Let’s save Whales by Killing Salmon Bearing Creeks. WHAT?!?

[Reel Tease]

So what is the big stink about anyway?

The spring of 2018 a sign went up on 2401 Burnside Rd W. (at Watkiss) stating BC transit had submitted a proposal to the Town of View royal with the following;

-Build 90 diesel bus fleet maintenance facility, this includes maintenance bays, a fuel farm and bus washing stations
-Host 112 employees
-Hours of operation 4:30AM to 11PM Daily. For scope, all 90 buses would leave the premises between 7AM and 9AM not before idling and getting ready for the day

What’s are the issues?

ALL THIS IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, ON A PIECE OF LAND ZONED PARK ON TOP OF A SALMON BEARING CREEK

-Misrepresentation
– Community engagement was mandated by the Town however no immediate residents were notified
-The application stated that First Nations and Watershed Groups would be consulted. THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN
-Craigflower Creek: Salmon bearing waterway – absolutely no mitigation for the creek in the proposal. The provinces idea of mitigation for run off of toxic fluids from the site to the creek is to plant trees.
-Collectively our creeks give the ocean life, the ocean provides and estimated 80% of the air we breathe. We can’t afford to make short sighted decisions.
-Negative impact on property values and quiet enjoyment of ones’ home
-The Victoria Bowmen have been great stewards of this land. Not only for their use but for providing programming to hundreds of kids in co-operation with Saanich and West Shore Parks. After over a year of looking for a new location, none have been adequate for either location or safety to date. This club is at great risk from no longer existing after decades of contributing to the community.
-No real appreciation for the volume of Galloping Goose traffic
-Way too close to Eagle View Elementary

What was the Outcome then?

The community rallied, the Town of View Royal listened and made a very good decision to vote against the proposal. They went so far as to pursue purchasing the property in order to protect Craigflower Creek and the Community into the future. Unfortunately, they were second in line to BC Transit

The Kicker Now!

The Province, Clare Trevena the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to be exact, made the Undemocratic and Unprecedented call to change the zoning to Arterial Hwy. This means the municipal government, View Royal, has absolutely no say in land use nor ensure that use is respectful and responsible to the community and environment. View Royal and it’s residents will be holding the bag when things go sideways. One just needs to see all of the issues the Hwy#1 interchange construction has caused Colquitz. A terrible track record.

We are asking our elected officials to be responsible in their decision making. This rash use of Greenspace en mass is what has led us to our current climate emergency. It’s time to do business differently.

How can you help? Please join the cause;
For a template of a letter and a list of political leaders to email, please send a request to savecraigflowercreek@gmail.com

Share our social media with friends and family and stay in the loop;
Facebook: save craigflower creek
Instagram:@save_craigflowercreek
Twitter: @savecraigflowe2

Many thanks!
A~

 

[Stosh]

Unbelievable that in this day and age, a PARK can be changed to an INDUSTRIAL site! Why, because it’s FREE.
If the province can’t afford to buy an industrial site, maybe we need a go fund me campaign to help them out - or is that the same as the high taxes we already pay?
Way to go Reel Tease
Stosh

 

[SpringVelocity]

I wish you luck having gone through same thing. Yes the Province can trump land use over a municipality. Unfortunately that is the way it is at the moment.

Have you engaged Sonia F. of Green party on this issue? That is who I would go and talk 2. Mike Hicks from CRD would be another.

I don't think you will be able to stop it, but you may be able to get the protections in the creek/set up proper monitoring. You guys are lucky down having CRD. They seem very supportive of salmon enhancement projects.

 

[Reel Tease]

Thanks for the feedback! I've engaged Adam Olsen who has confirmed helping out as next steps will be rallies and media coverage. Mike Hicks is great! Thanks for the reminder as he fell off my radar.

Given the push with the Wild Salmon Advisory Committee and all of the community engagement last year, I was hoping that our leaders would use connected braincells and make sound decisions. I spoke of this to a packed house at community engagement at Juan de Fuca at that time. Unfortunately John Horgan had left the building before I could speak. What was staggering, from my perspective, was the horror on everyones face when I was done explaining the scope.

 

[Stosh]

Sure would be nice to get the Feds involved. At least they can trump the province. I would have hoped the Greens would be against closing a park.
Stosh

 

[ChinookExerciser]

There is 20-30 of these projects happening annually in vancouver area, DFO gave a habitat presentation where they described the issue as being completely out of control. They have recently been training their officers on the new habitats regulations and are apparently looking to hire 20 more habitat officers.

SV is bang on you may not be able to stop it but you may be able to make sure that the development is done according to all the new habitat regulations and just doing that would help fish more then where all these things are blatantly ignored by developers.

 

[SpringVelocity]

One more thing there is division of provincial government that deals with riparian assessments.This branch is sort of on its own but you can ask them directly if one has been done. If it has ask for report.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...als-ecosystems/fish/riparian-areas-regulation

Start with riparian and then work backwards. That assessment must be done first and environmental professional has to do it. The engineering company that is designing the facility most likely has done one. You need to get your hand on that document and see where the holes are. Also very important is who is going monitor pollution and what is the plan?

