The City of North Vancouver’s council has a history of trying to silence its residents.
In 2015, the council attempted to abolish the public input period, claiming speakers were too accusatory or strayed off-topic. That effort failed. But last year, they finally muzzled the people they claim to represent. Hiding behind flimsy legislative justifications and shifting blame onto the province, council voted—unanimously and shamelessly—to ban the public from speaking on specific developments.
That anti-democratic bylaw reared its ugly head again this February when three residents came forward to voice their concerns about TransLink’s proposed 16-storey development—only to be met with interruptions and reminders by the Mayor on what could be said.
Stern reminders from Mayor Buchanan
As soon as it became clear that all three residents wanted to discuss the project, Mayor Linda Buchanan rushed to remind them of the rules. She repeated herself three times, anxious to uphold the bylaw.
“I just need to be clear about the process. This application is still in process. It has not yet come in front of Council, and nor has Council received any information on it,” she said. “So according to our bylaws, the place to actually provide public input on that matter would be at the public hearing. You’re more than welcome to come up and address the Council, but you need to speak in very general terms about your concerns and not specifics about this particular project.”
She continued: “Input that we received has to come at the time of the public hearing. It can be put in writing, but it goes to the clerk, and all that information is put together within the package that the Council receives at the time of the public hearing. So if you can speak in general.”
Then, as she invited the first speaker, she issued one last warning: “I’m going to call you. Laurie, have a seat. You cannot speak specifically, just generally.”
Laurie Parkinson spoke: “I’m very disturbed by TransLink’s request to what our OCP allows here….I’ll be vague, so many stories. Okay, how about that? Gets me off the hook?” she asked, laughing.
Mayor Buchanan wasn’t smiling. She was stern.
“Well, not really, but just so things are clear, the public hearing is like a legislative process,” she shot back. “If it comes to us (in writing), it actually goes to the corporate officer, and Council doesn’t receive it until we get the entire package.”
After repeated interruptions, Parkinson finally managed to make her point.
“Okay, let me just say a little bit thereI’m not against density,” Parkinson said. “I’m not against density. I am against the dramatic density we’re seeing—being overwhelmed by a tall structure suddenly appearing near me. You guys have worked hard redesigning Moodyville for townhomes and condos. People have bought units there, believing the area’s character wouldn’t change. Now, we’re all scared of being betrayed by an OCP amendment.“I want to thank you, Mayor, for your statement in a March 2024 North Shore News article about the Trail Landings development. You said, ‘We’re not going crazy on height. We’re not having tower forms.’ If Trail Lands can’t have towers, the old bus depot can’t have towers either. As far as I can see, 16 would be a betrayal.”
A Misleading Public Process
Moodyville resident John Parkinson managed to speak without interruption—likely because he focused on the city’s deeply flawed public engagement process rather than the project itself. A lifelong North Vancouver resident, he criticized the city’s approach, calling it misleading and inadequate. He also pointed to a project brochure that, in his view, had been deliberately deceptive.
“The brochure that was published was entirely misleading,” Parkinson said. “It showed one tower, only a small part of a tower, in faded pencil, and it didn’t even show the second tower. So those people that received that were misled.” He urged the city to take responsibility for ensuring that materials distributed under its name are accurate. “That was dishonest. It was an example of something we should not have in our community.”
Another Moodyville resident, Patricia McClung, shared her frustration over the city’s redevelopment plans, arguing that they cater to wealthier residents while pushing long-time locals out. McClung has deep roots in North Vancouver—her childhood home was expropriated to create Maplewood Farm. Now, to stay in the city, she and her husband live in a 500-square-foot suite in their 1940s home to accommodate their daughter, son-in-law, and grandson.
She said housing costs are challenging families like hers. “I’m very frustrated with the housing expansion that has been only for the rich,” McClung said. “My children both work full-time at very good jobs, and they can’t afford to buy here.”
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Buchanan and her cohorts should be ashamed of themselves….silencing the public…or should I say muzzling the public is just another take on the Mussatto regime…maybe she should take a page on his exit strategy! I am North Van born and raised and after 69 years in my own home town I have never felt more like a foreigner…shame on you all….for the greater good of who????? Our public officials seem to have forgotten who they work for and who pays them….appalling!
