Cultus Lake Park is a small community situated at the northeast corner of Cultus Lake in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. The Park covers approximately 260 hectares in area, and is home to over 1,000 permanent residents. The Park's various recreational opportunities, tourist attractions and campground (660 sites) make the community a popular destination for visitors, as do nearby attractions such as the Cultus Lake Provincial Park.
Cultus Lake Park is an independent jurisdiction within Electoral Area E of the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD). The City of Chilliwack borders the Park to the north; to
the east of the Park is the Soowahlie Indian Reserve 14.
Local Governance
The Cultus Lake Park Board is the primary local governing body for Cultus Lake Park. The Board was created in 1932 under the Cultus Lake Park Act as the body responsible for the regulation, management, maintenance and improvement of the Park. The Board consists of a total of seven commissioners. Two of the commissioners are elected by residents and lease-holders of the Park; five are elected by City of Chilliwack's local electors. All seven commissioners are elected at the same time, and all seven serve three year terms (the terms coincide with those served by municipal councils).
The Board is responsible for making a wide range of decisions that help to shape the Cultus Lake Park community, and that regulate various activities that are undertaken within it. Board decisions are given effect by resolution or bylaw, depending on the issue. All commissioners vote on every issue, and all commissioners have one vote.
Fraser Valley Regional District
Cultus Lake Park is included in Electoral Area E of the FVRD. By virtue of this inclusion, residents of the Park participate in certain FVRD services, such as:
- E911
- Fraser Valley Regional Library
- Regional Parks
- Noxious Weed Control
- Community Parks (Area E)
Decisions for these services are made by the Regional District Board of Directors, not by the Cultus Lake Park Board. FVRD's Board consists of a total of 21 directors; Cultus Lake Park residents are represented by the one (1) director from Area E. Certain decisions of the FVRD Board must be made by the full Board of Directors — that is, through votes in which all 21 directors from the different Fraser Valley jurisdictions participate. Such decisions include those related to the establishment of new services, the adoption of the annual service budgets, and all other courses of action that can only be implemented by bylaw. Other decisions at the Regional Board are made by subsets of directors. Decisions related to the operation and administration of specific services, for example, involve only the directors who represent the jurisdictions that participate in those services.
Because Cultus Lake Park is part of (the unincorporated) Electoral Area E, and because the Park has fewer than 5,000 full-time residents, the provincial government has control over policing. Decisions regarding police service levels and priorities are made primarily by the province. In other small and unincorporated places, the province also provides and makes decisions regarding subdivision approvals and local roads. Because of the unique nature of Cultus Lake Park, however, it is the Park Board rather than the province that provides and controls these services.
The residents of Cultus Lake Park participate in decision-making in various ways, in addition to voting in Park Board elections. For example, residents provide input and feedback directly to commissioners at Board meetings and community forums. Residents may also apply to serve alongside commissioners on the Board's advisory committees. Many residents are active in the Cultus Lake Community Association, part of whose mandate is to "promote communication between the residents and lease-holders of Cultus Lake Park and the Park Board."
The City of Chilliwack presently owns all of the land that makes up Cultus Lake Park. As owner, the City has specific roles to play in the system of local governance for the Park, as do City electors. These roles are set out in the Cultus Lake Park Act:
- City electors, as noted earlier, elect five of the seven Park Board commissioners
- commercial leases in the Park that are proposed to exceed five years must be approved by City Council
- the Park Board may not borrow in excess of $50,000 without the approval of the City
The City is not involved in approving Park Board bylaws, in regulating land use or other activities, or in providing or making decisions on local services.
The Soowahlie First Nation (SFN) is the government responsible for the Soowahlie lands adjacent to Cultus Lake Park. Chief and Council constitute the governing body for these areas. SFN is not today involved in local governance for the Park. The Park Board, similarly, is not involved in decisions of the Soowahlie.
Taxes & Charges
The Cultus Lake Park Board collects lease fees and other charges to help cover the cost of providing its local services. FVRD and the provincial government taxes Cultus Lake Park residents for other services. All taxes and charges paid in 2008 by a sample residence in Cultus Lake Park are shown on the table below. The sample residence is assessed at $425,000 (land and improvements), and is situated in Row 3 of the Park.
Cultus Lake Park Today |
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Tax & Charges Paid on Home on Mountainview (2008) |
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Assessment of $425,000 |
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| Cultus Lake Park Board Services | ||
| Fire Protection | $ 90 |
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| Garbage Collection | $ 90 |
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| Milfoil Program | $ 10 |
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| Recycling | $ 25 |
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| Security | $ 110 |
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| Street Lighting | $ 12 |
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| Water (includes $75 to water reserve) | $ 130 |
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| Sewer | $ 100 |
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| Cultus Lake Park Board Lease | ||
| Base fee (varies by lot; median value shown) | $ 489 |
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| Total Cultus Lake Park Board | $ 1,056 |
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| FVRD Regional Services | ||
| Electoral Area E Local Services | $ 403 |
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| Cultus Lake Seasonal Transit | $ 19 |
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| Cultus Lake Paratransit | $28 |
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| Fraser Valley Hospital District | $106 |
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| Provincial Taxes | ||
| School | $ 1,007 |
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| Provincial Rural Tax | $ 213 |
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| Police (RCMP) | $ 43 |
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| Miscellaneous | $ 26 |
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| Total Taxes & Charges | $ 2,901 |
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| Less Home Owner Grant | - $ 570 |
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| NET TAXES PAID | $ 2,331 |
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