN Corporate Services to replace RDN offices at a cost of $34 million even though the building was substantially renovated and enlarged in 2008.
Can you continue to pay these exorbitant tax increases?
Your Association has joined with the Northwest Nanoose Residents Assn (NNRA) and a number of other associations including San Pareil and Fairwinds to create the RDN Taxpayer Alliance. We are actively lobbying the RDN Board to reject the proposed Financial Plan and we will be asking for your participation via petitions and by contacting RDN Directors. We will also pursue exposure via the newspaper, radio, tv and social media sites while also including our own websites.
We need your help to ensure the RDN Board of Directors is listening to us and curtails a proposed Financial Plan we cannot afford. Contact our representatives at the following addresses –
Area G Director Lehann Wallace lehann.wallace@rdn.bc.ca
RDN Board of Directors Chair Vanessa Craig vanessa.craig@rdn.bc.ca
RDN Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Douglas Holmes dHolmes@rdn.bc.ca
We will also be attending the next RDN Board meeting on Tuesday Dec 10th at 1:00pm to make a presentation on behalf of our community. You can either attend or view via video from here https://rdn.bc.ca/agendas-minutes-videos The live video option is available just prior to the meeting start time as mentioned on the site.
Please give us your help and attention on this matter which affects us all.
Water Rates
The FCRA keeps track of the water rates in the area, access the link below:
2025 Water Rate Comparison Chart
2024 Water Rate Comparison Char