Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The BC Salmon Farmers Association will make a presentation about the Discovery Island’s salmon farms at the March 10th Strathcona Regional District Board Meeting and Sierra Quadra believes they will be responding.

The two groups wish to speak about very different topics. The Salmon Farmers wants to talk about ways to address the economic hole left by closing down 19 salmon farms. Sierra Quadra is concerned about past and ongoing environmental impacts.

Ray Grigg, one of the environmental group’s Directors, claims that fish farms have been a disaster form the beginning.

“For a period of about 13 years, they were killing about 500 seals a year because they were predating their salmon farms. This does not account for the otters that they probably killed, the blue heron, anything that was eating their fish. They have acoustic devises that scare the orcas away from their fish farms and those orcas are just returning to the Broughton Archipelago now that the salmon farms have been moved out.”

Another Sierra Quadra Director, Angela Koch, said “They keep saying that the science is done, but we just found out that seven new viruses were discovered on the farms.”

She was one of the participants in the Cohen Commission, where “we learned that one in four farms has a major fish health event every year.”

John Paul Fraser, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmer’s Association, came to speak about.

“We had a lot of support from local government and it isn’t something we’ve had to rally, it is real. Local government has so often been left holding the bag. What we are talking about here is how to execute the removal of a number of salmon farms,” he said.

Fraser is critical of the lack of leadership DFO has shown throughout this process.

“we are almost three months into this and I ask you and your listeners, how many calls do you think we’ve had returned? Letters that have been returned; emails; anything from Ottawa after this decision was made? If your answer was zero, you win the prize,” he said.

Fraser believes the best way to go forward is to renegotiate the manner in which the farms are phased out. This should not be an artificial timeline, like the 18-month limit DFO imposed last December. Instead industry and all the government stakeholders should come together to discuss the best exit strategy.

>>> A place at the table

However Fraser does not want the environmental sector to have a seat at that table.

“It has to be focused, let’s not turn this into a circus,” he said.

Pressed, Fraser added, “I do not know why they deserve a seat at the table, quite honestly. This is based on a consultation between governments, indigenous and non indigenous. Now it is about how to implement a decision the government has made. If environmental groups get upset about that, it doesn’t really matter. What really matters is doing this in a manner that works and is in the best interests of the communities, indigenous and non-indigenous. So let’s get to it.”

Whether Sierra Quadra will get an opportunity to speak at tomorrow’s SRD Board meeting, remains to be seen.

Grigg believes they will, because they applied last Friday, but Sierra Quadra’s name does not appear on the Agenda.

In response to the idea that fish farmers do not want environmentalists at the larger table, he replied, “This has always been their position. They are not an environmental problem so they do not want any representation from the environmentalists. The very reason they are being evicted from open net pens is environmental problems.”

He added that while moving on land may cut into the aquaculture sector’s profits, “they wouldn’t have the disease problems, and they wouldn’t have the environmentalists to deal with.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The BC Salmon Farmers Association will make a presentation about the Discovery Island’s salmon farms at the March 10th Strathcona Regional District Board Meeting and Sierra Quadra believes they will be responding.

The two groups wish to speak about very different topics. The Salmon Farmers wants to talk about ways to address the economic hole left by closing down 19 salmon farms. Sierra Quadra is concerned about past and ongoing environmental impacts.

Ray Grigg, one of the environmental group’s Directors, claims that fish farms have been a disaster form the beginning.

“For a period of about 13 years, they were killing about 500 seals a year because they were predating their salmon farms. This does not account for the otters that they probably killed, the blue heron, anything that was eating their fish. They have acoustic devises that scare the orcas away from their fish farms and those orcas are just returning to the Broughton Archipelago now that the salmon farms have been moved out.”

Another Sierra Quadra Director, Angela Koch, said “They keep saying that the science is done, but we just found out that seven new viruses were discovered on the farms.”

She was one of the participants in the Cohen Commission, where “we learned that one in four farms has a major fish health event every year.”

John Paul Fraser, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmer’s Association, came to speak about.

“We had a lot of support from local government and it isn’t something we’ve had to rally, it is real. Local government has so often been left holding the bag. What we are talking about here is how to execute the removal of a number of salmon farms,” he said.

Fraser is critical of the lack of leadership DFO has shown throughout this process.

“we are almost three months into this and I ask you and your listeners, how many calls do you think we’ve had returned? Letters that have been returned; emails; anything from Ottawa after this decision was made? If your answer was zero, you win the prize,” he said.

Fraser believes the best way to go forward is to renegotiate the manner in which the farms are phased out. This should not be an artificial timeline, like the 18-month limit DFO imposed last December. Instead industry and all the government stakeholders should come together to discuss the best exit strategy.

>>> A place at the table

However Fraser does not want the environmental sector to have a seat at that table.

“It has to be focused, let’s not turn this into a circus,” he said.

Pressed, Fraser added, “I do not know why they deserve a seat at the table, quite honestly. This is based on a consultation between governments, indigenous and non indigenous. Now it is about how to implement a decision the government has made. If environmental groups get upset about that, it doesn’t really matter. What really matters is doing this in a manner that works and is in the best interests of the communities, indigenous and non-indigenous. So let’s get to it.”

