LETTER about the BC Speculation Tax – from an America who lives on the west side of Vancouver Island [March 3, 2018]
As sent to BC Finance Minister Carole James
Dear Minister James:
I live in the CRD. I am respectfully asking you to not impose this draconian property tax penalty on my family just because we are Americans.
We have been living in BC for 4 to 6 months of the year for the last 17 years. We are members of the community – I volunteered as a firefighter for years,. My family and I volunteered thousands of hours in our community – and we work with our neighbours to make our community better via many local organizations. We have also help restore the Community Hall and spent dozens of hours renovating the Fire Hall.
While I understand the concern about foreigners buying up BC’s limited housing and then just “parking their money in Canada” and not living in their homes, your proposal is sweeping and catches all of us in the “good government” net you are trying to spread.
Maybe a more surgical approach would be better – targeting the problems you have without removing or penalizing those of us who make Shirley (and other such communities) their homes for part of the year each year.
Not only are we paying our fair share of very significant property taxes to support the libraries in Sooke, the schools in Sooke, the police in Sooke the infrastructure in Sooke and the rest of the CRD, but we pay Provincial and GST on ALL the services we use via private contractors — repairs, new furniture, other retail purchases and all of the services we use, building a new gate and fence, repairing our gravel driveway, etc. In addition, we spend time in Victoria during the 4-6 months we are in the Province, staying at hotels, eating at restaurants and paying PST and GST on those expenditures.
Please consider alternations to the proposal that would:
- 1) Start in 2018 with foreigners who buy in 2018 – after passage – not people who have made their commitment to the Province clear for years and years
Or - 2) Apply it to people who do not use or occupy their homes for fewer than 30 days in a year
Or - 3) Apply it to impacted areas – like Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria Area (Oak Bay, Saanich, Langford, etc) instead of all of the CRD
These are just some of the ideas that you might consider. Please take steps to recognize that there are people, who under existing laws, committed to a community – and continue to dedicate their time, energy and money to that same community without living in the Country all year round.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Name withheld
***
Back to Editorials page