Maybe finally will wake to how out of touch the Mayor and Council really. They constantly work against the interests of the tax payers and residents of NVC. Whether we’re talking about the massive increases in density, the destruction of our roadways making it nearly impossible to get around the City or obscene property tax increases every year, it’s time we get rid of the Mayor and the City Council! The vote next year can’t come soon enough, but you/we need to pay attention now.
The socialist mayor is on a mission to secure an NDP nomination to run as an MLA, and that means siding with David Eby’s housing strategy that basically means density now, infrastructure shortcomings be damned. On top of that, she is in part, responsible for that sewage treatment plant debacle. That whole GVRD (Metro) board should have been made to resign, but of course they will not do that voluntarily. Municipal governments are NDP farm teams, and I hope the voters soon realize that and get rid of the incumbents.
This flows from British Columbia’s new housing density rules, mandated by Premier Eby, not any local amendment to the OCP. North Vancouver is the same as other communities in dealing with transit-oriented developments. Mayor Buchanan simply asked that standard process be respected for public input, so this headline is misleading. As well, ironically, the same people who are arguing against increased density are bemoaning the ability of younger generations to buy homes in our community. People cannot have it both ways.
The provincial rules refer to not speaking to development within OCP guidelines. This proposed amendment is four times the height allowed under OCP. I also wish to speak on the same topic and was informed by the city that upon closer review of bylaws and provincial legislature they have determined the public may indeed address Council during Public Input Period. Those same speakers were invited back and spoke to Council on February 10th. Please gather your facts before you comment.
“Standard process be respected.”
By claiming it was the province that created this process, you are trying to throw the same dust in our eyes that this council did last year. As someone who sat through that meeting, let me say this emphatically: No, the province has no rule whatsoever on allowing or not allowing people to speak on specific developments.
The province may have given people carte blanche to develop single-family lots into four-plex properties, but it has not snatched people’s right to speak to their council. That is entirely the council’s choice, and this one has made its own choice.
I have watched Mayor Buchanan closely. The public makes her uneasy. You can see it on her face because the feeling is so overwhelming she can’t hide it. It’s not disgust, but it’s not respect, either. She gets impatient and angsty. She doesn’t talk to people; she talks down to them. Unless, of course, you are a big-name developer or someone who can help her. Then, she gets all warm and fuzzy.
Regular folk make her angry. Rich people make her happy. And like any good despot, she doesn’t like dissent. She reminds me of Putin.
Many on local council members are not listening to the residents they serve.
In my view anyone concerned should look at how councillors have voted on specific projects. In particular the 11 towers proposed for Cap Mall and the 37story tower approved for Marine and Cap Rd.What a traffic fiasco!
It seems to me that the Mayor took a very reasonable course to avoid wasting Council’s time on something that it could not legally consider at this stage of the proceeding.
Mayor Buchanan needs to go. Her role on the Metro Vancouver Board, being party to undemocratic processes such as not putting the job of the Administrator out to tender and then, voting on all of the decisions re the wastewater plant, grossly over budget, and that has impoverished our children. Now, she is moving into Trump territory, suppressing free speech and weakening the democratic process.
For her role as Metro Vancouver Board Co Chair from 2018 – 2022 she made $200K as her side hustle and now blames that same Board for the NSWTP financial disaster. That will take 30 years to pay off …she’s also being compensated for being on the Translink Board!
Conflict of interests make her role as CNV Mayor a passport to very lucrative side hustles.
In British Columbia, the Local Government Act mandates that local governments hold public hearings to allow individuals to express their views on proposed bylaws, such as official community plans or zoning changes, before adoption. These hearings are typically scheduled after the first reading of the bylaw and before the third reading.
While the Act specifies the requirement for public hearings, it does not explicitly prohibit public engagement with council members prior to these hearings. In practice, most municipalities encourage public participation throughout the development process. For instance, the City of Vancouver allows residents to sign up and speak at council meetings or hearings on various topics, including development proposals, even before formal public hearings are convened. Similarly, most BC municipalities provide opportunities for residents to present their views on development matters during most council meetings. While the formal opportunity to present opinions is during the public hearing, engaging with council members before this stage is generally permitted and often encouraged. It’s advisable to consult your specific municipality’s procedures to understand the available avenues for early public input on development proposals. “Everything which is not forbidden is allowed” is a wise legal maxim. Sadly not all municipalities are so democratic.
Mussatto mini me