Regional District of Nanaimo directors have given final approval of non-confidence motions related to the Island Corridor Foundation.
The motions, originally proposed at the April 8 committee of the whole meeting, will see a meeting set up with affected First Nations and other regional districts to discuss the future of the foundation.
Following that, the regional district would affirm support for a task force, comprised of people with knowledge of railways, who would “assist in reinvigorating the Island Corridor Foundation,” as the motion states.
Parksville director Marc Lefebvre, who introduced the April 8 motion, said one of the task force's aims would be to provide a third party independent review of whether $20 million is an accurate figure for track and infrastructure upgrades, a figure that was mentioned by the foundation.
Nanaimo director Diane Brennan proposed delaying the First Nations and regional districts meeting after a meeting with the foundation and Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (track operator), stating that it was “precipitous to call a meeting with our other partners until we've heard from the ICF per our request to them.”
Area F director Julian Fell pointed out that numerous meeting requests had been made but were turned down. The motion to refer the meeting was defeated but the original motion passed.