Council Matters: Rossland City Council Meeting, August 10, 2026
By Sara Golling
A meeting with the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (and others) about Record Ridge; zoning – another permitted use added to the Commercial Downtown Core; the Recreation Master Plan – how much should the City spend to improve Jubilee Field? The current state of our reservoirs; and, the Coy Cup, maybe? And, the editor adds, beware wildfire smoke. It’s really bad for us.
This meeting followed a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting to recommend amounts of Community Grant funding for applicant organizations – see separate report.
PRESENT:
Mayor Andy Morel and Councillors Maya Provençal, Jeff Weaver (remote), Craig Humpherys (remote), Stewart Spooner, Eliza Boyce and Lisa Kwiatkowski.
Staff: CAO Bryan Teasdale, CFO Craig McDonald, Deputy Corporate Officer Cynthia Añonuevo, City Planner Stacey Lightbourne , Executive Assistant Rachel Newton, Deputy Operations Manager Josh Solman and Manager of Recreation and Events Lindsay Barnett.
PUBLIC INPUT PERIOD:
Laura Pettitt spoke of her surprise that the Recreation White Paper was not discussed at a CoW meeting before coming to a regular Council meeting.
John Collin had written letters regarding his water line which was installed in 1988; now there is a leak in the section installed 38 years ago by the City, on City property; the repair cost him about $1000, and he points out that the 1988 installation that he put in is still in good condition from that point to his home, and asks for some compensation from the City.
BYLAWS:
Zoning Amendment Bylaw # 2872 (Indoor Self Storage):
The City received an application to amend the C-1 Commercial Downtown Core zone include indoor self storage, but not on street level premises. This application is intended to legitimize an existing business use in Rossland’s downtown, and could offer opportunities to other owners – the owner of the premises in question did not realize the use was not currently permitted by the zoning. A motion to give the draft bylaw first and second readings, and to schedule a public hearing for September 8, 2026, CARRIED unanimously.
Zoning Amendment Bylaw # 2871 – 2025 First Avenue:
The applicant wishes to change the zoning of 2025 First Avenue from R-2 Medium Density Residential to R-DT Downtown Residential. This would enable construction of a six-unit townhouse (three larger units and three smaller ones) with greater parcel coverage and smaller setbacks than the current zone allows.
The project would require relocating a sanitary sewer that runs under the property – at the proponent’s expense. The proposed design would need to be altered to add a parking spot, or the parking deficit would have to be addressed another way.
Humpherys commented that delivery vehicles often block one alley access, and he was concerned about limitations on access, especially in winter.
After further discussion, a motion to give the bylaw first reading CARRIED with the condition that the proponent must pay for any necessary sewer relocation.
POLICY REVIEW:
Road, Sidewalk, Stair Snow Removal Policy:
A motion to accept the policy as amended CARRIED unanimously. The amendment brings the policy into line with historical and current reality – by marking the laneway running southward from Sixth Street that is not and never has been plowed, as “Not City Plowed.”
REQUESTS FOR COUNCIL DECISION:
Development Variance Permit (1602 Kootenay Avenue):
The applicant wants to replace an existing but unsatisfactory garage that encroaches on City property with a new garage and carport, and seeks an exterior side setback variance from 3.0 metres to 1.8 metres. A motion to allow the variance CARRIED unanimously.
Recreation Master Plan – White Paper Two – Recreation Spaces
After discussion, a motion to receive the Plan and to advance the proposed project plans for Centennial Trail/Trailhead Improvements, Jubilee Field Improvements, and Rossglen Park CARRIED. Spooner thought there was insufficient basis for spending so much money to improve Jubilee field; Boyce felt that it is premature to approve the project plans.
Kwiatkowski agreed with Spooner’s and Boyce’s comments; Provençal would like updated figures on Jubilee field. Weaver suggests more discussion about Jubilee with the community and in a Committee-of-the-Whole, but is supportive of field improvements and of approving the White Paper. Humpherys said he supports the projects. Morel thinks there is a substantial demand for Jubilee field improvements and would like the process to move forward.
