Recently, One Cowichan ran an initiative during the provincial election to highlight the issue of local control of our watersheds.

Our goal was to build a citizens parade that candidates of all stripes felt like getting in front of. And we did!

1,500 citizens of the Valley pledged to vote for local control. The decision about who to vote for was left up to them.

Several local governments and organizations supported the principle of local control - you can see the list here.

Then, we asked the local candidates for their position, briefly stated. You can find those positions here. Remarkable, at a time when politicians don't agree on much, was the broad consensus on the principle.

So what's next? The BC government is currently updating the Water Act, and this could allow for local control pilots if it is well written.

So One Cowichan will continue to work with local citizens, supporting organizations, and politicians of all stripes on making this happen. We'd love help, so if you are in, please be in touch!