I accuse the Chair of lying, Why?

The Ministry has never said the Water Treatment Plant must be constructed and operational as the Chair stated last night at the AGM.

This is what multiple letters from the Ministry have actually stated:

  1. March 19, 2018 “..a vital step not yet completed – namely, getting construction of the water treatment plant well underway.” page 1
  2. “the practical window of opportunity for the CVRD to request a governance study opens following the October 2019 general local elections.” page 2 – Marijke Edmondson Director, Governance Structures
  3. May 6, 2019 “Once the new Board is up and running, the Ministry is prepared to support the efforts by UBID and the CVRD to work together to review governance. However it is important that the priority work of continuing construction of the water system plant continues.” Brent Mueller Director, Governance Relations (note: Several landowners received this letter due to multiple complaints about UBID governance)

Why lie about something which can be so easily disputed? Whose interest is being served when we are denied access to infrastructure grants and municipal financing 2% below prime?!

Union Bay AGM Tonight 7pm

What if someone took out a massive loan in your name but didn’t tell you how much interest you will pay, how would you feel? That is what Union Bay did. Two million dollars in interest alone is what landowners will pay over 25 years. This does not account for massive water pipe replacement costs. We can not pay for this, ever! Time to become a service area of the CVRD and qualify for grants and cheap loans.

Got Questions? Me Too.

AGM at 7pm on Monday June 3, Union Bay Hall

  1. What has been the process for hiring staff, including temporary staff? Administration costs have increased substantially in three years. Why?
  2. Why is the October 2017 “Potable Water and Infrastructure Agreement” between Union Bay and KIP aka Union Bay Estates not posted on UBID’s website? This is contrary to FOIPPA and Local Government Act.
  3. When and where is logging taking place in Langley Lake? There was a steep slope supposed to be logged in 2018, what is the status there?
  4. Has an inventory been done and consideration given to the massive replacement of our water mains and pipes due to age? How will we pay for this on top of our Water Treatment Plant?
  5. Why do only 690 households have to pay $4.2 million (plus $2 million in financing costs) = $6.2 million for our Water Treatment Plant? Other jurisdictions have received 80% in grants and 2% below prime municipal financing for their WTP, why not Union Bay?

Union Bay AGM Mon. June 3 at 7pm UB Community Hall

UBID AGM JUNE 3, Finally.

Landowners have waited for over one year to receive answers to basic financial questions. The previous Board majority began making ALL decisions behind closed doors on May 1 , 2018 at the Inaugural Meeting. Time for some serious questions, folks:

  1. Why did UBID not tell taxpayers that we would be borrowing 3.5 million dollars at 3.49% for 25 years?
We are paying $113,328.00 per year in interest alone

By Sunset April 30 a New Board Awakes!

The expired UBID Board majority has posted the audited financial report(s), etc. on the Union Bay website. It is obvious the old Board does not want to answer landowner questions. Fine. Let’s move on..

The Inaugural Meeting was May 1 last year..The Inaugural Meeting can be scheduled anytime as the oath of office is simply a formality. Two duly and honorably elected Trustee’s (Healey and Vandenberg) are waiting to work on the building the water treatment plant and finding ways to access grants and cheaper financing for 4.2 million dollar plant! There is no time to waste.


Attorney General David Eby AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca

The old board has no right to postpone the AGM and more importantly delay the swearing in of two Trustees who won in a record landslide on April 20, 2019. This is obstruction of justice and electoral tampering, in my humble opinion, but I am not a lawyer. Attorney General David Eby should have the authority to intervene on behalf of us landowners as we 690 households can not afford to hire our own lawyer to ensure a functioning Board. Union Bay deserves better!

As of May 1, 2019 the UBID Board consist of Trustees: Rick Bitten, Susanna Kajur (re-elected 2017), Ted Haraldson (elected April 2018), Paul Healey and Hein Vandenberg (elected April 20, 2019). An excellent team let’s get busy!

