The Cowichan Valley Regional District will launch an online survey later this week and host an open house mid-September on the future of the Island Rail Corridor.
Initiated by the Province, the CVRD planning process is one of five regional district exercises taking place across Vancouver Island.
The provincial and federal governments, First Nations and the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) are also participating in planning efforts.
“We welcome this process of collaboration and consultation to help shape the future of the Island Rail Corridor, as it is a complex issue that affects everyone in our region,” said Aaron Stone, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Cowichan Valley Regional District. “We look forward to hearing from residents and including their perspectives into the future vision for the corridor.”
The process began in spring 2024 with a series of planning and background studies on the topics of rail history, transportation, land use, remediation, climate change, and the environment.
Consultation with stakeholders began in the summer with a series of interviews to gather input from diverse perspectives throughout the CVRD.
The length of corridor in the CVRD is 71,780m, of which 4,850m bisect reserve lands of the Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, and Stz’uminus First Nation.
The CVRD will launch an online survey on Sunday, September 1.
An open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. September 14 at Charles Hoey Park (Cowichan Valley Museum)