A home-based medical clinic run by a nurse practitioner in Lake Cowichan can move ahead after all. The proposal was previously turned down by council in a 2-2 vote at its meeting on Aug. 19.
Lake Cowichan lost its last two doctors in January, 2025, when Dr. Dave Froese retired and Dr. Wagdy Basily moved, leaving the community with a scarcity of medical services, with many now having to travel to Duncan or beyond.
In June, 2024, the town’s administration at the time approved a building permit application for 134 Cowichan Lake Rd. to construct an addition to the existing single-family dwelling that would have seen a medical office as a home-based business and a secondary suite added to the home.
Brigid Reynolds, a contract planner for Lake Cowichan, said that while a home-based business is permitted and the size of the business is consistent with the zoning bylaw, the scale of the proposed medical clinic exceeds what is anticipated by the bylaw.
“When the applicants requested their occupancy permit in June, 2025, the contract planner’s interpretation of the medical clinic/home-based business was that it is beyond the intent of a home-based business, and made the determination that she could not approve it," Reynolds said in a staff report at the time.
A new staff report recommends moving ahead with the clinic.
“It would appear that this topic has garnered considerable interest,” Mayor Tim McGonigle said to open Lake Cowichan council's special meeting on Sept. 9. "I'm still of the opinion that an administrative error has brought us to where we are today."
At the Sept. 9 meeting, council voted 3-1 in favour of moving the clinic forward, with councillor Carolyn Austin, who voted against it earlier, voting in favour, along with McGonigle and Coun. Aaron Frisby.
Coun. Kristine Sandhu recused herself from the discussion and vote due to a perceived conflict of interest.
Coun. Lorna Vomacka remained opposed.
Vomacka voted against the motion, suggesting the new clinic would end up highlighting deficiencies within the Kaatza Health Unit and risk having that closed down.
"Now we're left with one nurse practitioner with a part-time doctor... We're doing a disservice to attracting more people here," she said. "Can that clinic handle that many people?"
McGonigle noted a longer-term solution needs to be worked on.
"I totally accept the professionalism of the nurse practitioner and appreciate what they do to accommodate the needs of over 6,600 in the West Cowichan area but this will not give one person in this room or in this community a general practitioner doctor. We have to work on a long-term plan," he said.
McGonigle said Lake Cowichan's tax base is overwhelmingly residential (89 per cent) and tax increases would be astronomical if the town were to adopt the Colwood model and put a doctor on its own payroll.
"We have to find another alternative and we are looking at collaborating with the First Nation moving forward. We have meetings coming up with the health ministry on how we can accommodate a path forward on a long-term plan.
"This is a short-term solution for the needs that we have right now," McGonigle added. "We will move forward with a long-term solution with the help of not only the Saunders Foundation but also the Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-operative, the Ts'uubaa-asatx First Nation and any other entity that wishes to help us. We're doing what we can with the tools that we have."
McGonigle noted the crowd gathered in council chambers but Frisby was critical of it.
Frisby criticized the public for showing up and telling council it needs to prioritize health care when their previous efforts, which were significant, were by and large ignored by the community.
"It hurts that coming from the public saying that you're not focusing on health care when we're trying our best," he said.
He added that the advisory planning committee and council need to do better to get on the same page but he took issue with members of the public threatening to boycott councillors' businesses and effectively calling for their heads.
"The treatment of council has been pretty terrible," he said. "I just want to point out there's four seats at this council and there were five people running for it last time. Because 90 per cent of the time this is a terrible job.
"I encourage people to get involved in what we're doing and to pay attention when we're doing it. I realize the communication hasn't always been great but the communication we have coming out of this office at the moment is the best we've had in 27 years. Help us along the way. We're not against development, I can tell you that much. We're not against health care. It's been a terrible time for the applicant and staff and everyone involved. Hopefully we can move on from this as a stronger community."