Attorney General David Eby AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Postpone AGM? Why? 2 New Trustees to take Oath of Office



“The April 23, 2019 COW meeting, where the alleged ‘incident’ leading to cancellation of AGM, had only two sitting trustees present; Trustee Haraldson and myself, Susanna Kaljur.  Trustee Rick Bitten was absent.  Peter Jacques and Glenn Loxam were present, however they are no longer trustees as they were defeated on April 20, 2019.  By rights the meeting with the financial auditor should have occurred before the election. Therefore Ted Haraldson, as only one of two trustees present, had no legal right to cancel either the April 23 COW/Auditor meeting or the April 25 AGM. I fully support Trustee Haraldson’s preference of having a professional Chair chair the AGM. The local governments Act states the AGM must occur before May 1.” This letter was sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs Selena Robinson, Ombudsperson, MLA Scott Fraser, UBID Board and others on April 24, 2019.

Here is Trustee Rick Bitten’s response to my letter: “Glen and peter and still elected trustees until the other candidates are sworn in. I believe that UBID should discuss charges with the RCMP. These planned disruptions are intenional (sic) and should be considered as that. I am embarrased by the landowners that create these problems. This behaviour would not be tollarated (sic) any where else why should we accept it.    Trustee Rick Bitten”



This mess is brought to you by 5 men who flout the law. It is theirs to answer for and clean up.

In my opinion the Oath of Office must proceed and a new chair elected so we have a functioning board. The outgoing Board majority are responsible for the AGM not the 2 new trustees. Currently the UBID Board has only 3 sworn trustees: Haraldson, Bitten, Kaljur. The majority has swung because 2 Trustees can not make any decisions. Ergo they (Bitten, Haraldson) can not cancel meetings or do anything.

Democracy in Action

Union Bay residents to find out tax cost of new water treatment plant on April 25

James Wood

UNION BAY, B.C- The exact parcel tax amount that Union Bay residents will pay for their new water treatment plant will be unveiled at the upcoming annual general meeting.

That’s according to the chairperson of the Union Bay Improvement District (UBID), Ted Haraldson.

The district has already put out a press release, indicating that parcel taxes for Union Bay will be going up by $46 in 2020, to a total of $391, in order to pay for the plant.

The total cost of the water treatment plant project is $4.2 million, with the district stating that $700,000 will be contributed from their Public Works Capital Reserve, and another $3.5 getting borrowed and amortized over the next 25 years.

However, the press release does not indicate how much of that $391 will be going towards the water treatment plant costs.

Last week, the MyComoxValleyNow.com newsroom asked Union Bay administrator Gordon Mason for that amount, and whether or not any other services provided by UBID would be financially impacted by the costs of the treatment plant.

At the time, Mason said the information being sought was part of a business case supplied to district trustees “in-camera”.

“This information is considered confidential and has to be approved by the board for release at an in -camera meeting in the near future,” said Mason, in an emailed response.

“I anticipate this happening after the UBID election.”

Asked if the additional $46 would be the only funds going towards the water treatment plant from parcel taxes, or if that hadn’t been determined yet, Mason said he couldn’t release that information until he had board approval.

Reached for comment on Thursday, Haraldson indicated that information would come at the annual general meeting at Union Bay’s community hall on April 25th, 2019. He explained that the information would be part of the audit of UBID that is read at that meeting.

Residents of Union Bay are also going to the polls this weekend to elect two new trustees. The general poll will run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Bill Wood Room at the community hall.

More information on the four candidates and the election’s main issue can be found here: https://www.mycomoxvalleynow.com/52549/union-bay-merger-with-cvrd-looms-large-at-election-forum/

Haraldson also clarified a notice recently posted to the improvement district website, which appeared to be a press release from Union Bay Estates. Haraldson stated that the release had come from the company, and had been sent out in the mail as well.

UBID had posted the notice on behalf of the company.