Port Alberni Marina needs our help ...

[searun]

Beautiful. Thanks Nog and Islandgirl for taking the time/effort to get the facts on the table. I have personally sent letters to both the Mayor and Counsel and the Port Authority CEO. I have not heard back from either, but one of the City staffers I know promised my letter would get to the right people and be included in any process that was launched to deal with this issue. We have to work together to get all this out in the open, and strangely I find myself wanting to join the Tseshaht in their protest even though I have never before participated in any protest. This issue is worth getting involved. Please post any info you come across as to meetings or other actions where we can come to join and have our voices heard.

 

[Islandgirl]

Update from a friend that is involved in saving the Marina/launch...
Update, Shocking news. One cant help wonder if this marina deal did her in : Cheif Judith Sayers is DEAFETED in Hupacasath election. http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/albernivalleynews/breaking_news/42370277.html

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/First+Nation+leader+ousted+election/1464823/story.html
This may put a whole new spin on things now. The delegation is going to seek out newly elected chief Shaunee Casavant ASAP to try and bring this matter to a conclusion. Fingers crossed, all parties will be able to sit down together before the city public hearing on the "text" change to the W1 which they havent announced a date as of yet, but the sign is up. Please keep sending those letters to the city of Port Alberni. We feel if it gets to the public hearing and in city councils hands were toast as the Hupacasath transformation society arent asking for a change in zone, just a text to allow "cultural" as a use in the zone (legal wording BS) IMO

 

[searun]

Tx for the update. Interesting and unexpected twist. Perhaps this will serve as a little reminder to Mayor and counsel of what could happen.

 

[Islandgirl]

Another update, thanks to Carolyn J for keeping us in the loop...

Alberni Valley Times
Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2009
THE EDITOR:
Your headline article on Monday, April 6 quoted the new chief councillor of the Hupacasath First Nation as saying she wants to step back from the transformation centre and do an analysis of it.
The Transformation Society has a board of directors that oversees the project and makes decisions with respect to the project, not the chief and council. The new chief councillor is not on that board as of yet. The Hupacasath membership are the members of the society. At the First Nation level any decisions have to be made by two of the three council members, the chief councillor cannot make decisions on her own. Proper processes must be followed for decision making



The new chief councillor said as well the community had not been involved. The new chief councillor needs to be briefed that many community consultations have occurred. First to approve the project, then to develop business plans and the key messages document. Then to design the building. Every step has involved the community. Financing is in place based on the business plan. Obviously the funding would not have been given without that.
For those of you who got your hopes up that the transformation centre project may slow down based on the new chief councillor's comments will be disappointed to find that will not happen.
Judith Sayers
Port Alberni

Little bit of sour grapes? Problem with this letter is that ONLY the Hupacasath community were consulted, NOT the community of Port Alberni. The new Hupacasath council as part of their due diligence to not only their community, but also the community of Port Alberni needs to thouroughly analyse this project as members of the Hupacasath that make up the society IMO.