By Jesse McClinton | CVRD Electoral Area G Director
Correction and retraction
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that I helped bring the CVRD and Thetis Island Improvement District together to secure a fire truck. That claim was wrong, and I retract it. The CVRD had no involvement in Thetis’s purchase. Credit belongs to the Thetis Island Improvement District and the people who carried out that work.
I mixed up that project with a separate purchase for North Oyster. On February 21, 2023, Ladysmith Council approved the sale of its surplus 1997 Superior ladder truck to the CVRD. The CVRD announced on February 24 that it had purchased the truck for North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department. That was a North Oyster project, not a Thetis project
I’m sorry for the error and for assigning credit incorrectly. I have removed the claim from this article. Thank you to those who brought it to my attention.
Sources: Ladysmith Council minutes, February 21, 2023, Item 10.2, Resolution CS 2023-040; CVRD news release, February 24, 2023, “North Oyster adds firefighting capacity with purchase of aerial ladder truck from Town of Ladysmith.”
How growing up on Thetis Island shaped four years of public service
Returning to the island where I grew up, this time with my own family.
I still remember arriving at the ferry terminal just in time to watch the ramp go up. Sometimes it meant another sailing. Sometimes a three-sailing wait. Sometimes it meant explaining why I would be late for school or hockey practice.
That was island life. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Four boys and an island childhood
For those who have moved to Thetis more recently, you might not know that I was one of four McClinton boys raised here by Don and Kathi.
Dad was a carpenter who built several homes on the island. He also worked on the ferry and volunteered with the fire department. Mom managed four boys while working at the post office and later running Katie’s Kitchen. Some longtime residents still remember her pizzas!
We lived two doors down from the old Ferguson property, in front of the arbutus tree that once stood tall. We relied on neighbours for drinking water. Community was something we experienced every day through the people who helped one another and the volunteers who kept things running.
I remember the first open-air community centre being constructed, the ferry rides and the familiar faces. Growing up on Thetis taught me how much a small community can accomplish when people take responsibility for one another.
In 1990, we moved to Saltair, where my parents still live and where I am raising my own children. As I write this, I can see Fraser Point from my office. Thetis has never felt far away.
The lessons traveled with me
Early in my career, I worked as a Child and Youth Care Worker in a children’s psychiatric hospital. Later, I became the owner and CEO of a digital marketing agency. Those experiences taught me about responsibility, budgets and bringing people together to solve difficult problems.
They also reinforced something I learned on Thetis: listen to the people closest to a problem, look after what you own, and understand the consequences before making a decision.
Returning to listen in 2022
When I first ran for Area G Director, I spent more than 80 hours calling, speaking with and leaving messages for Thetis residents. I invited people to meet with me at Forbes Hall because my childhood connection was only the beginning. I needed to hear what mattered to the people living here now.
Ann Dickie and Bill Cobb raised recycling. Dave Terrace and John Cullen spoke about community dock safety. Julian Jackman described the challenges of working from home without reliable high-speed internet. Others talked about transportation, emergency equipment, affordability and walking trails.
I also met with former Chief Joan Brown and Josh James of Penelakut Nation. Marine access and connectivity were concerns there, too. Our communities have distinct histories and responsibilities, but there are opportunities to work together on shared needs.
I told residents I did not have a magic wand. I promised to listen and advocate. Once elected, the responsibility was to turn those conversations into decisions.
When a dock becomes a lifeline
The community dock is an essential part of island marine access.
The Thetis Island Community Dock brought that responsibility into sharp focus. First responders raised concerns about its condition and restrictions that prevented vehicles from pulling safely off the narrow road. Marine access matters for emergency medical evacuations as well as everyday island life. Addressing the dock’s condition meant responding to a safety concern residents had identified before I was elected.
The dock entrance beside the road illustrates why safe access matters for responders.
Early in my term, I supported establishing a capital reserve for the dock. I then allocated $91,800 in Community Works funding to that reserve for current and future upgrades. This was a practical way to put funding behind a concern residents had brought directly to me.