 

[ChinookExerciser]

On August 28, 2019 provisions of the new Fisheries Act came into force including new standards, codes of practice, and guidelines for projects near water. Find out what the changes mean for you.

This archived Web page remains online for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. This page will not be altered or updated.

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/e...onmental-reviews/fish-habitat-protection.html

 

[Reel Tease]

Thanks all! Yes, I've been in touch with the DFO community advisor and was eagerly anticipating Bill C-68 turning into law. This states, “allow for better management of large and small projects impacting fish and fish habitat through a new permitting framework and codes of practice”. I have yet to get a straight answer on any specificity and what the process is. Was hoping that was the silver bullet as CE mentioned DFO is a bit of a mess. Just have to keep pressing for attention.

SV, thanks for the RAPR link. Does anyone have a contact in this department?

 

[SpringVelocity]

Thanks all! Yes, I've been in touch with the DFO community advisor and was eagerly anticipating Bill C-68 turning into law. This states, “allow for better management of large and small projects impacting fish and fish habitat through a new permitting framework and codes of practice”. I have yet to get a straight answer on any specificity and what the process is. Was hoping that was the silver bullet as CE mentioned DFO is a bit of a mess. Just have to keep pressing for attention.

SV, thanks for the RAPR link. Does anyone have a contact in this department?

There is an e-mail on that link.

I wouldn't waste my time on DFO they won't get involved it is the province you have to engage with on this one. As for changes to fisheries act it doesn't really have much teeth on it yet so I am told. Environment Canada deals with pollution etc. not dfo. That project likely got approved before changes anyway.

 

[wildmanyeah]

It has some teeth I know if 10+ new cases in the greater Vancouver where some developers are in pretty hot water. In our Sfac meeting they gave us a short presentation. The problems in the lower mainland are rampid we were told.

Probably can’t be used to stop a project but if the developers plan on going in and levelling to the creek and not following the proper setbacks and procedures then they could get in trouble.

But yeah it’s the Provence and municipality who are generally to go to for this crap not any easy thing to stop tho.

Fraser Valley West Challenges

• Limited enforcement on commercial crab in previous years lead to a proliferation of infractions resulting in complex multi-year investigations and the current high level of non compliance in the industry.
• On going Fishery Officer vacancies in FVW result in large case loads for existing officers
• High number of larger scale habitat occurrences in FVW with limited ability to triage and respond
• Increasing number of recreational user groups with no increase in Fishery Officer staffing (not just salmon)

 

[Reel Tease]

This particular lot of land is now owned by BC Transit. When the hwy upgrade occurred in the 90's, the topography/drainage of 2401 Burnside Rd W was by design, by the Province. Not only to ensure there is adequate filtration of contaminates to the creek but to also mitigate flooding as a result of climate change for the surrounding community.

Now our Provincial Leaders feel it is a sound move to densify with a 90 bus fleet maintenance facility (with bays) hosting 112 employees and is getting their way by manipulating zoning. Unprecedented, undemocratic and flies in the face of reason. Thanks for listening

 

[eroyd]

Sitting on the big rock in Eastern Thetis Lake Park watching the coho leap up that waterfall is one of the highlights of my year. Craigflower Creek is no doubt a major contributor to one of the healthiest Cutthroat populations around. A generation ago that stream had a small steelhead run. Considering where it is, the stream is still pretty much intact and should be considered a rare gem worth protecting.

The province over the last few years has been selling off their (our) surplus lands. The province is taking the easy way out. They already own that land. I think a better site would be that wedge of land at the extreme East end of Atkins Road. Next to the Galloping goose parking lot, where the tire shop is.

 

[Reel Tease]

Sitting on the big rock in Eastern Thetis Lake Park watching the coho leap up that waterfall is one of the highlights of my year. Craigflower Creek is no doubt a major contributor to one of the healthiest Cutthroat populations around. A generation ago that stream had a small steelhead run. Considering where it is, the stream is still pretty much intact and should be considered a rare gem worth protecting.

The province over the last few years has been selling off their (our) surplus lands. The province is taking the easy way out. They already own that land. I think a better site would be that wedge of land at the extreme East end of Atkins Road. Next to the Galloping goose parking lot, where the tire shop is.

Hi neighbour! Couldn't agree with you more. The Esquimalt Anglers have been tireless stewards of this creek for decades and am pleased to be able to call them friends. Fewer than a handful continually monitor the creek; water flow, blockages, contaminants, counts at the fence, making collections for broodstock, etc. Also, World Fisheries Trust and Peninsula Streams had just completed habitat restoration at 2 locations and removed 2 significant blockages just days before the Province announced in September. We have so much to be appreciative of. I know I am preaching to the choir! So many folks tirelessly and often, thanklessly, do the heavy lifting in taking care of our backyards.