More charging stations
A Level 2 vehicle charging station was recently installed by the Tow Hill Road community kiosk, and should be up and running soon. Funded by the CleanBC Communities Fund and the North Coast Regional District, it is one of 58 Level 2 stations in northern B.C.’s Charge North network. One more is planned for Daajing Giids, and there is already a free Level 2 charger at the Sandspit Community Hall and a Level 2 station that is free for the first six hours outside the Masset Soup Kitchen building across from the village office.
Outside the Skidegate Band Council office and the Haida Heritage Centre, there are Level 2 chargers that use Tesla ports (now called North American Charging Standard and available to some other brand vehicles with an adapter).
Housing density gets a push
Haida Gwaii municipalities and regional district areas have all met a provincial deadline to start changing their zoning bylaws to encourage more housing density.
Under Bill 44, a housing development law passed last year, the B.C. government required that by June 30 all local governments work towards allowing for at least one secondary suite inside a principal home, or for an accessory home on the property.
A secondary suite means a living unit inside a primary home with its own kitchen, bedroom and washroom.
Accessory homes are stand-alone homes such as tiny homes, carriage houses, or garage suites on the same lot as a primary residence.
In Masset, the village council updated its zoning bylaw so property owners can now add a secondary suite to a two-family townhouse. The Masset update also relaxed the distances that homes must be setback from each other.
In Daajing Giids, the village did not need to revise its zoning bylaws, which already include provisions for secondary suites and homes.
In Port Clements, the village is working to update its R1 zoning bylaw to allow for principal residences up to three rather than two storeys tall, and to allow for secondary suites in R1 zones. The Village of Port Clements is also proposing that all secondary suites have a separate entry and a floor area no larger than 40 per cent than that of the primary residence.
In Port Clements’ R2 zones, the village plans to allow for secondary suites or an accessory home if the property is connected to the municipal sewer system. A similar update is planned for commercial areas.
In North Coast Regional District (NCRD) Area E, which includes Sandspit, the changes allow for secondary suites or duplexes on R1 and R2 properties that are smaller than 2,400 square metres. Properties zoned R1 or R2 that are larger than 2,400 square metres may now have up to three dwelling units.
In NCRD Area D, which includes Lawn Hill, Miller Creek, Tlell, Tow Hill and other rural parts of Graham Island, the update allows for secondary suites or accessory homes in R1 and R2 zones, with limits on the floor area of the second dwellings.
Sandspit scrappers off to a better place
Sandspit’s derelict vehicles can finally get a move on.
Starting on or around Aug. 12, the North Coast Regional District and Kristoff Trucking will arrange to pick up and dispose of derelict vehicles in Sandspit at no cost. The pilot program is funded by a surplus budget for the Sandspit area, but the regional district hopes it can expand the program to other Haida Gwaii communities as other funds become available.
To register your own derelict vehicle or to report an abandoned one, visit ncrd.com/sandspit-derelict-vehicle-pickup.
Online voting for OMVC
Old Massett voters will be able to vote online in the next band council election.
All eligible voters, including those who plan to vote in person, are asked to confirm that they are on the voter registration list for Old Massett Village Council by emailing [email protected].
More room for Tlell cemetery
BC Parks is proposing to add two recently acquired parcels of land to Naikoon Provincial Park and remove a third, smaller area so the Tlell cemetery can expand.
One of the two new areas is a 65-hectare parcel southwest of the Hiellen River mouth that was acquired by BC Parks in 2022. The other is a 39-hectare parcel east of Mayer Lake acquired in 2024.
At the same time, BC Parks is proposing to remove a 0.8-hectare area just east of the existing cemetery in Tlell so it has room to expand.
Drug-testing kits available
Kits to detect traces of fentanyl in street drugs are now available from the Niislaa Naay Healing House in G̱aw Tlagée, Old Massett.Â
Niislaa Naay warns that the test strips are not 100 per cent accurate, and can only tell whether fentanyl may be present — not how strong the dose may be. The test strips do not detect other drugs that can cause an overdose, such as other opioids.
Naloxone packs, which can reduce an opioid overdose, are also available at Niislaa Naay, along with other types of harm-reduction kits.
For more information, phone 250-626-7884.