The CVRD lists the dock repairs as completed in 2024. That progress belongs to the staff, contractors, responders, residents and Board colleagues who helped move the work forward.
The allocation and the completed repairs are separate parts of the record. The reserve supports capital needs; it should not be read as the final cost of the repair project. Maintaining the dock and planning for its eventual replacement remain ongoing responsibilities.
Work was also completed on the boat launch. Alongside the dock repairs, that adds another practical improvement to the island’s marine infrastructure.
The experience I gained working with the Thetis Island Port Commission is now helping me support Chief Jack and the Penelakut Council as they advocate to senior levels of government for their community dock. That work is guided by the Nation’s leadership. My role is to support their efforts, build connections and help make the case for safe, reliable marine access.
From concerns to completed work
When Julian Jackman spoke to me in 2022 about the difficulty of working from home without reliable high-speed internet, he was describing a practical barrier to island life. I helped bring the remote communities TELUS connectivity project to completion. It is one example of the progression from listening to residents, through regional planning and partnerships, to completed work.
The record at a glance
| Area | Actions and results | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Community dock funding | Supported establishing a capital reserve and allocated $91,800 in Community Works funding for current and future upgrades. | CVRD asset |
| Community dock repairs | Supported dock repairs completed in 2024. | CVRD asset |
| Boat launch | Supported improvement work on the boat launch. | Marine access work |
| TELUS connectivity | Helped bring the remote communities TELUS connectivity project to completion. | Partner project |
| Island representation | Appointed Thetis resident Carolyn Askew as Alternate Director. | Alternate appointment |
| Community engagement | Held island meetings and maintained dialogue with residents and community organizations. | Resident engagement |
| Fiscal responsibility | Brought forward Board-supported requests for 4% and 2.5% budget options. The approved 2026 regional requisition increase was 3.87%. | Regional Board decision |
| Supporting Penelakut | Applied experience with the Thetis Island Port Commission to support Chief Jack and Penelakut Council’s ongoing dock advocacy. | Support for Nation-led advocacy |
An island voice at the Board table
I asked Carolyn Askew, a Thetis Island resident, to serve as my Alternate Director for Electoral Area G. This was a deliberate choice to bring island knowledge into our representation. When called upon to serve in my place, Carolyn brings that perspective directly to the CVRD Board table.
Saltair, Thetis, Penelakut and Ruxton have different needs. Choosing an alternate who lives on Thetis helps embed island experience in Area G’s representation. Carolyn’s role complements my responsibility to stay connected with residents across all four communities.
Showing up and explaining decisions
My engagement with Thetis continued after the election through island meetings and conversations with residents and community leaders. In my November 2023 update, I reported plans to bring senior CVRD staff to Thetis to discuss how the regional district could better serve the island.
My published September 2024 community meeting notes addressed taxation, infrastructure, volunteer organizations and the different responsibilities of the CVRD, Islands Trust and improvement districts. These are the questions residents need answered to understand who can act and where their money goes.
Meetings are useful when they lead to better questions, clearer decisions and follow-through. They also give residents an opportunity to challenge me directly. I want that conversation to continue through community gatherings, individual discussions and my Around the Kitchen Table invitation.
Decisions that respect household budgets
Ahead of the 2026 budget, I brought forward a resolution asking staff to prepare a budget with a maximum increase of 4%, alongside an option at 2.5%. The Board supported the request. I continued advocating for the lower target.
The approved CVRD requisition increase was 3.87%. We did not reach the target I wanted. This is a regional budget figure, not the percentage increase on every Thetis household’s total property tax bill.
I also supported discontinuing funding for Economic Development Cowichan in 2026 and keeping yard waste disposal funded through taxation rather than adding a tipping fee. These were decisions about public value and how services should be paid for. Keeping a disposal fee at zero does not make the service free.
For Thetis, fiscal responsibility includes asking whether a proposed service actually works on an island. Curbside collection involves ferry logistics, staffing and a small number of properties sharing costs. Expanded mainland collection should never be presented as a service delivered on Thetis.