Whether Sierra Quadra will get an opportunity to speak at tomorrow’s SRD Board meeting, remains to be seen.

Grigg believes they will, because they applied last Friday, but Sierra Quadra’s name does not appear on the Agenda.

In response to the idea that fish farmers do not want environmentalists at the larger table, he replied, “This has always been their position. They are not an environmental problem so they do not want any representation from the environmentalists. The very reason they are being evicted from open net pens is environmental problems.”

He added that while moving on land may cut into the aquaculture sector’s profits, “they wouldn’t have the disease problems, and they wouldn’t have the environmentalists to deal with.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - After almost a year of delays, the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Project is close to opening its doors.

The 16 unit building, beside Q-Cove Plaza in Quathiaski Cove, was almost ready last Spring.

According to Maureen McDowell, President of the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society (QISHS), “We have had the tragedy, really, of not being able to let our seniors move into the building because it is uninhabitable without a water system. They have been waiting, amazingly patiently, for a year now and will finally be able to move in later this Spring - we hope.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - After almost a year of delays, the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Project is close to opening its doors.

The 16 unit building, beside Q-Cove Plaza in Quathiaski Cove, was almost ready last Spring.

According to Maureen McDowell, President of the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society (QISHS), “We have had the tragedy, really, of not being able to let our seniors move into the building because it is uninhabitable without a water system. They have been waiting, amazingly patiently, for a year now and will finally be able to move in later this Spring - we hope.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - After almost a year of delays, the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Project is close to opening its doors.

The 16 unit building, beside Q-Cove Plaza in Quathiaski Cove, was almost ready last Spring.

According to Maureen McDowell, President of the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society (QISHS), “We have had the tragedy, really, of not being able to let our seniors move into the building because it is uninhabitable without a water system. They have been waiting, amazingly patiently, for a year now and will finally be able to move in later this Spring - we hope.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -There was a staggered protest against BC’s old growth logging practises in front on MLA Michele Babchuk’s office in Campbell River.

10 Between fifteen and twenty people, many of them members of Sierra Quadra or the Campbell River Chapter of Canadians, came out in the wind and rain.

To conform with COVID regulations, the protesters came in shifts of never more than 6 at a time.

One of the organizers, Geraldine Kenny, explained that the protest began at 10 AM and there was supposed to be a shift change every hour.

Fellow Quadra Island resident Rod Burns added, “You showed up when you could and left when you were cold wet and miserable.”

Burns stayed for an hour and a half, then left at 1:30 PM.

Given that there were ’40 knot winds coming down the channel and the rains are coming down horizontal,’ he would not be surprised if people left before the 5 PM finish time.

Asked what the protest accomplished, Burns said, “If one honk is worth a thousand votes, we got a lot of votes today.

In particular, he mentioned a woman who came over to just say, “Thank-you, so very much.”

>>> Ferry Creek

Kenny pointed out that while the provinces Old Growth Strategic Review and Public Enquiry report was published last September, none of have been implemented.

She mentioned the logging blockade at Ferry Creek, near Port Renfrew.

‘These cedars are as old as Magna Carta, if that means anything to North Americans. These trees are the legacy of nature at work. To cut them down is, in my opinion, ecocide. That our government permits - not only permits, but actively promotes - the industrial destruction of our old growth forest, in my mind, is a criminal activity,” said Kenny.

Burns added that dozens, possibly hundreds, of people have been manning the anti-old growth logging blockades for five or six months “in the snow, the wind, the rain, the miserableness.”

Neither of them were aware aware that the BC Supreme Court has just granted a three week reprieve for their colleagues attempting to stop Teal Jones from obtaining to injunction to remove the blockades at Fairy Creek, near Port Renfrew.

The defence team are seeking more time to assemble materials.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Power said, that as the blockade started last August she did not think the delay would be problematic.

The hearing is now scheduled to begin on March 25, and conclude the following day.

>>>> Locked out of her MLA;s office

Kenny said that when she and the protesters assembled outside Babchuk’s office, the door was locked against them.

After our interview, she emailed, “The ONLY, the ONLY storefront in Campbell River that locked its doors to people was/is my elected representative in the Legislature in Victoria.  The MLA is my representative in parliament, I am her constituent and I am banned from visiting her office!”

“I am outraged, memories of the GDR flooded my mind……I am shut out of THIS, HORGAN’S pathetic attempt at democracy.  Folks, wake up this is a very dangerous situation, this is our government’s elected official’s abdication of their responsibilities towards the electorate. I am contacting Civil Liberties.”

>>> Other protests

Other protests are being held around the province.

Megan Ardyche participated in the Campbell River event and will be holding one in Comox today (Mar 5).

Kenny mentioned a province wide Ancient forest protest planned for March 19.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -There was a staggered protest against BC’s old growth logging practises in front on MLA Michele Babchuk’s office in Campbell River.

10 Between fifteen and twenty people, many of them members of Sierra Quadra or the Campbell River Chapter of Canadians, came out in the wind and rain.

