Committees, Commissions & Boards

The Board of Variance (BOV) considers minor variances in siting, dimensions, or size requirements (side yard, back, front, height and area coverage) where compliance with the District of Sparwood Zoning Bylaw would cause hardship.

A person may apply to the Board of Variance for a minor variance if they feel compliance with the bylaw would cause them a hardship. For example, if a big rock in their yard made it a hardship to site the house in conformity with the normal setbacks, a person could apply for a minor variance.

The BOV cannot vary the permitted uses, densities, or parking under the Zoning Bylaw, nor does it to deal with major variance applications. Major variances require a Development Variance Permit application or in some cases a Zoning Bylaw Amendment.

Board of Variance Membership

Sparwood’s Board of Variance consist of three members. Each member is appointed for a three-year term by the municipal Council. An officer or employee of the local government are prohibited from being appointed to a BOV. An appointment can be rescinded at any time. Review the BOV terms of reference in the Board of Variance Bylaw.

Board of Variance Meetings

Meetings of the BOV are scheduled on an as-needed basis when applications are received. Scheduled meetings are listed on the District’s event calendar and advertised on our public notice board. Meetings of a BOV must be open to the public.

The BOV may grant a variance if they have considered the following factors and are of the opinion that the variance does not:

• Result in inappropriate development of the site;
• Adversely affect the natural environment;
• Substantially affect the use and enjoyment of the adjacent land;
• Vary the permitted uses and densities or defeat the intent of the bylaw.

Board of Variance Meetings

The BOV focuses primarily on hardship relating to matters such as siting, dimensions and size of buildings. They cannot conflict with other matters such as Land Title Act covenants, permits or land use contracts or floodplain bylaw specifications. 

A decision of the BOV is final. However, there may be an appeal to the Supreme Court in the specific case where a person alleges that there has been an error by the Building Inspector in the determination of the amount of damage to a non-conforming building above its foundation (75% or more of its value).

A decision by a tribunal like a BOV may be assessed by the Courts under the Judicial Review Procedure Act if it alleged that proper procedure was not followed. 

This select committee of Council will explore the development of a new multi purpose facility.

Find the Terms of Reference here.

The members of the RFAC are as follows:

• Councillor Steve Kallies
• Councillor Amy Cardozo
• Mayor David Wilks
• Terri Domin
• Shawn Endicott
• Mike Harrington
• Erin Hay
• Sheri Taylor

The project landing page for this Committee can be found here.

The Socio-Community and Economic Effects Advisory Committee (SCEEAC) is a Select Committee of Council that performs an advisory role, focused on making recommendations to Council and Elk Valley Resources (EVR) for consideration with respect to the Baldy Ridge Expansion. The SCEEAC reviews and comments on the management plans as outlined in the Socio-Community and Economic Effects Management Plan (SCEEMP). The Terms of Reference outlines the mandate and guiding principles for this Committee.

Meetings of the SCEEAC shall be held quarterly (and on an as-needed basis) and shall be
open to all members of the public. A special meeting of the SCEEAC may also be called at the
discretion of the Chair. In addition to meetings, the SCEEAC will be consulted via email, online poll,
or telephone if and as the need arises. Notice of meetings shall be in accordance with the Council
Procedure Bylaw. Meetings are open to the public at the Municipal Office, 136 Spruce Avenue, in Council Chambers. Meetings are broadcast live via Zoom and recordings are available on Council Portal.

• Agenda & Minutes
• Meeting Schedule

This Committee is administered by the SCEEAC Coordinator. The District of Sparwood and EVR each have an Adaptive Management Lead (AML) to coordinate activities for their respective organizations.

The Committee includes 3 Members of Council, the General Manager of EVR’s Elkview Operations, EVR’s Manager of Social Responsibility, one of Elkview’s Superintendents (Engineering or Environmental) and 5 to 7 members of the community as outlined in the Terms of Reference.

Committee Members:

• Councillor Chris Nand (Chair)
• Councillor Jason Christensen
• Councillor John Baher
• Laura Gislason
• Rory O’Connor
• Joe Jarina
• Wes Pinsent
• Harold (Hungry) Baytaluke
• Calvin Domin
• Rose Sharma

Livability Report Card

Assessing the Quality of Life in Sparwood

We are currently conducting our annual survey to acquire information on quality of life in Sparwood. Our goal is to measure, understand, and keep track of quality of life (aka livability) as the expansion of mining in Baldy Ridge at Elkview Operations progresses.

This report card is updated annually to track the effects of the Baldy Ridge Extension and other changes occurring in our community. This information will guide the District, EVR, local organizations, and community members on action needed to maintain and enhance the livability of Sparwood.

See below for more information on Livability and SCEEAC.

Link for Report Card: 2023 Livability Report Card

Link for Data Appendix for 2018-2022: 2018-2022 Livability Report Card Appendix

What do we mean by livability?

