RDCK purchases land to create future community regional park in the Creston Valley
The RDCK purchased 3823 Goat Canyon Road in Electoral Area B for the development of a community regional park in the Creston Valley. The acquisition of the 4.4-acre property was made possible through contributions from Columbia Basin Trust ($540,000), BC Parks Foundation ($200,000), and the RDCK ($159,000). The property will become a future regional park and re-open long-term public access to the Goat River. The purchase also supports the RDCK, Town of Creston, and Electoral Areas A, B, and C Parks and Recreation Master Plan’s goal of adding parkland for the community. Over the next year the RDCK will complete a full risk assessment and begin developing a management plan to guide access, safety, and environmental protection. Click here for further details, including a map and photo of the property.
Construction Demolition Renovation Waste Multi-Material Diversion Pilot
The Board directed staff to proceed with Construction Demolition Renovation Waste Multi-Material Diversion Pilot (The Pilot) at the Nakusp Resource Recovery Facility in early 2026. The purpose of this pilot is to determine the viability of diversion programs for pane and automative glass (glass packing is already available at RDCK recycling depots) and drywall waste.
The objective of the pilot will be to recycle drywall into new drywall, which has been a common practice in larger centres for years, and is available in many other regions in BC. As well, recovered automotive and window pane glass will be crushed and used as cement additive, which significantly reduces embodied Greenhouse Gases generated in cement making.
Piloting CDR diversion onsite at Nakusp offers an opportunity to trial alternative resource recovery models for rural transfer station locations. If successful some of the diversion services may become permanent, and potentially expand to other facilities in the region.
The pilot is funded through $10,000 from the City of Nelson’s Low Carbon Homes Initiative Fund and $10,000 from the RDCK’s Local Government Climate Action Program funds.
Letter of Opposition – Bill M 216 – Professional Reliance Act
The Board approved sending a letter of concern/opposition to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs regarding Bill M 216 – 2025 Professional Reliance Act.
Bill M 216 is intended to reduce perceived duplication in local government oversight of construction, but contains multiple interpretations and could undermine public safety, bylaw compliance, and local government liability protections. If approved, the Bill requires local governments to accept certified submissions from professionals without meaningful review. The Bill assumes these professionals possess detailed knowledge of complex, jurisdiction-specific bylaws and prevents local governments from rejecting non-compliant plans early in the permit process. This could result in buildings constructed in violation of bylaws, costly retroactive fixes, and delayed responses to serious safety issues where peer reviews are urgently needed. Further, the Bill’s narrow and unclear liability protections leave local governments exposed, especially since many professionals carry limited, claims-made insurance that may not respond when construction defects emerge.
Tipping fees increased at RDCK facilities
The Board adopted Resource Recovery Facility Regulatory Bylaw No. 3065, 2025 which includes a 6.4% increase to most tipping fees. Organic waste products tipping fees will increase by just 2.4%. These changes go into effect January 1, 2026.
The 6.4% increase is a combination of a 2.4% increase to address inflation, plus a 4% increase planned each year, over the next five years in an effort to achieve cost recovery; managing waste largely through tipping fees, rather than taxation, is aligned with the RDCK’s goal to operate a user pay system.
In addition, mattresses will now be charged a per-unit rate of $17.50 each. The switch to a “per unit” rate for mattresses is in part a response to the exclusion of mattresses from the Recycling Regulation update in 2025. The RDCK and many other regional districts continue to lobby the province to include mattresses in the Recycling Regulation.
For more information, please visit www.rdck.ca/user-fees.
2025 appointments for external committees
The Board appointed RDCK Directors to external committees for varying terms, as requested by the external agencies. These appointees represent regional interests on external bodies that deal with specific matters and issues relevant to local stakeholders. These committees include:
- Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia – Director Keith Page
- Columbia Basin Trust Board of Directors – Director Suzan Hewat
- Regional Invasive Species Working Group – Directors Suzan Hewat and Kelly Vandenberghe
- Selkirk College Regional Innovation Chair for Rural Economic Development – Director Aidan McLaren-Caux
- Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Treaty Advisory Committee – Director Arnold DeBoon
- Municipal Finance Authority – Director Suzan Hewat
- West Kootenay Transit Committee – Directors Diana Lockwood, Maria McFaddin, and Walter Popoff
Long Term Service Awards
The Board recognized and thanked 31 employees for their long-term service to the RDCK.
Long Term Service Award recipients with Board Chair Aimee Watson (Top Left – Rob Chernenko, Top Right – Chris Lehnert, Bottom Left – Tom Dool, Bottom Right – Stuart Durning)
- Stuart Durning – 30 years
- Bill Kootnikoff – 25 years
- Sheila Kootnikoff – 25 years
- Tom Dool – 20 years
- Cody Peck – 20 years
- Rob Chernenko – 20 years
- Sangita Sudan – 15 years
- Allan Richardson – 15 years
- Gordon Jameson – 15 years
- Chris Lehnert – 15 years
- Darryl Zol – 15 years
- Ryan Ricalton – 10 years
- Jay Colley – 10 years
- Jesse Wetter – 10 years
- Paula Hudson-Lunn – 10 years
- Connie Saari Heckley – 10 years
- Jeff Phillips – 10 years
- Lisa Dear – 10 years
- Lynn Anderson – 5 years
- Corey Scott – 5 years
- Abby Beaudry – 5 years
- Craig Stanley – 5 years
- Nadine Trottier – 5 years
- Glenn Wright – 5 years
- Pam Malekow – 5 years
- Karin Jorgenson – 5 years
- Taylor Menzies – 5 years
- Steve McCrea – 5 years
- Mike Dalgleish – 5 years
- Justin Niminikin – 5 years
- Dan Elliott – 5 years
Tanya Gordon appointed to the RDCK Board of Directors
Effective January 1, 2026, Mayor Tanya Gordon will replace Councillor Leah Main as the representative from the Village of Silverton on the RDCK Board of Directors. Main will assume the role of Alternate Board Director for the Village of Silverton.
The Board would like to thank Director Main for her dedicated service and leadership as a longstanding advocate for rural communities as a member of the RDCK Board of Directors for over a decade. A former Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board member as well, Director Main’s commitment, insight, and collaborative approach has made a lasting impact on our region.
(Pictured: Board Chair Aimee Watson and Leah Main)
Director’s Reports
RDCK Directors provide monthly reports outlining what they have been working on. Click here to read the December reports in the Board minutes.
RDCK Quarterly Report
For the latest RDCK Quarterly Report, which details the current projects and initiatives of the RDCK, please follow the link.