Director Vanessa Craig
vanessa.craig [at] rdn.bc.ca (vanessa[dot]craig[at]rdn[dot]bc[dot]ca)

Health and Wellbeing Service Feasibility Report and Alternative Approval Process

In 2022, Urban Matters completed a feasibility study on establishing a health and well-being service on Gabriola Island. This study compared similar services and held stakeholder meetings with organizations that coordinate health and well-being-related services. The study results are summarized in the report: Feasibility Report: Community Health and Wellbeing Service – Gabriola Island.

The report recommends starting with Part-time Administration and Coordination services, as a pilot intending to grow the service over time towards Full-time Administration. By starting with Part-time Administration and Coordination, the community will be able to measure the impact of the service over time and expand to Full-time Administration if desired. Starting with Part-time Administration and Coordination also carries the lowest risk for the contracted service organization and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN). Further details about this study and recommendations can be found in the Staff Report and the Feasibility Report: Community Health and Wellbeing Service – Gabriola Island.

A new Health and Wellbeing Service has been established for Gabriola Island. Between January 19, 2024, to February 20, 2024, the proposed service bylaw “Gabriola Island Community Health and Wellbeing Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw No. 1892, 2023” for a health and wellbeing coordinator service proceeded through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP).

A total of 101 elector response forms were accepted by the deadline at 4:00 p.m. on February 20, 2024. The percentage of estimated electors who validly submitted elector response forms was 2.57 per cent.

The RDN Board reviewed the results of the AAP at the Board meeting on February 27, 2024, and adopted "Gabriola Island Community Health and Wellbeing Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw No. 1892, 2023".

Now that the service has been established, the RDN will proceed through a Request for Statement of Qualifications process to hire a contractor to provide part-time Gabriola Island Health and Wellbeing Coordinator Services for the first year of service, subject to review and renewal from the RDN Board after the first year.