If no movements of opposition crop up to the three remaining areas in the Village of Pemberton’s boundary extension proposal, local officials could potentially be hearing back from the ministry responsible in mid to late December, Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Sailland estimated last week.

After the Lil’wat Nation’s chief and council indicated their lack of opposition to the proposal to bring the Rutherford, Pemberton Creek watershed and Airport Road areas within Village borders, the Village launched its second alternative approval process (AAP) this year about segments of the boundary extension proposal.

Village voters who oppose bringing the three areas into Pemberton’s boundaries have until Sept. 21 at 4:30 p.m. to file elector response forms indicating their position. If fewer than 161 people, or 10 per cent of the electorate, sign their names in opposition, the three remaining areas will join the Hillside is getting approval from Village voters to be included in municipal borders.

Just 11 voters formally stated their opposition to the idea of bringing the Hillside area into the Village. Since the November 2008 referendum on boundary extension attracted votes of 611 for and 145 against, Sailland doesn’t expect a flood of detractors in this AAP.

“Given the response that the community gave during the last election when that question was asked, I don’t think we’re expecting a ton of opposition, enough to trigger a referendum. Of course if there is enough, we’ll follow the legislative rules and trigger a referendum,” Sailland said on Thursday (Aug. 19).

On Tuesday (Aug. 24), the Village received one signature – the first for this AAP – on one form registering opposition, said Lonny Miller, manager of administrative services.

The Village is going through the AAPs to satisfy the Ministry of Rural and Community Development’s requirement for electoral approval of all parts of the boundary extension proposal, because staff of the provincial ministry handling Pemberton’s pitch viewed the 2008 referendum as an opinion poll rather than a formal means of attaining approval.

If no hurdles are encountered in the AAP, Sailland said the next step would be to compile all comments, and any changes in the uses for the identified lands that have arisen over the past two years of the process, to submit to the minister. The information would need to go forward with motions from Pemberton’s council confirming the will to proceed with boundary extension and restating all the necessary steps.

Once the package goes to ministry staff and the provincial cabinet, it could take six to eight weeks for Pemberton to receive a response. Sailland estimated that the Village could hear a response from the ministry in mid to late December.

Pemberton’s council initially chose to split up the boundary extension parcels in mid-May, moving ahead with the steps for the Hillside area after receiving a letter of non-opposition for those lands from the Lil’wat Nation, while waiting to resolve the lingering questions pertaining to the other three areas.

When both the Pemberton and Lil’wat Nation governments on July 20 approved a protocol agreement that formalized their interactions and included an acknowledgement of Lil’wat rights and title, the Lil’wat Nation’s leaders indicated they were not opposed to the boundary expansion discussions proceeding for the remaining three areas, Sailland said.

Pemberton council passed a resolution on July 20 to proceed with the AAP once the Lil’wat Nation had indicated support or non-opposition. The nation’s council gave such an assent on that same day.