CCRD Moves Regional 9-1-1 Proposal to Direct Elector Vote on October 17
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CCRD Moves Regional 9-1-1 Proposal to Direct Elector Vote on October 17
Board directs assent voting following review of Alternative Approval Process requirements
Bella Coola, B.C. – August 11, 2026 – The Central Coast Regional District (CCRD) will seek direct elector approval for the proposed Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Call Service through an assent vote to be held in conjunction with the 2026 General Local Election on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
At a Special Board Meeting held August 7, the Board of Directors considered the outcome of the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) previously conducted for Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Call Service Establishment Bylaw No. 566, 2026, together with the legislative requirements for establishing the service.
What happened with the AAP
Following a review of the applicable provisions of the Local Government Act, the CCRD identified that the AAP could not provide valid participating area approval for Bylaw No. 566 as it was drafted. Emergency communication service bylaws are generally exempt from including a maximum requisition; however, separate statutory requirements apply when an AAP is used as the approval method.
The Board therefore acknowledged that the AAP and the elector response forms received through that process cannot be relied upon as participating area approval for Bylaw No. 566 and abandoned the previous direction to obtain approval through an AAP.
| AAP response summary
A total of 429 forms were received by the July 30 deadline. Following review, the Corporate Officer counted 225 elector responses. The established threshold was 294 responses and was not met. The certified count is separate from the statutory issue affecting whether the AAP could be used for this bylaw. |
While the threshold was not met, the Board considered the overall level of response as an indication of significant public interest in the proposed service and determined that the clearest next step is to put the question directly to electors.
Next step: direct vote on October 17
The Board directed that participating area approval be obtained through assent voting, commonly referred to as a referendum. Eligible electors in Electoral Areas A, B, C, D and E will be able to vote YES or NO on whether the CCRD should establish the Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Call Service.
The Board unanimously approved conducting the vote across all five Electoral Areas as a single voting area. General Voting Day will be Saturday, October 17, 2026, in conjunction with the 2026 General Local Election. Advance voting, mail ballot voting and other applicable voting opportunities will also be available.
| Question approved by the Board
“Are you in favour of the Central Coast Regional District adopting “Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Call Service Establishment Bylaw No. 566, 2026”, that would establish a Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Call Service for Electoral Areas A, B, C, D and E?” |
Bylaw updated and returned for provincial approval
The Board also rescinded third reading of Bylaw No. 566 and amended wording in the bylaw that referred to approval through the AAP. The amended bylaw was then given third reading and directed to be submitted to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval. The amendments do not change the proposed service area or the service being established.
Clear information before voting day
The CCRD recognizes the importance of ensuring electors have clear, accurate and consistent information before voting. The Board has directed Administration to prepare a public information brochure for delivery to addresses throughout Electoral Areas A through E.
The brochure and supporting public information will include:
- what the proposed Regional 9-1-1 service would provide;
- estimated service costs and property tax implications;
- the assent-voting question and what a YES or NO result means;
- who is eligible to vote; and
- advance, mail ballot and General Voting Day opportunities.
Updated statutory notices, voting locations and other election details will be published on the CCRD website as they become available.
About the proposed Regional 9-1-1 service
The proposed service would provide Next Generation 9-1-1 primary call answer with fire dispatch for Electoral Areas A, B, C, D and E. The service is intended to provide a single emergency number, improved caller-location information and a coordinated regional approach to emergency call handling.
The CCRD has partnered with the Heiltsuk and Nuxalk Nations and secured a $130,000 grant to support implementation of the service.
More information
For information about the proposed Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Call Service and upcoming assent vote, visit www.ccrd.ca
CCRDReleaseRegionalAssent-20260811
Media contact
Central Coast Regional District | 250-799-5291 | info@ccrd.ca | www.ccrd.ca
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