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Petition aims to have lakers only vote for Cultus Lake Park Board

Some residents want to see the number of park board commissioners reduced from seven to five.
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Democracy at the Cultus Lake Park Board is in question. The Listers are asking to have the Cultus Lake Park Act amended to make it only Cultus Lake residents who can elect park board commissioners.

Susan and Gary Lister say they are fighting for democracy at Cultus Lake.

Not enough voters realize there are seven Park Board commissioners, elected every three years to the Cultus Lake Park Board.

Here's the rub: only two of them are voted in by Cultus Lake residents, with the remaining five voted in by Chilliwack residents.

This has created an unfair situation, say some lake residents who are circulating a new petition.

They ultimately are asking to have the Cultus Lake Park Act amended to make it only Cultus Lakers who can elect park board commissioners.

"Many people in Chilliwack don't even realize they are electing a board that is separate from Chilliwack, when they vote for the Cultus Lake Park Board," Susan Lister said. "There is a lack of awareness, and a lack of accountability."

They collected signatures on a similar theme before, but not in an approved format that could be submitted to the provincial government. So they are redoing it.

In just one day last week, Sue Lister said she obtained 70 signatures, from almost every one she met at the lake.

"One of the issues is that Chilliwack doesn't have to bear the consequences of what is decided here. So it doesn't impact them."

They are also asking to have the total number of elected commissioners reduced from seven to five.

The Listers are concerned that Park Board staff has ballooned to 11 people.

"It was run for so long with a small staff. This is a summer resort town. It's insane what's happening and the money they're spending," said Lister.

Their aim is to get the petition signatures submitted by the deadline of July 26.



Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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