Thetis committee advances Connected Coast cable bylaw

The committee gave three readings to a zoning amendment for fibre-optic cable around Valdes Island and sent it to the Islands Trust Executive Committee for approval.

The Thetis Firestarter · Governance · 2024-10-22 · updated 2026-10-09 · Thetis Island

The amendment would add fibre-optic telecommunication public utility as a permitted use in the Marine Conservation (W1) zone around Valdes Island, allowing installation of cable as part of the Connected Coast project. The Thetis Island Local Trust Committee gave the bylaw three readings at its Oct. 22 special meeting and forwarded it for approval by the Islands Trust Executive Committee.^[1]

The minutes say the project is intended to provide future high-speed internet access to the Lyackson First Nation. The committee waived a public hearing to expedite the application, and the minutes record that notices were published on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 with no public comments received.^[1]

In the meeting recording, planner Margot Thomaidis said staff had not received public comments and that the applicant had consulted through provincial and federal processes. The applicant’s representative said consultation with First Nations began in 2021 and included provincial and Transport Canada processes.^[2]

The recording says the bylaw was scheduled to go to the Executive Committee on Oct. 30; if approved, staff would notify the local committee and initiate a resolution without a meeting for final adoption, to meet a Nov. 1 deadline.^[2]

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