Elect Collicutt for Council

Reconciliation

Reconciliation work is ongoing in our community and across the Province. As our municipality is located within the traditional territory area of Tla’amin Nation, the relationship between the two communities is important. In 2018, the City and Tla’amin Nation came to agreement, signing the Community Accord (‘the Accord’) that established ‘recognition, understanding and reconciliation’ as the foundation of their relationship.

‘Paramount to the agreement established was mutual respect and appreciation of each
other’s diverse backgrounds.’

I support this ongoing relationship and the meaningful purpose and intent of the Accord. My goal for the future is that we continue to work together on shared partnerships in the spirit of mutual cooperation, respect and appreciation of our diverse backgrounds so that both communities can achieve success moving forward.

Possible Name Change

The idea of a possible name change for Powell River has presented a lot of community soul-searching, public debate and unfortunately, divisiveness. The ongoing discussion has proven to be no easy subject matter.

In 2021, Tla’amin Nation requested the City of Powell River to consider a name change in light of reported historical actions of Israel Powell, who served as Superintendent of the Department of Indian Affairs. For residents living here today, they are proud to call Powell River home as it represents their birthplace, where they built their lives and raised their families over generations.

The decision cannot be made by one or two Councillors, or by one governing body in isolation; it is entirely non-transparent for a new Council to make the decision on its own without hearing from the people.

Before any decision is given, I would need to understand foundational staff reports, confidential in-camera information and public processes to date. I need to hear from City staff, from Tla’amin Nation, the Province and Federal governments directly, in order to better understand the details of where we are at, what is requested and how decisions will impact the City of Powell River.

I support democratic and transparent governance that considers the interests of the electorate; the decision is not up to me, it is up to the people, so I support implementing a democratic process, such as holding an opinion poll, prior to any Council decision on the matter.

Another important consideration that not many are discussing is to understand the costs involved to change the name. How much would it cost an individual to change the name, or a business and the municipality as a whole? There was some discussion on the costs involved, but I have yet to see a formal review. Our City is faced with reduced revenues and increasing costs so how much will the name change costs and who will pay? I believe it is important for a new Council, as well as the public to have this information before making any final decisions and this is what I would advocate for.

DRIPA Legislation

The Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) is BC provincial legislation that requires BC laws to be aligned with the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). DRIPA legislation implementation is the responsibility of the Province. My focus for the upcoming election is entirely on City of Powell River municipal governance. That is what I will be focusing on.

I am aware that the implementation of DRIPA and recent court case decisions have created some public uncertainty with respect to the status of private property title rights. The August 2025 Cowichan Tribes ruling declared Aboriginal title as a senior title interest over private property fee simple titles in Richmond. Concerns and legal questions have been raised by private property owners, including the City of Richmond. At this time, it is not entirely understood how the recent court case decisions may impact private property title rights.

In the future, there may be new Provincial policy directives that arise. I will continue to follow the proceedings and appeals as they wind through the courts and will actively seek out research and information to keep informed on the situation as to how court decisions may affect municipal fee simple titles that are subject to a land claim in the future. 

Lot 450 Land Claim

The status of a Lot 450 land claim is important to the region and community of Powell River. More information is needed to understand how this land claim may, or may not affect our municipality. First Nation land claims are dealt with at the Federal and Provincial levels. As regular citizens, we are not privy to the confidential government proceedings.

When elected, I would need to understand the status to date that would include access to foundational in-camera staff reports and confidential information from Tla’amin Nation, the Province and Federal Governments. I would need to understand the negotiations underway, the expectations, specific requests, and potential impacts to the City’s land base before any decision-making is carried out. My decision-making will consider the bests interests of our community and I will rely on the basis of our understanding of the Community Accord document and intention that speaks to the goal of ‘mutual respect, appreciation and working together in the spirit of cooperation’ in our relationship with the Tla’amin Nation. That is what I will be working towards.