Email dated May 23, 2026 from Heather West and Delmer Lang, Re: Application #DVP2026-01
Correspondence from residents regarding the development variance permit application for 254 Island Highway.
- provincial enforcement still applies,
- the province has expressed concerns regarding the amnesty approach,
- and homeowners may still face significant provincial fines if operating without valid registration numbers.
Residents are effectively being told: “We will not enforce locally, but we also will not allow you to legally comply provincially.”
That does not appear to be in the public’s best interest.
It is too late to simply ignore the issue or pretend the problem does not now exist. Council created expectations and urgency through the amnesty period, and it is not fair to leave residents bearing the full legal and financial risk arising from that decision.
If Council believes broader consultation and policy review are still necessary, then I would respectfully suggest that the Town has an obligation to consider, at minimum, a temporary bylaw amendment or interim licensing framework that would allow residents to legally comply with provincial registration requirements during the amnesty period and potentially until a new Council is elected and the issue can be reviewed more comprehensively.
That approach would:
- reduce unnecessary legal exposure for residents,
- create greater consistency with neighbouring municipalities,
- provide operational oversight,
- and still preserve Council’s ability to revisit the issue later through a broader public process.
- Provide some of the requested data
The discussion itself also acknowledged several important realities:
- illegal short-term rentals already exist in View Royal,
- enforcement is largely complaint-driven,
- staffing resources are limited,
- and prohibition has not eliminated the activity.
Given those realities, Council should seriously consider whether regulated compliance and temporary lawful alignment would create a more transparent and manageable system than the current contradictory approach.
I appreciate that some members of Council raised thoughtful concerns and requested additional information. I also appreciate that Councillor Brown and Councillor Lemon attempted to move the discussion toward more practical conversations around regional consistency, homeowner flexibility, and lawful regulation.