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Hall Accessible Washroom Plan

The Community Hall Committee is planning to apply for a 2024 Heritage BC’s Legacy Heritage Fund grant for an accessible washroom upgrade to the Community Hall.
Through 2023, Sarah Mulhall assisted the Committee to develop options for a handicap and family accessible washroom that fits with the “heritage” Community Hall, maintains needed storage, and doesn’t destroy the existing interior spaces that the community loves so much. AFC Construction provided budget estimates for the accessible washroom addition. After much consideration, the Committee selected this proposed plan as it met our goals for the lowest cost and least interior impact to the existing washroom facilities:

Current Hall washrooms and proposed accessible washroom addition.

We will be asking for the HIRRA membership to approve this plan at the May 8 hybrid HIRRA general  meeting. Please contact us if you have any questions.

HIRRA AGM Appreciations

Thank you to the 49 people who came to the HIRRA AGM on April 10, both in person and by Zoom to review the 2023 year-end financials, hear reports from twelve Committees and “acclaim” volunteers for the coming year.

Extra special appreciation for the many volunteers:
~Executive members who have served over the past year and are now stepping down (Ashley, Allie and Angeleah),
~Continuing Executive members (Jeff and Patrick)
~New Executive members (Ted and Heather)
~And FIFTY EIGHT other volunteers who serve on HIRRA Committees and appointments.

There are still NINE vacancies (2nd Vice President on the Executive, and openings on five Committees: Hall, Comfort Stations, Recycling, Emergency Preparedness, Fall Fair)
Please help us find enthusiastic people to help manage these services! Contact the HIRRA office (office@hirra.ca or 5-1131) for more information or to become a member.

The approved 2023 Year-end Financial Review may be viewed here: 2023 Year End Financial Statements – HIRRA

HIRRA Executive and other Committee reports on 2023 activities: HIRRA AGM Reports Apr 2024
Community Hall report: Hall AGM Report Apr 2024
HIFR report: HIFR AGM Report to HIRRA Apr 2024
Water Stewardship report: Water Stewardship AGM Report Apr 2024

In partnership with the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), volunteers on HIRRA Committees manage and oversee these tax-funded services:
~ Fire Protection via Hornby Island Fire Rescue
~ Recycling and Waste Management including the Free Store
~ Community Hall maintenance
~ Comfort Stations (outhouses) at various locations around the island
~ Invasive Plant Control
~ Emergency Preparedness planning and education
~ Community Recreation programs offered year round

HIRRA Committees also manage and oversee these services without tax funding:
~ Regional Parks and Trails Advisory to CVRD (including: Mount Geoffrey Regional Nature Park and adjoining Crown Land trails, Sandpiper Beach, Grassy Point, Hidden Beach, Clamshell Place, Periwinkle Place, St. John’s Point Road and Tralee Point, and the Hornby Roadside Trails)
~ Fall Fair organization
~ Cemetery maintenance and management
~ Boat Ramp Advisory to CVRD
~Water Stewardship research, education and soon: on-island water testing (for information only)

In addition, HIRRA is responsible for the Community Well and hand-pump on Sollans Road and the Crown Land lease that provides space for the Clinic; Hornby/Denman Community Health Care Society buildings; Farmers’ Market in the Copse, and Hornby Island Arts Council’s new Arts Centre.

The Doris Savoie Centre building that houses First Credit Union and the HIRRA administration office, and the RCMP office are both located on land owned by HIRRA.

HIRRA is truly at the heart of the island and the hard-working volunteers keep everything running smoothly for the benefit of the whole community. Please know how much we appreciate all that you give!

HIRRA Anniversary Event Appreciations

The Anniversary Celebration open-house was held on Feb. 25 at HIRRA’s treasured symbol of can-do volunteerism: the Community Hall. Thank you to the over 80 people who attended, especially the 20-plus Committee volunteers who came early and stayed late to share some history and current activities of their Committees.

Refreshments donated by the Co-op were appreciated and, despite last-minute challenges, there was an abundance of cakes made by kind volunteers on very short notice (particularly: Liz, Darren, Rachel, Juno, Eli, and Heather). Special thanks to Joanne Ovitsland who worked tirelessly in the kitchen and kept everything running so smoothly.
Thank you to Bob Cain for the many photos from his web-site (https://www.rcainphoto.com/) and to Angeleah for creating and running the slideshow of HIRRA history. It was wonderful to see so many long-time residents and former HIRRA volunteers visiting together, reminiscing, and celebrating HIRRA’s longevity.

There were speeches from former Executive members: Don Nixon (1971-73), Gabriel Jeroschewitz (1990, 93 and 95), Michael McNamara (1993-96), Phoenix Wolf-Ray (1993-94), Fred Hunt (2003-05), Rudy Rogalsky (2009-10 and 2019-20), Daniel Siegel (2010-15 and 21-22), and Andrew Mark (20116-17). Former Administrator Janet LeBlancq was unable to attend due to the afternoon ferry cancellation.

