Governance and Services

Looking forward and planning for the future

The District of North Vancouver is reaching out to residents to think about the future of the district. It is in the middle of a “targeted Official Community Plan (OCP) review.” It has assembled background documents in four topic areas and is asking for feedback from residents. It’s a lot to take in and it may be intimidating but it is a chance to have your goals for the future of Lynn Valley. Our neighbourhood has seen rapid changes, many forecast by the OCP and still, the community seemed surprised at times. This is a chance to get out in front of community issues.

What is the OCP?

The Official Community Plan (OCP) helps a local government describe its long-term vision for the future. The objectives and policies help guide elected officials and employees in land use, transportation, sustainability, and many other areas of managing a municipality. According to the DNV our current OCP was completed in 2011 and over 5,000 people participated in its development.

“It works together with more detailed strategic action and implementation plans, such as corporate and financial plans, our Town Centres’ Implementation Plans, the Transportation Plan, the Parks and Open Space Strategic Plan, and others,” said Justin Beddall, communications coordinator for the DNV. “Many of the changes you see today in Lynn Valley, Lynn Creek, and Lions Gate Village, for example, originated from the direction and policy in the 2011 OCP.”

Why should this matter to you?

A scan of local social media there is a lot of back and forth from residents about the changes to Lynn Valley. Some love the densification and the opportunity for more people to make this great community home. Others agree but find the growth puts the community financially outreach for a diverse community. Some don’t like the growth direction at all. For local mom, and now rental housing advocate, Kelly Bond wishes she engaged earlier in the OCP process.

“As one who was in the throws of raising tots and teens during the years leading up to the OCP adoption in 2011, I didn’t take the time to learn or understand the importance of being engaged in the process. If I’m honest, I didn’t even know what an Official Community Plan was,” said Bond, even as a very active community volunteer, at the time the process didn’t grab her attention at first. “ If I had taken a moment to become fully informed, I might have understood that the very OCP being created put my (and that of 60 other) family’s purpose-built rental housing and its luxurious green space that surrounded it at extreme risk of redevelopment. I would have more strongly advocated for a greater inclusion and protection of purpose-built rental units for town centres areas over the more widely considered strata and investment options.”

As Bond was forced into action to advocate for more diverse housing, it led to a better understanding of all OCP issues and how they relate to each and every resident.

“While replacement rental housing is what brought me to be actively engaged in municipal action, I now see how intricately that transportation, economy, recreation, education and climate issues co-relate and I frequently choose to make my thoughts heard to the decision-makers as they debate resolutions and motions,” she said

What is the review?

This current review process was requested by district council to take a closer look at four specific areas to ensure the OCP continues to support the current vision and goals for the community.

“The targeted OCP review seeks to address the biggest issues facing the citizens of the District of North Vancouver – housing, transportation, climate emergency, and the economy and employment lands,” said Beddall. “This engagement is an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions and views to help shape the actions the District will be taking to address the biggest issues facing this community.”

The DNV is open to all residents, business owners, and employees that work in the district to give their input through May 16.

“In particular, families, seniors, students, disabled, new immigrants, and renters should actively participate and add their voices into the four areas established for targeted review,” said Bond.

For the district it helps gauge the current climate which has moved on from 2011.

“The goal of the targeted review is to ensure we account for emerging issues, challenges, and trends in these four areas, and set guidance through an action plan as we continue to implement the OCP through 2030,” said Beddall.

The district’s webpage dedicated to the review gathers documents on transportation, housing, the climate emergency, and economy and employment lands for residents to review and a survey to offer feedback.

“We’ve made efforts to help people engage in ways that works for them, while staying safe during the pandemic,” he said. “District residents have told us that many people prefer to participate in civic matters when it works for their schedules, rather than at specific times, so people can participate in a survey online at DNV.org/OCP-review. We’re making an effort to be respectful of peoples’ interests and available time to devote to something like this, so participants can choose to share their thoughts about all four areas or choose the topics that they are the most passionate about.”

For Bond, it is an opportunity she hopes others will take, and it could have a direct impact in the years ahead as the district updates its direction within Metro Vancouver’s 2050 regional growth strategy.

“Public input in the targeted OCP review can potentially impact what share DNV commits to as far as growth and population for the immediate years ahead,” she said. “The questions are fairly self-explanatory and presented in layman’s terms. If you feel less strongly about one particular topic, but have strong opinions or new ideas about another, your comments are equally vital and valid. All feedback provided helps establish the direction the district will seek and which experts would need to be further consulted to ensure the community’s priorities are acted on in strategy and policy formation.”

