Magic Lake Estates Community Issues Assessment

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Information Sessions

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey for the Magic Lake Estates Community Issues Assessment, and thank you to everyone who attended the Community Information Open House on Friday, November 3, 2023. To view the presentation displayed at the event, click here.

If you were not able to attend the Open House, a follow-up virtual meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 7pm.

To attend the virtual meeting and receive a reminder to log in, register here.

To log in to the meeting when it is in progress, click here.

Background

Magic Lake Estates is an approximately 600-acre neighbourhood on North Pender Island, which had its origins in the 1960s as a vacation home development proposal known as "Gulf Island Estates." The controversy over the proposed development is often cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Islands Trust in 1974.

Today, Magic Lake Estates comprises approximately 1,200 parcels with 1,034 single-family equivalents (in 2019), and is one of the largest, most densely populated residential neighbourhoods throughout all of the Gulf Islands.

Like most of the islands in the Salish Sea, North Pender Island is located in an unincorporated area (in this case within the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area of the Capital Regional District). As such, Magic Lake Estates receives its local services from a variety of service providers rather than from a single municipality. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • the Province of British Columbia (roads, subdivision approval, schools, policing),
  • the Capital Regional District (water, sanitary sewer, parks, building inspection, regional planning, and more), and
  • the Islands Trust (local land use planning).

In addition, and unique to Magic Lake Estates, the Magic Lake Property Owners' Society (MLPOS) was established in the mid-1970s to manage several amenities as well as be an additional voice for residents of the community. Today, the MLPOS owns and manages Thieves Bay Marina, the tennis/pickle ball courts and the playground. MLPOS is a non-profit society whose membership is voluntary, and its Board of Directors meet generally a monthly basis.

In response to a request from MLPOS for a governance review of MLE and to seek clarity on the current service delivery arrangements, this project will provide a community issues assessment and summary of the governance framework and service models that exist in Magic Lake Estates.

Goal

Based on the CRD’s Public Participation Framework, this project will largely focus on gathering information, discussion, and public engagement to seek community opinion on the existing service and governance models of MLE.

This project will work with the MLPOS as a partnering stakeholder, to inform and consult the wider resident community on matters of governance and service delivery.

The success of this project relates to informing an understanding of the existing service model and governance framework, and collecting feedback on its effectiveness.

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to provide a factual, unbiased report which describes the various service providers at all levels (Federal, Provincial, Local, and non-profit society), outline the various decision-making processes at play with each of the service providers, and identify the needs and concerns of the community today and into the future.

It is not intended to provide detailed technical or financial analysis, nor will it explore the various options for future governance models, although the findings of this report could lead to further studies as part of future phases.


Information Sessions

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey for the Magic Lake Estates Community Issues Assessment, and thank you to everyone who attended the Community Information Open House on Friday, November 3, 2023. To view the presentation displayed at the event, click here.

If you were not able to attend the Open House, a follow-up virtual meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 7pm.

To attend the virtual meeting and receive a reminder to log in, register here.

To log in to the meeting when it is in progress, click here.

Background

Magic Lake Estates is an approximately 600-acre neighbourhood on North Pender Island, which had its origins in the 1960s as a vacation home development proposal known as "Gulf Island Estates." The controversy over the proposed development is often cited as one of the catalysts for the formation of the Islands Trust in 1974.

Today, Magic Lake Estates comprises approximately 1,200 parcels with 1,034 single-family equivalents (in 2019), and is one of the largest, most densely populated residential neighbourhoods throughout all of the Gulf Islands.

Like most of the islands in the Salish Sea, North Pender Island is located in an unincorporated area (in this case within the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area of the Capital Regional District). As such, Magic Lake Estates receives its local services from a variety of service providers rather than from a single municipality. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • the Province of British Columbia (roads, subdivision approval, schools, policing),
  • the Capital Regional District (water, sanitary sewer, parks, building inspection, regional planning, and more), and
  • the Islands Trust (local land use planning).

In addition, and unique to Magic Lake Estates, the Magic Lake Property Owners' Society (MLPOS) was established in the mid-1970s to manage several amenities as well as be an additional voice for residents of the community. Today, the MLPOS owns and manages Thieves Bay Marina, the tennis/pickle ball courts and the playground. MLPOS is a non-profit society whose membership is voluntary, and its Board of Directors meet generally a monthly basis.

In response to a request from MLPOS for a governance review of MLE and to seek clarity on the current service delivery arrangements, this project will provide a community issues assessment and summary of the governance framework and service models that exist in Magic Lake Estates.

Goal

Based on the CRD’s Public Participation Framework, this project will largely focus on gathering information, discussion, and public engagement to seek community opinion on the existing service and governance models of MLE.

This project will work with the MLPOS as a partnering stakeholder, to inform and consult the wider resident community on matters of governance and service delivery.

The success of this project relates to informing an understanding of the existing service model and governance framework, and collecting feedback on its effectiveness.

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to provide a factual, unbiased report which describes the various service providers at all levels (Federal, Provincial, Local, and non-profit society), outline the various decision-making processes at play with each of the service providers, and identify the needs and concerns of the community today and into the future.

It is not intended to provide detailed technical or financial analysis, nor will it explore the various options for future governance models, although the findings of this report could lead to further studies as part of future phases.


  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Thank you to everyone who completed the survey for the Magic Lake Estates Community Issues Assessment, which ran from September 22 to October 23. Your feedback to date has been very informative and is an important component of this process.

    Background

    In October 2021, the Magic Lake Property Owners Society (MLPOS) requested funding from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs through the Capital Regional District (CRD), for a formal governance study to be undertaken for the Magic Lake Estates neighbourhood on North Pender Island. Given the range of forms that a governance study can take – from a Community Issues Assessment to a traditional governance study – the Ministry reviewed the request and provided funding to support a Community Issues Assessment. As part of the study and in order to better understand the current governance and service delivery issues in the community, the following survey is being conducted for all Magic Lake Estates (MLE) residents.

    Thank you in advance for your participation in this survey, which is taking place between September 22, 2023 and October 20, 2023.

    This survey is designed to be anonymous. Your opinion is your personal information. Please do not include any information which identifies you or others in your response.

    Any personal information that is collected is done so by the Capital Regional District (CRD) under the authority of Section 26 (c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used to evaluate community understanding and satisfaction with service delivery in the Magic Lake neighbourhood of North Pender Island on behalf of the Province of British Columbia. Should you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact: Justine Starke, Manager, Service Delivery, Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area, CRD, 625 Fisgard Street 250.360.3275.

    Take Survey
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Page last updated: 29 Nov 2023, 12:28 PM