The City of Duncan wants to discuss gateway signage issues with North Cowichan at the next joint meeting between the two municipalities, scheduled for the new year.
Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples also said at the council meeting on Dec. 16 that some comments made by at least one member of North Cowichan’s council regarding the issue at a meeting on Nov. 20 that she considers disrespectful should be addressed at the joint meeting.
North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas sent a letter on behalf of his council to Duncan requesting that the city’s gateway signs that are within North Cowichan’s boundaries be removed.
Douglas pointed out that three of Duncan’s gateway signs — one near the southbound lane of the Trans-Canada Highway north of Beverly Street, another at the roundabout close to the Cowichan District Hospital, and the third near the Silver Bridge facing northbound traffic on the TCH — are all actually on North Cowichan property and their placement is causing confusion for many people.
Peter de Verteuil, Duncan’s CAO, told city council that the municipality already has plans to move the sign near the Silver Bridge facing northbound traffic to just north of the bridge on city property as part of the new pathway project between the bridge and the Ramada Inn.
He said the city has also been in discussions with North Cowichan on where an appropriate location would be for the city’s sign facing southbound traffic on the TCH, which is located two kilometres north of Duncan in North Cowichan’s jurisdiction.
“City staff requested support from North Cowichan staff on relocating the north-end primary gateway sign to the south-east corner of the current high school’s sports field, adjacent to the city’s boundary, if School District 79 would be open to approving that location,” de Verteuil said.
“North Cowichan staff declined to support that proposed location as it was their belief that the signage must be wholly within the city’s boundary. Staff is recommending that council reiterates that we add [this issue] to the next joint meeting with North Cowichan."
In a report to council, de Verteuil also pointed out that in North Cowichan council’s discussion on the issue at its meeting on Nov. 20, there were a few comments from council members regarding North Cowichan’s lack of identity, particularly in the south parts of the municipality.
“Later, a councillor also noted during the meeting that much of the discussion regarding signage ‘will all be irrelevant once we annex Duncan’,” de Verteuil said.
That North Cowichan councillor was Tek Manhas, who jokingly made the comment as the discussion ended at the council meeting.
De Verteuil said in the referendum on amalgamation of North Cowichan and Duncan that was held in 2018 and was defeated, the majority of those who voted in the south part of North Cowichan close to Duncan supported the idea of creating a larger community with a shared identity.
“North Cowichan may want to consider studying what it might look like if the south parts of North Cowichan joined the City of Duncan as an alternative to investing considerable expense in signage,” he said.
Staples said, as neighbours, it’s important that the two municipalities work together on the signage issue and come up with a compromise.
But she added that some of the comments that were made at the North Cowichan council meeting should also be addressed at the joint meeting.
“I don’t think they should be just left sitting the way they are because it’s also important that we’re respectful to each other, and some of the language expressed was very disrespectful,” Staples said.