There were also a number of virtual workshops to join, the last occurring May 10th. Details can be found here: DNV.org/OCP-review.

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

May 6, 2021 in Blog, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Speculation tax for 2021

For the third year, the province has sent out its Speculation and Vacancy Tax declaration forms. Our area was scheduled to have them mailed early February, so you should have received it. All homeowners must declare by their status by March 31. If you have declared before, you still have to declare again this year, even if there is no change to your information.

Money, money, money

The program shows 99.9 percent of British Columbians are exempt from the tax. In the 2019 tax year (second year of the program) $88 million of revenue was generated, with 92% of the revenue coming from foreign owners, satellite families, Canadians living outside BC and “other” non-BC resident owners. The government had originally estimated it would receive $185 million for that period.

The speculation and vacancy tax rate varies depending on the owner’s tax residency. In addition, the tax rate varies based on whether the owner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or a satellite family.

For 2019 and subsequent years, the tax rate is:

2% for foreign owners and satellite families
0.5% for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who are not members of a satellite family

The speculation and vacancy tax applies based on ownership as of December 31 each year.

B.C. owners are eligible for a tax credit of up to $2,000 on secondary properties to offset their tax payable. The credit is limited to $2,000 per owner and $2,000 per property (in the case of multiple owners) per year.

The speculation and vacancy tax applies based on ownership as of December 31 each year.

If a residential property has multiple owners, tax is divided among each owner based on their ownership share. For example, if you and your spouse are equal owners of a residential property in a taxable region, you’ll each owe tax on 50% of the home’s assessed value.

Exemptions are based on how each person uses each residential property. If you’re the co-owner of a residential property in a taxable region and are exempt, but the other owner isn’t exempt, the other owner will have to pay tax based on their percentage ownership of the residential property as listed with the Land Title Office.

All owners on title of a property must complete the declaration in order to claim an exemption or to determine eligibility for a tax credit. Owners are exempt from the tax if it is their principal residence, they rent it at least six months of the year, they are disabled, the property was just inherited, it’s valued at less than $150,000, or a person was away and it was vacant due to medical reasons, residential care, work or spousal separation.

New exemptions

How to declare

The fastest and easiest way to declare is online. If you can’t declare online, you can declare over the phone. Call 1-833-554-2323 toll-free and they will help you complete the declaration. Translation is also available at the above number. If you have not received your letter, the province asks you to also call the number above.

What you need

the speculation and vacancy tax declaration letter, which includes:

- Your Letter ID, Declaration Code and other information you need to declare
- A list of all the residential properties you own in the designated taxable regions
your social insurance number (SIN)
your date of birth

Ooops I forgot

If you miss the deadline or forgot to declare by March 31 you will receive a tax notice charging you the tax at the maximum tax rate. However, all is not lost! You can still complete your declaration to claim an exemption even after you’ve received a tax notice.

Timeline

Speculation and vacancy tax letters were mailed to North Vancouver Feb 4-5, 2021.

Jan 18, 2021 – declaration period opens
Mar 31, 2021 – declaration due
Apr-May 2021 – most tax notices mailed
Jul 2, 2021 – tax payment due

February 3, 2021 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

More than books – how the NVDPL managed Covid-19

With a mandate well beyond books, the North Vancouver District Public Library, was a local leader in providing innovative programming and access to its materials and services. The move to take traditional paper and pivot to virtual services was quick and provided a much needed escape and community connection in early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

When everything changed

As the Covid-10 March closures unfolded throughout our community, it was perhaps the closure of the North Vancouver District Public Library that was felt most widely. From social seniors to parents and babies, from those on society’s fringes to community-building groups – and everyone in between – have always been welcome at the library until the doors were forced shut.

“For many of us, early March was a challenging time as we started to hear about COVID-19 impacting our community here, and particularly as we learned about the devastating outbreak at the Lynn Valley Care Centre where we make regular trips for Home Library Service Patrons,” said Jacqueline van Dyk, director of library services. “Our hearts were with our community as we navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic in real-time, as they were unfolding before us.”

The NVDPL was asked to close its doors by the local health authority on March 16. Many people hearing the news took the last few hours to stock up on materials.

“My initial thoughts were focused on how we could keep our community and staff safe,” said van Dyk. “While everything was still very day-to-day, the one thing that became clear was that our service to the community is so vital.”