Residents raised recycling in 2022. That concern still deserves a practical answer, with clear costs and options suited to the island.
Respecting the island and its responsibilities
At the regional table, I voted against adoption of the Modernized Official Community Plan in November 2025, supported beginning the repeal process in 2026 and supported stopping the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw process after substantial public opposition.
Those CVRD planning decisions concerned mainland areas, including Saltair. They did not change Thetis Island’s land-use rules. On Thetis, the Islands Trust holds land-use planning authority. My votes reflect a principle I bring to every jurisdiction: residents deserve understandable proposals, meaningful consultation and clear explanations of the choices being made.
Understanding who can act is part of good representation. The responsibilities are distinct:
Islands Trust: Land-use planning, Official Community Plans and zoning on Thetis.
CVRD: The community dock and applicable regional services, including solid waste management and regional emergency coordination. Service boundaries and funding arrangements vary.
Thetis Island Improvement District: Local fire protection.
Provincial agencies and BC Ferries: Provincial roads and ferry services respectively. My role is advocacy, coordination and follow-up.
The work ahead
If re-elected, my focus for Thetis will remain practical:
Marine access and emergency readiness. Maintain the community dock, protect its capital planning and work with local responders and responsible agencies on emergency access and evacuation needs.
Services that fit island life. Pursue realistic waste and recycling options and press for attention to ferry connections, road maintenance and transportation limitations.
Careful spending. Scrutinize regional budgets, explain who pays for each service and prioritize essential infrastructure and measurable value.
Direct communication. Continue engaging island residents and organizations, explain major votes and report clearly on progress and unfinished work.
The volunteers who keep Thetis running deserve practical support and respect for their local knowledge. I grew up watching my dad volunteer with the fire department. I understand how much a community depends on people willing to give their time.
Some things never change
As a child, I waited at the ferry dock worrying about getting to hockey practice. Today, I sit at the CVRD Board table discussing infrastructure, services and budgets. Behind those decisions are families trying to get home, neighbours needing help and volunteers keeping their community strong.
My childhood on Thetis was one of the greatest gifts my parents gave me. Four years in office have added experience and a record residents can examine. There is more to do, and I have not gotten everything right. But I have never forgotten where I came from.
Jesse McClinton
CVRD Electoral Area G Director
www.jessemcclinton.com
Unity Through Community
Join the conversation
I’ll be on Thetis on Saturday, October 10, for the Islands Trust All Candidates Meeting. I’m looking forward to listening to the candidates and catching up with neighbours. If you’re there, please come say hello.
You can hear from the Area G candidates at the All Candidates Forum on Tuesday, October 13, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at the Saltair Community Centre. Doors open at 5:00 PM.
I also welcome Around the Kitchen Table gatherings. Invite neighbours to your home and contact me to arrange a conversation about the issues that matter to you.
What is the single issue you most want addressed on Thetis over the next four years? Send me a note through jessemcclinton.com. Your priorities help shape the work I bring to the Board table.
I am asking for your support for another four years as Area G Director, with the experience to build on what we have accomplished and the responsibility to follow through on what remains.
Related updates and public record
Family memories, the 2022 outreach account and Carolyn Askew’s appointment are drawn from my personal account. The following published updates provide further context for the governance record.
First 100 Days For Area G
https://jessemcclinton.com/first-100-days-for-area-g/
Area G Summer Update
https://jessemcclinton.com/area-g-summer-update/
Autumn Update Area G November 2023
https://jessemcclinton.com/autumn-update-area-g/
2024 CVRD Area G Director’s Budget Update
https://jessemcclinton.com/2024-cvrd-area-g-directors-budget-update/
Thetis Island Community Meeting
https://jessemcclinton.com/thetis-island-community-meeting/
Four Years of Work for Area G
https://jessemcclinton.com/four-years-of-work-for-area-g/
First Term Record
https://jessemcclinton.com/first-time-record/
Our Communities
https://jessemcclinton.com/our-communities/