Unfortunately, the current HIRRA President, Ashley Stotts, also had to be away to attend to a family crisis, but thankfully, the Executive Vice-Presidents, Jeff Rabena and Patrick Lui, stepped up to greet people, give the introductory speech, and help with both set-up and clean-up (especially mopping the floor). Thank you to the other set-up/clean-up helpers (particularly: Angeleah, Joanne, Jan K. Ilze, Liz E., and Bernie). As usual, there are many, many people involved in an event like this and please know that you are ALL appreciated.

Three new HIRRA members signed up. Two members expressed interest in standing for election to the Executive. The door prize of oak firewood was won by Vicki Bale. It was a wonderful celebration of HIRRA and the Hornby spirit of community cooperation, self-sufficiency, and flexible solutions to our “unique” life on this island. 

2024 HIRRA Budgets Approved

The November 8, 2023 HIRRA meeting was devoted primarily to reviewing and approving the 2024 budgets and five-year financial plans for HIRRA’s tax-funded services: Fire Protection, Recycling Waste Management, Community Hall, Recreation Programs, Comfort Stations (Privies), Emergency Preparedness and Invasive Plant Control. Forty-four people attended.
Thank you to all the dedicated Committee volunteers, staff, and Executive for their work on the 2024 budgets. All the budgets were reviewed and approved by the membership. The approved budgets are still subject to review by Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) staff and Board of Directors. We expect the CVRD to confirm approval of HIRRA budgets in April 2024.

Community Vision Renewal Zoom Event

HIRRA and HICEEC (Hornby Island Community Economic Enhancement Corporation) are collaborating to review and renew the Hornby Community Vision created in 2002. Over 85 people attended the in-person Vision Renewal event at the Community Hall to look at the existing Vision statements, accomplishments over the last twenty years, and possible goals for the future. Many people provided feedback and input. An additional 28 people attended the Zoom event on March 1 to give feedback on the Vision in a different format. The draft Vision documents are posted on HICEEC’s web-site: https://hiceec.org/about toward the bottom of the page. Stay tuned for the next steps in the Vision Renewal.

Composting Toilet Residuals Project

At the October 12, 2022 HIRRA meeting, a majority of participants approved sending a letter to Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) requesting that the Comox Valley Sewerage Service (CVSS) accept stabilized composting toilet residuals from Hornby at their composting facility. Stay tuned for opportunities for further discussion and decisions about the Pilot Project details.

Background documents include the original Sept 2020 CVRD staff report on the Hornby Composting Toilet Feasibility Study. View here:  Composting Toilet Study
CVRD staff updated their report in Nov. 2021 based on feedback from the HIRRA Recycling Committee. View here: Composting Tiolet Study Follow Up 
CVRD staff gave a presentation to the Feb. 2022 HIRRA meeting. View here: Hornby Composting Toilet Presentation Feb 2022.
The CVRD page has more information on Composting Toilets here

Collective Agreement with Recycling Depot CUPE Employees Ratified

Thanks to the HIRRA negotiating team, Recycling Depot staff and CUPE representatives, the Collective Agreement bargaining was concluded successfully.  The DRAFT Collective Agreement was presented at the June 8, 2022 HIRRA general meeting and ratified by the members. The Recycling Depot staff have also ratified the Collective Agreement. View the complete document here Draft_Collective Agreement 2023-26  All changes are highlighted in bold in the draft Collective Agreement. Note that an error was found in the pay table on p. 28. The corrected table may be viewed here: Corrected C.A. wage rate chart May 22

New Cemetery Land Needed 2017

In the spring of 2017 an ad hoc Committee was formed, charged with finding suitable land for a new Cemetery. The existing Cemetery can still accommodate cremated remains but has little room left for full body burials, so there is an urgent need for more suitable land. Contact the Administrator or Cemetery Committee members for more information.

Historic Reports:

In late 2022, HIRRA received a hard copy of Rogers Cell Tower Proposal for a 63 meter tall tower (including 3m lightning rod) housing “numerous panel antennas and dishes” and having a small fenced and locked “compound” at the base containing “equipment necessary to operate the facility”, to be located in the old gravel pit between Recycling Depot and Spark building.
A PDF of the proposal HIRRA received may be viewed here: Rogers Information Dec 22
Inquiries should be sent to the consultant, Brian Gregg by email: briangregg@sitepathconsulting.com).

Prior to the Nov. 8, 2022 Zoom meeting between HIRRA Executive members, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) and other stakeholders, HIRRA circulated a public survey to assist with discussion and prioritization of Hornby roads issues. This report summarizes the results of that survey: Hornby Roads Survey report Dec 1-22.

View the 2022 Report on Hornby Food Security here: Hornby Food Security Report 01 18 2022

The April 2021 Covid Community Conversation report is available here: Hornby Is COVID Community Conversation Report, April 2021. The facilitators took all the notes and feedback from the April 11, 2021 community conversation by Zoom and created this final report with accompanying whimsical artwork by Rae Mate.

Rats and us: Daniel Siegel created a worksheet on rat management and circulated to all at the November 2013 meeting. Download the rat control worksheet.