More than just books

The library and its staff are well aware of the place it has in the community – well beyond just books. Their mandate to support all residents coloured their priorities as the organization addressed its role for the coming months.

“During this time of encouraged social-distancing and increased isolation, connecting with our community’s most vulnerable, and getting stories and resources into the hands of readers, was never more critical,” said van Dyk. “ And that we needed to continue to provide services to help our patrons during this time—whether that was for entertainment and educational purposes while we were all staying closer to home, or for our community’s most vulnerable populations who needed help staying connected and engaged.”

Going virtual

The NVDPL saw an immediate uptick in digital circulation: an increase of 60 percent.

“We know that there are many library users who were cut off from access to technology and the internet,” she said. “West Vancouver Memorial Library spearheaded a partnership with TELUS that all three North Shore libraries partnered on to help bridge that digital divide. A TELUS donation through the Take-Home Technology initiative provided many in our community with the opportunity to connect with friends and family, and library and government resources.”

The library plays a vital role in North Vancouver supporting those in social isolation and those in need of learning opportunities. The closure of meeting rooms and social spaces was felt deeply.

“The shift to digital content and virtual programs has been great for some, and in some ways, inadequate for others. This is a gap we’re looking at closely.”

van Dyk recognizes the larger community was incredibly supportive of the library, but it was the efforts of her staff that made all the difference.

“I am grateful for the leadership and support from the local health authority, District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, and our municipality in the District of North Vancouver,” she said. “When many other libraries ceased almost all operations, our staff remained committed to delivering library service in North Vancouver. Our buildings may have been closed to the public, but our services remained open. I am immensely appreciative and proud of the work the NVDPL team has done to innovate and retool our services.”

Supporting the most vulnerable

One of the most valued services provided by the library is getting materials in the hands of people who can’t actually visit its facilities. Services the staff were dedicated to maintaining during this most challenging time.

“Many of our patrons have mobility and visual and perceptual challenges that make it impossible for them to leave their homes,” said van Dyk. “Even as a coronavirus outbreak took place in our community, NVDPL staff remained committed to supporting Home Library Service and Talking Books patrons. We checked in with care homes and individuals who we regularly deliver to and adapted our procedures to ensure that these patrons had access to the content they rely on for entertainment and mental health purposes.”

Feeding the appetites of innovation

The importance of library materials as entertainment, education, escape and mental health tools were all key motivators for staff to think outside of the box and adapt.

“Within a week of closure, our staff had developed a proposal for an initiative to safely deliver physical books to our patrons,” said van Dyk “Restaurants and businesses were operating in this new way of curbside pickup, and we thought…can we do this too? Library Takeout at NVDPL was born, and our staff worked tirelessly to make it happen.

“We took about a month to really think about the impacts, develop our plans for review by local health authorities, and receive training from infection control officers at North Vancouver District Fire and Rescue Services.”

To say the service has been successful is an understatement. Each week about 7000 books are borrowed through Takeout. The program was so well developed it has been adopted by other community libraries. From operating procedures to health and safety considerations, and even the Library Takeout logo were shared with other librarians who approached them for guidance on how to initiate similar programs at their libraries, said van Dyk. The programs and methods used by NVDPL have also been highlighted throughout the province, including by WorkSafe BC.

The future

Like the school system, recreation facilities and other public institutions, the NVDPL can’t forecast what the future will look like. They have to negotiate the fine line of providing services while maintaining the health of their staff and patrons.

“The reality is that we’re all in uncharted territory, and creating the path as we go,” said van Dyk. “Thinking back to how we were operating in early March, it’s hard to forecast what life will look like for us in 12 months—or even 12 weeks.”

The first week of July, staff were able to offer a modified service – NVDPL Express – at all three of its locations.

“We are so thrilled to welcome our community back for self-service holds pickup, browsing of Quick Picks, public computer access and printing, and some in-person help with accounts and accessing materials. This is our first step towards reintroducing in-person services in our facilities since March 16.”

The staff are continuing to offer the community its virtual programs and services and innovating ways to restore more in-person services.

“Establishing a phased reintroduction of services will help continue to slow the spread of coronavirus as well as ensure our ability to scale back or push forward, contingent on provincial health directives and how our community is responding,” said van Dyk. “The two things I am confident in right now are that the health and safety of NVDPL patrons and our staff remains our top priority, and that we will continually develop, grow, and adapt our services to ensure that we support our community through this time.”