Keith Rush
2023 Trustee Election CV
I obtained my Forestry Degree from UBC in 1978, and my Professional Forester designation in 1980. In my working career, myself and the other senior management staff managed 125,000 Hectares of Private Managed Forest Land (MFU-7) on Vancouver Island for Pacific Forest Products. My role at Pacific included the employment and management of multiple contractors, a unionized workforce in woodlands operations, as well as a large management staff. The protection of forested land from fires was a high priority for my team, and we were put to the test many times over the 20 years that I was employed at Pacific Forest Products. In addition to my role in management, I was the designated ‘fire warden’ in the Lake Cowichan region, responsible for the deployment of forest fire-fighting crews, helicopters, and the Martin Mars water bombers. My forest fire fighting team was needed often and I gained real time experience at mobilizing crews and fire fighting resources.
Safety of the crews, contractors and staff had overriding priority during my time at Pacific Forest Products. My operations consistently had the lowest MIR (Medical Incident Rate) in the company.
Prior to retirement I spent 3 years working with the BC Forest Safety Council. It was at a time in the forest industry when fatalities, particularly tree fallers, were unacceptably high. During my three year tenure at the Council, the industry managed to reduce the fatality rate from 56 fatalities a year down to single digits. We collaborated with WorkSafeBC to implement an industry wide safety certification to incentivize corporations to adhere to the highest level of safety standards for their workers. My goal with the Forest Safety Council was to insure that all workers returned home to their families each and every night, and to create a culture within the industry that believed that no log or board was worth losing a life over.
My time as a Trustee on the Thetis Island Improvement District (TIID):
• I was elected to the Board of Trustees of TIID in April of 2012.
• Initiated Trustee involvement and participation in the Fire Department Safety Committee.
• Attended a three day seminar on the roles and responsibilities of the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) that informed my professional skills in serving as a trustee
• Elected by my fellow trustees as Chair of the Board in 2016.
• Initiated a review by the CVRD of our fire department to examine the feasibility of our department becoming one of the CVRD fire halls. Having the TIVFD become one of the CVRD halls was opposed quite vigorously by Thetis Islanders. There was no financial advantage, so we did not pursue this course of action.
• Instead, through 2016, I and the trustees met quarterly with the Chief and Deputy Chief to develop a budget and a 5 year capital plan that would begin to address our long term capital requirements. During this process it was proposed that we pay our Fire Chief a living wage, which was accepted by all trustees. We also identified that an upgrade of Central Hall was the top priority for capital expenditures.
• Managed the renovation and upgrade of Central Hall in 2018 through to 2019.
• Initiated the purchase and upgrade of the new to us Water Tender.
• Supported Fire Chief Jeannine Caldbeck in her development of the Structure Protection Unit as one of the several auxiliary teams. Additionally, supported the creation of a local Fire Smart representative.
• Supported trustee Graeme Shelford’s nomination of Fire Chief Caldbeck for Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association (CVFSA) Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Presided over Fire Chief Jeannine Caldbeck Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony in 2021. Jeannine was the first female firefighter to receive this award.
• Have grown our Capital Reserve balance from $70,853 in 2011 to $372,177 at the end of 2022.
• The trustees of the TIID approved the Extreme Fire Hazard Bylaw #70 in January of 2018. This bylaw restricts certain kinds of high risk industrial and residential activities during extreme fire hazard conditions. The last 2 years have been particularly dry and long lived (heat dome of 2021, 63 days of extreme last summer and fall), and we can expect the coming years to deliver more of the same extreme weather. The background to this bylaw is; climate change is real; the fire department has a limited number of firefighters, firefighting equipment and we have NO mutual aid from neighboring communities. Bylaws of this nature are commonplace on other gulf island communities. There have been some members of the community who are not in favor of this bylaw due to the impact on some local contractors. I have been in discussions with a representative of the ‘contracting community’ and have scheduled a meeting with them and the fire department, some of the trustees and representatives from the Ministry of Forests for May 17th to listen to their concerns.
• My goals for the direction of the Improvement District are to ensure the safety of the firefighters, staff and Islanders. Climate change is here and the effect of a forest fire can and will be felt by all Islanders. The heat dome in 2021, soaring temperatures and lack of rainfall in August and September of 2022 contribute to the increasing risk to all islanders. These factors require a deep understanding of forest fire management and an ability to assess and understand risk.
• It has been an honour and a privilege to serve this community over the last 11 years. I am currently standing for re-election on Saturday May 13.
Ferry Advisory Committee Highlights
• Appointed to the local Ferry Advisory Committee in 2012, and currently serve as co-chair with Sharon Cross of Penelakut.
• Following the 2013-14 Government's Consultation and Engagement process, negotiated with BC Ferries a 5% fare reduction on our route. Additionally, during those negotiations we secured a $100,000 one time retro-active payment to BOTH Thetis and Penelakut Islands.
• Co-chair of the Ferry Advisory Committee Chairs Group (FACC) from 2017 to 2022. At this level, the FACC was successful in lobbying the current government for a 15% fare roll back on the 13 minor (inter-island) routes effective April 1st, 2018. We were also able to convince BC Ferries and the government to restore many of the lost sailings from the 2013-14 cutbacks.
• I provide FAC updates at the TIRRA meetings.
I am probably best known however, for my monthly rainfall stats.
Ellen and I first purchased property on Thetis Island in January of 1981, and in 1985 built a house on the same property. We became full time residents in 2011 at our current home at 15 Foster Point Road.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 9:31AM 