Livability is another word for quality of life. In Sparwood, our quality of life results from a lot of factors. One of the biggest factors is mining; it is the biggest part of our economy, and is directly or indirectly the reason why most people choose to live in Sparwood. Mining also brings noise, dust, visual impacts, and other effects which need to be monitored and managed to ensure that our quality of life stays high.

Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) #M16-01 was issued by the Province to Teck’s Elkview Operations (EVO) Baldy Ridge Extension Project under the Provincial Environmental Assessment Act on September 19, 2016. Under Condition 21 of this permit, EVR was required to prepare the Socio-Community and Economic Effects Management Plan (SCEEMP). The SCEEMP contains the framework for EVR’s participation in the Socio-Community and Economic Effects Advisory Committee (SCEEAC), which is a select Committee of Council.

Click on a tab below to find out more about each of these topics.

Baldy Ridge Extension

EVR is currently in the operations/construction stage of the Environmental Assessment process for the Baldy Ridge Extension project to Elkview Operations (“BRE”). BRE will increase the disturbance area of this operation by 862 hectares and bring mining closer to Sparwood than ever before. It will contribute to sustaining mine activities and jobs in this region for an additional 25 years.

As part of the environmental approval for BRE, the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has included many conditions for EVR to prepare Management Plans for concerns such as Biodiversity, Air Quality and Reclamation and Closure. Under Condition 21 of this permit, EVR was required to prepare the Socio-Community and Economic Effects Management Plan (SCEEMP). This condition also outlines which of these plans should be prepared in consultation with the District of Sparwood, through the SCEEAC.

For more information on BRE, including inspection and compliance reports, please visit the EAO’s dedicated website.

The following resources are available on our Document Centre:

• EAO Environmental Assessment Certificate #M16-01 for BRE
• EAO Schedule A: Certified Project Description
• EAO Schedule B: Table of Conditions
• EAO Reasons for Ministers Decision dated September 19, 2016
• EAO Information Bulletin dated September 19, 2016
• Discussion Paper submitted by the District of Sparwood to the EAO on BRE

SCEEMP

The Socio-Community and Economic Effects Management Plan (SCEEMP) provides a comprehensive adaptive management framework not only to ensure compliance with the BRE EA Certificate but also to be the foundation for a long-lasting and effective partnership between Teck’s Elkview Operations and the District of Sparwood.

This plan is a living document and with versions that evolve with time as engagement occurs, knowledge is generated, and experience is gained. Each year an Annual Report is drafted and presented to the community at the Annual SCEEMP Meeting.

The Annual Meeting is held every June. EVR is the host of this meeting and they prepare the Meeting Minutes.

The other plans that EVR has or will prepare in consultation with the SCEEAC are listed here.

Livability Study

The Sparwood Livability Study was completed in 2019. The report card gives a snapshot of the quality of life in our community. The data represented in this document will be updated each year. A new survey is released annually to gather the subjective results for the report card. The survey will be available in the first quarter of the year and the Report Card is published in April/May.

• 2020 Report Card
• 2021 Report Card
• 2022 Report Card
• 2023 Report Card
• 2018 – 2022 Report Card Data Appendix

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I provide my input to the SCEEAC?

A Feedback Form is available here to provide input directly to the SCEEAC. These forms are received and then become information items on the next SCEEAC meeting agenda.

SCEEAC meetings include a question period where members of the public can ask questions pertaining to items on that meeting’s agenda. Questions, concerns, or comments for the SCEEAC can also be submitted to livable@sparwood.ca.

SCEEAC meetings are open to the public (unless portions of the meetings are closed for reasons consistent with the Community Charter) and follow the reporting procedures required for Council meetings.

Residents can always submit any concerns related to mining operations directly to EVR through their feedback mechanism:
Elk Valley Feedback Mechanism
Phone: 250.425.8096
Email: feedback@evr.com
Online submission form: https://www.glencore.ca/en/evr/contact

How will the SCEEAC provide advice for management/mitigation?

The SCEEAC will review and provide recommendations for management and mitigation options for various impacts that BRE may create. Once the SCEEAC understands the issues and options, they will make recommendations on preferred approach to mitigation. Those recommendations will go to District of Sparwood Council and/or EVR, and decision makers in those organizations will make the final decisions on how to proceed.

It is important to remember that the SCEEAC is meant to be a conduit between the residents of Sparwood and the District and EVR. Therefore, individual opinions of SCEEAC members should be tempered by the information provided and broad public feedback that the SCEEAC receives.

The hypothetical example below demonstrates how the Committee might make a recommendation related to noise:

A combination of factors leads to an increase in noise events in Sparwood in one year. The Committee has already been provided an overview of the issue of noise and how it is addressed by EVR. At their November meeting, the Committee gets the following input:

• A summarized record of public feedback about noise grievances received during that year;
• Presentation by EVR on their noise mitigation measures during that year;
• Data on actual recorded noise levels;
• A list of mitigation alternatives to consider.

