Hospital funding, grants dominate qathet Regional District’s summer agenda
A $540,365 funding request for qathet General Hospital and a slate of community grants worth more than $140,000 are before qathet Regional District officials as several boards and committees open their summer business.
While minutes from recent meetings have yet to be published, agendas show the Regional Hospital Board, Planning Committee, Regional Board and Committee of the Whole all tackled spending, zoning and infrastructure items in late June. A fresh round of decisions is expected when the Regional Board and Committee of the Whole meet again on July 8.
Hospital funding request
Vancouver Coastal Health appeared before the Regional Hospital Board on June 23 seeking cost-sharing for fiscal 2027 capital projects. The total request is $540,365: $447,000 for capital projects and $93,365 for seven replacement stretchers at qathet General Hospital. The board’s agenda also included the first-quarter 2026 strategic plan progress report and a closed session on provincial negotiations; the outcome of the funding request remains unconfirmed.
Planning and zoning
On June 23, the Planning Committee was scheduled to endorse amendments to the Nootka Street Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 321.3, 2025, to align with provincial housing legislation. A separate bylaw (No. 321.4) and a non-binding referendum question for the 2026 general election were also on the table, alongside a subdivision application for 7458 and 7460 Nootka Street. If endorsed, the bylaws would move to the August 26 Board meeting.
Grants on the table
The June 24 Regional Board consent agenda listed 21 community grants totalling more than $100,000, including $23,000 to the qathet ORUG Trails Society, $15,000 to qathet Tourism Society, $7,500 to Savary Island Land Trust Society and $5,000 to Powell River Child, Youth & Family Services for the ORCA bus program. A second set of grants – $23,000 for ORUG Trails, $15,000 for tourism and $2,685.81 for the Powell River Trail Riders Club – will come before the board on July 8 along with the 2025 directors’ remuneration report and the 2025 statement of financial information.
Transit, ports and community halls
The June 24 Committee of the Whole discussed a letter of support for Desolation Dive Services’ ghost-gear funding application, a resolution opposing the divestment of remote port facilities, and a request to fill a service gap between BC Transit’s Route 12 and Route 1. Members also looked into replacing the stage curtain at Texada Island Community Hall and a service agreement with the Q Climbers Access and Development Association.
Coming up
The Regional Board meets July 8 to approve the 2025 financial reports and the $40,685.81 in grants. The Committee of the Whole follows the same day with a delegation from the qathet Museum & Archives Society about land for a new museum, a pitch from Life Cycle Housing and Kiwanis Housing societies to allocate hotel tax revenue to housing, and authorization for the Texada Annual Fly-In on July 26. Policy amendments and an emergency overtime allowance for exempt staff are also on the agenda.
On July 16, the Texada Island Recreation Commission will consider waiving the $120 Gillies Bay Ballpark rental fee for a seniors housing fundraiser, an AED installation at Smithson Park, an interpretive sign for Emily Lake Trail, and a review of its terms of reference for hybrid meetings. Correspondence on logging concerns along Deep Woods Trail will also be discussed.
Generated from official meeting agendas and minutes — every underlying document is linked from the city page. Read the primary source before you rely on a detail.