Barnett explained that there is a website for the Recreation Master Plan that will be live soon; details will be posted on Facebook.
Centennial Trailhead Improvements — Build Communities Strong Fund – Local Impact Stream:
A motion CARRIED unanimously to authorize the Build Communities Strong Fund-Local Impact Stream application for improvements to the Centennial Trailhead and confirming the following:
- The local share of funding is available and supported.
- The project is a municipal priority as identified in the Official Community Plan, Recreation Master Plan, Resort Development Strategy, Climate Action Plan and Accessibility Plan.
- The project is shovel ready and will be completed before March 31, 2030.
If the application is successful, the grant will fund up to 50% of project costs, from $125,000 to $1 million per project. In this case, one estimate of the total project cost is $875,000; the City’s share would be $437,500, and the materials explain how this amount could be sourced internally.
Municipal Cheque Register Report for July 2026:
A motion to approve the expenses for July CARRIED unanimously.
FOR INFORMATION ONLY:
Building Permit Report
Building Permit Inspections by Type
Step Code Energy Rebates
Public Works & Water Production Report
Eye On Water Report: As the City points out, “EyeOnWater allows users to connect to supported water utility accounts and track their latest water usage, detect leaks, and discover trends for of usage.” People can easily sign up for it.
Morel asked about the current status of the reservoirs, following the firefighting that used water from the Ophir Reservoir to extinguish (we hope) the Mt. Kirkup fire; Lamont explained water levels are low enough that we are in Stage Two restrictions, but that less water was lost in the firefighting efforts than expected.
Bylaw Enforcement & Animal Control Monthly Report
Trail and Greater District RCMP Report to Mayors
REQUEST VIA CORRESPONDENCE:
Rossland Senior Warriors Coy Cup 2027 Support Request
The request was to leave the ice in the arena to accommodate the Coy Cup if the Warriors are successful in their bid to host the event. After lengthy discussion and consideration of the letter of support from the Timberwolves Lacrosse players, a motion CARRIED to approve extending the 2026/2027 Rossland Arena ice season until April 4, 2027 with the Rossland Senior Warriors paying the standard adult prime time ice rental rate and arena lounge rental rate, plus all additional arena overages between the dates of March 2-April 1, 2027, with the condition that letters of support be sought from other affected user groups.
MEMBER REPORTS:
About the Record Ridge open-pit mine proposal: Provençal attended a meeting on behalf of Morel, who was unable to attend in person but was present remotely, with the Minister and Deputy Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and a senior Ministry staff member regarding the Record Ridge open-pit mine proposal. Two representatives of the Save Record Ridge Action Committee (SRRAC) were also present, along with MLA Steve Morissette, Area B representative Linda Worley, RED Resort President Mark Schroetel, and Rossland’s CAO Bryan Teasdale. All were able to express their concerns about the proposed mine over the course of the hour-long meeting.
Provençal noted that this ministry was created in 2022, following the Province’s loss of a court case suing BC for the cumulative impacts of development and resource extraction decisions by the Province on the Blueberry First Nation.
Morel reported that Mark Stevens will be the new Manager of Operations for the RDKB.
Morel moved to draft a letter to the Province asking for reinstatement of full funding for municipal climate action; the motion CARRIED.
The meeting adjourned, and your reporter drove home instead of walking because the density of smoke made breathing outside unpleasant as well as unhealthy, and contemplated recent findings that wildfire smoke is much worse for us than urban smog. Here are some links for you to read on that topic; please protect yourself from the wildfire smoke as best you can. It’s damaging.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/wildfire-smoke-worse-you-think
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/aug/08/wildfire-smoke-unknown-health-impacts
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240213-unhealthy-air-how-pollution-changes-your-body-and-mind
