The first draft of the municipal Five-Year Financial Plan was released a few weeks ago, with each department making presentations on their plan for the year ahead and beyond at a Committee of the Whole.
Open Houses for the public take place virtually on Feb. 20 and 27, with the public consultation period running until Friday, March 7. A Committee of the Whole to discuss the Water and Sewer budgets will take place Monday, March 3 at 1 pm. You can find the full budget on the Municipality’s website.
Administration and General Government
Capital expenses for the year ahead include $50,000 to purchase a new truck for building inspections by planning and engineering staff. Currently employees are either using a bylaw truck or their own vehicles which isn’t expected to remain a sustainable method. This will come from the equipment reserve.
$70,000 is being allocated to upgrade audiovisual equipment in the new Community Conference Room at the Community Centre, with funding from the Growing Communities Fund and possibly an Accessibility Grant. The Capital Renewal and Replacement Reserve will provide $30,000 to upgrade municipal computers.
Bylaw Services
A few major undertakings for 2025 include hiring a weekend ferry marshal for this summer. The pilot program’s cost of $45,000 will be covered using grant funds with the marshal employed from May to October. The position will start on a one-year trial basis with its future reassessed after this fall. Bylaw is also aiming to develop a Water Conservation Bylaw for the municipality, and explore pay parking for Snug Cove plus e-transfers to collect public wharf fees.
Facility Management - Community Centre
With the Community Centre set to open in the coming months, current focuses include getting municipal staff adjusted to the new Municipal Hall which is located in the building, hiring custodians for the space, and technicians to operate equipment in the new theatre. The centre will have several capital expenses coming up, including paving the parking lot, furnishing the theatre backstage and outdoor courtyard, setting up the Community Kitchen, and building a bike storage area. Annual contributions of $50,000 to Capital Renewal are proposed to cover work at the centre.
Finance
A big undertaking for the finance department in 2025 will be the goal of helping develop a Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), plus continuing collective bargaining negotiations. This year and next year will see a new position of contract production coordinator established, to be managed by the Hearth Gallery. The coordinator will be tasked with promoting the new theatre at the Community Centre and attracting artists and performers. The position costs $35,000 a year, with a hope it will eventually become self-funding through theatre popularity.
Fire Department and Emergency Services
A host of equipment for the Fire Department is in the budget, highlighted by a new fire truck to replace Engine 32 – a 1978 Mini Pumper. The new vehicle has already been purchased and is expected to arrive on Bowen next month. It’s budgeted at $420,000. Between 2025-29 there’s $104,000 dedicated to new protective gear such as helmets, jackets and boots, and from 2026-29 there’s $100,000 being used for new equipment including pumps, hoses, chainsaws, and a better jaws of life. The department is seeking $40,000 for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) with the aim to assist with fires and search and rescues in the woods. All of these will come from the fire equipment reserve.
The department is also hoping for $75,000 to install heat pumps at both fire halls, which Thompson says will save $6,000 a year, and $17,000 for four misting stations to help people combat summer heat. They’d be located at the Community Centre, Visitors Centre, Fire Hall 1, and at a location in Crippen Park. The pumps and stations are budgeted from Accumulated Surplus. Emergency Services are requesting $8,500 for evacuation and rapid damage assessment kits, which include visibility vests, caution tape, megaphones, first aid kits, and more.
Parks and Environment
The year ahead for parks includes developing a Grafton Lake Watershed Management Plan, the $100,000 cost being split 75 per cent from the parks reserve and 25 per cent from Cove Bay Water system. A pit toilet at the Art Rennison Nature Park will cost $15,000, and a substantial push will begin to repair several park, trail and beach structures. This year there’s $85,000 budgeted for parks and trail repair and $25,000 for beach access points, the total increasing to $150,000 annually from 2026-29.
Projects this year include several stairways, at Cates Bay Beach, Seymour Bay Beach, Clipper Beach, and stairs from Village Drive to the current Municipal Hall, along with drainage at the Sea Walk Trail at Cape Roger Curtis.
Planning and Development
The department’s two major goals for 2025 are the Official Community Plan Review and development of the MRDT.
Public Works
Capital costs are unsurprisingly high for the department due to the condition of roads and culverts around the island. The culvert situation is set to cost $1 million annually due to the danger of failed culverts damaging nearby roads. For their part, the roads are already costly too with $550,000 being budgeted for repairs in 2025 and set to rise by $50,000 each year after. This year’s repair focuses include Taylor, Jason, and Windjammer Roads, with Whitesails Drive up for 2026.
$100,000 is also being included annually for rock slope stabilization, starting this year on Taylor and Woods Roads and at Eagle Cliff Road near the Upland Trail. Repairs at the Library are budgeted for $250,000 to replace rotten beams and fix failed culverts, though engineering director Patrick Graham expressed optimism the actual cost would be less. Wharf repair will see $200,000 used to fix piles at Snug Cove Dock and $75,000 to repair Mt. Gardner Dock.
The current stretch of the Multi-Use Path from Artisan Lane toward Charlie’s Lane costs $1.22 million, with grants covering all but $18,000. The next phase from Charlie’s Lane to Grafton Lake will cost the municipality $236,000 - a source of that funding remains to be decided on.
The largest project by far of the department is the upcoming build of a new Public Works Yard, estimated at $3.5 million between 2025-27. Design work is underway on the facility which will replace the current yard which has become unproductive and unsafe for a number of reasons. Graham says debt financing would be required for the new works yard, which would require an assent process.
Recreation and Community Services
This department will find itself very busy once the Community Centre opens as new and increased programming gets underway. Capital expenses include $50,000 for Fitness Centre equipment, which is covered by a grant, and $40,000 for an art installation at the centre, from the Public Art Reserve. A $25,000 grant is being applied for to create a dedicated space for the Youth Centre. A new facility booking coordinator will also be hired to manage the centre.
Looking ahead, the department is saving up for a $160,000 Multi-Sport Court to be placed at Bowen Island Community School. Bowen Rec is working with the school PAC to fundraise, with an aim of 2027 for the project.