The SCEEAC receives all of that information, and then deliberates on the issue at hand. The SCEEAC is aware of existing options for mitigation, but also discusses some new ideas. The SCEEAC determines that their recommended approach is:

• For EVR to install a temporary wall around the noise source

The SCEEAC agrees on this recommendation and shares it with Council and EVR. In this case, the recommendation pertains to EVR’s operations, so EVR would ultimately decide on how they will proceed. The recommendations, and subsequent actions of EVR and/or the District, would be tracked, recorded and reported, to understand how, when, and why recommendations of the SCEEAC are, or are not, being followed. This process is part of the adaptive management cycle and would be monitored (i.e. the following year) to ensure progress is made over the long term. New management/mitigation options may be selected in a future adaptive management cycle as needed. The SCEEAC would be involved in each subsequent cycle.

Why are we doing this now?

The SCEEMP, Livability Study and SCEEAC are required as part of the Environmental Certificate issued by the BC Environmental Assessment Office. The Baldy Ridge Extension project is underway and it will increase the size of Elkview Operations and its proximity to the Sparwood community. We want to ensure that any impacts from new mine activity are carefully managed and the community is involved in the process; the SCEEAC is a way to reach the broader community and give this topic the attention it deserves.

What is the purpose of the SCEEAC?

In plain language, the purpose for the SCEEAC is to have an informed group of citizens, EVR, and District appointees, that can consider the impacts of  BRE project on the community of Sparwood and provide recommendations to the District and EVR on how to minimize or mitigate those impacts. From the SCEEAC Terms of Reference:

• Perform an advisory role, focused on making recommendations to Council and EVR for consideration with respect to implementing Condition 21;
• Provide a broad community voice;
• Act as a conduit for EVR Elkview Operations and DOS to reach citizens and for citizens to reach EVR EVO and District of Sparwood – and to build trust;
• Advise on engaging the broader community of Sparwood;
• Review results for other Management Plans (Table 4-1) required as per BRE EAC #M16-01; and,
• Assist in identifying on-going socio-community impacts and possible solutions for adaptive management.

Who is paying for this SCEEAC?

The SCEEAC is made of up volunteers from the community, and appointees from the District and EVR. Financial support for administrative aspects of the SCEEAC and expert advice, when required, will be provided by EVR. The District will provide in-kind support, such as time required by staff members to prepare for and attend meetings.

How can I become a member of the SCEEAC?

SCEEAC members have been appointed for the first 3-year term by the District of Sparwood Council.

Calls for new appointments will be advertised widely when necessary. Members of the public are welcome to attend and provide input at all meetings of the SCEEAC. These meetings will be open to the public (unless portions of the meetings are closed for reasons consistent with the Community Charter) and follow the reporting procedures required for Council meetings.

How can I stay informed of the operations and recommendations of the SCEEAC?

• Review meeting agenda packages, minutes, and meeting recordings on the Council Portal 
• Visit this Sparwood.ca/Livable website for any major project updates (i.e. the Livability Study)

What does the SCEEAC discuss?

The SCEEAC is tasked with providing comments on several of EVR’s management plans. These plans are discussed in the SCEEMP document and include things like air quality and dust control, blasting and vibration, noise control, reclamation, and viewscape.

SCEEAC meeting agendas are posted on the Council Portal approximately 5 business days before each meeting.

The Youth Advisory Commission’s mandate is to engage and empower local youth in the development and oversight of a local Youth Network, with the goal of providing relevant programs, projects, and events for Sparwood youth.

The Commission was established September 19, 2016 by Youth Advisory Commission Bylaw 1191 and meets on the second Tuesday of February, June, September and November at 11:30 am in Room 117 at Sparwood Secondary School, located at 101 Pine Spur Drive.

• Agendas & Minutes
• Meeting Schedule

The Commission shall consist of a minimum of five members which are comprised of:

• a member of Council;
• a minimum of two high school students;
• the Director of Community Services; and
• Community stakeholders who reside within the municipality or Electoral Area A.

Commission Objectives

Funded through the Columbia Basin Trust’s Basin Youth Network, the Commission’s role is to facilitate the development and oversee the operations of a Youth Network within the District with respect to:

• Planning, organizing and hosting of recreational opportunities, park amenities, student activities, volunteer opportunities and other youth orientated community events;
• Develop and propose plans that support or improve the above programs; Oversee the activities of the Youth Network, including monitoring and evaluation; Support youth initiatives in Sparwood;
• Hire and oversee the activities of a Youth Network Coordinator;
• Identify and apply to outside funding sources, including grant opportunities, to achieve the Commission’s goals and objectives, provided any requirement for matching funds are available within the Commission’s operational budget; and
• Other appropriate actions to further the purpose of the Commission.

Check out what our Youth Action Sparwood is doing by visiting them on Facebook or Instagram page

Get Involved

youth@sparwood.ca