The die is cast and the wheels are in motion — the CVRD is undergoing changes that will be unstoppable and will turn local government politics on its ear.

The CVRD as we know it today will become a shell of its former self and be left with truly regional functions. Services such as planning, building inspection and bylaw enforcement will be handled by sub-regional entities that will likely spring into being over the next few years.

Control over sub-regional parks is also on the table.

Leading the charge are the three south end electoral areas – Mill Bay/Malahat, Cobble Hill and Shawnigan Lake. But, only a half a tick behind are community leaders in the Town of Lake Cowichan and the electoral areas of Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls and Youbou.

Explaining the technicalities of what is going on would be too much for this space so let’s just say that the Cowichan Valley has grown to the point where the regional district form of government doesn’t really work in most of the electoral areas.

There is little sense in having an official community plan in Cobble Hill being voted on by a CVRD director who represents Youbou and visa versa. The same is true for an application for a rezoning in each of the respective areas.

The bottom line is that voters, and the leaders who represent them, want autonomy and accountability to be local and sub-regional in nature; not dispersed across the entire regional district.

Residents in Youbou, Saltair and North Oyster really don’t give a damn about what happens in Mill Bay except as it may pertain to traffic on the Island Highway. Most people in Mill Bay don’t even know North Oyster exists. Why ever should their elected representative have fingers in another area’s local planning pie? It should be none of their business.

The net result of what is going on will be to create a South Cowichan community, either as a stand-alone municipality or as a sub-regional grouping that will have autonomy over land use. I lean towards voters opting for a municipality.

A similar entity will form around Lake Cowichan and is more likely to be a sub-regional grouping, but with local planning autonomy.

This will leave Sahtlam, Saltair, Cowichan Bay and North Oyster kind of orphaned within the CVRD. The politics of the day could leave these areas drawing minimal services from a scaled-down CVRD but, longer term, these electoral areas are likely to be absorbed into their closest municipality neighbour. Maybe North Oyster will elect to remain an electoral area and petition to be taken in by the Regional District of Nanaimo.

All of this will leave the CVRD with limited but truly regional functions. This includes major parks and trails, some activity within solid waste management, regional water management, emergency services and last, but not least, regional growth management.

This transition could take up to five years but will lead to a vibrant Valley community that is sensitive to local needs and aspirations but capable of dealing with significant regional issues.

Got a tip or a comment? E-mail me at phrushowy@shaw.ca