To conform with COVID regulations, the protesters came in shifts of never more than 6 at a time.

One of the organizers, Geraldine Kenny, explained that the protest began at 10 AM and there was supposed to be a shift change every hour.

Fellow Quadra Island resident Rod Burns added, “You showed up when you could and left when you were cold wet and miserable.”

Burns stayed for an hour and a half, then left at 1:30 PM.

Given that there were ’40 knot winds coming down the channel and the rains are coming down horizontal,’ he would not be surprised if people left before the 5 PM finish time.

Asked what the protest accomplished, Burns said, “If one honk is worth a thousand votes, we got a lot of votes today.

In particular, he mentioned a woman who came over to just say, “Thank-you, so very much.”

>>> Ferry Creek

Kenny pointed out that while the provinces Old Growth Strategic Review and Public Enquiry report was published last September, none of have been implemented.

She mentioned the logging blockade at Ferry Creek, near Port Renfrew.

‘These cedars are as old as Magna Carta, if that means anything to North Americans. These trees are the legacy of nature at work. To cut them down is, in my opinion, ecocide. That our government permits - not only permits, but actively promotes - the industrial destruction of our old growth forest, in my mind, is a criminal activity,” said Kenny.

Burns added that dozens, possibly hundreds, of people have been manning the anti-old growth logging blockades for five or six months “in the snow, the wind, the rain, the miserableness.”

Neither of them were aware aware that the BC Supreme Court has just granted a three week reprieve for their colleagues attempting to stop Teal Jones from obtaining to injunction to remove the blockades at Fairy Creek, near Port Renfrew.

The defence team are seeking more time to assemble materials.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Power said, that as the blockade started last August she did not think the delay would be problematic.

The hearing is now scheduled to begin on March 25, and conclude the following day.

>>>> Locked out of her MLA;s office

Kenny said that when she and the protesters assembled outside Babchuk’s office, the door was locked against them.

After our interview, she emailed, “The ONLY, the ONLY storefront in Campbell River that locked its doors to people was/is my elected representative in the Legislature in Victoria.  The MLA is my representative in parliament, I am her constituent and I am banned from visiting her office!”

“I am outraged, memories of the GDR flooded my mind……I am shut out of THIS, HORGAN’S pathetic attempt at democracy.  Folks, wake up this is a very dangerous situation, this is our government’s elected official’s abdication of their responsibilities towards the electorate. I am contacting Civil Liberties.”

>>> Other protests

Other protests are being held around the province.

Megan Ardyche participated in the Campbell River event and will be holding one in Comox today (Mar 5).

Kenny mentioned a province wide Ancient forest protest planned for March 19.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -There was a staggered protest against BC’s old growth logging practises in front on MLA Michele Babchuk’s office in Campbell River.

10 Between fifteen and twenty people, many of them members of Sierra Quadra or the Campbell River Chapter of Canadians, came out in the wind and rain.

To conform with COVID regulations, the protesters came in shifts of never more than 6 at a time.

One of the organizers, Geraldine Kenny, explained that the protest began at 10 AM and there was supposed to be a shift change every hour.

Fellow Quadra Island resident Rod Burns added, “You showed up when you could and left when you were cold wet and miserable.”

Burns stayed for an hour and a half, then left at 1:30 PM.

Given that there were ’40 knot winds coming down the channel and the rains are coming down horizontal,’ he would not be surprised if people left before the 5 PM finish time.

Asked what the protest accomplished, Burns said, “If one honk is worth a thousand votes, we got a lot of votes today.

In particular, he mentioned a woman who came over to just say, “Thank-you, so very much.”

>>> Ferry Creek

Kenny pointed out that while the provinces Old Growth Strategic Review and Public Enquiry report was published last September, none of have been implemented.

She mentioned the logging blockade at Ferry Creek, near Port Renfrew.

‘These cedars are as old as Magna Carta, if that means anything to North Americans. These trees are the legacy of nature at work. To cut them down is, in my opinion, ecocide. That our government permits - not only permits, but actively promotes - the industrial destruction of our old growth forest, in my mind, is a criminal activity,” said Kenny.

Burns added that dozens, possibly hundreds, of people have been manning the anti-old growth logging blockades for five or six months “in the snow, the wind, the rain, the miserableness.”

Neither of them were aware aware that the BC Supreme Court has just granted a three week reprieve for their colleagues attempting to stop Teal Jones from obtaining to injunction to remove the blockades at Fairy Creek, near Port Renfrew.

The defence team are seeking more time to assemble materials.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Power said, that as the blockade started last August she did not think the delay would be problematic.

The hearing is now scheduled to begin on March 25, and conclude the following day.

>>>> Locked out of her MLA;s office

Kenny said that when she and the protesters assembled outside Babchuk’s office, the door was locked against them.

After our interview, she emailed, “The ONLY, the ONLY storefront in Campbell River that locked its doors to people was/is my elected representative in the Legislature in Victoria.  The MLA is my representative in parliament, I am her constituent and I am banned from visiting her office!”

“I am outraged, memories of the GDR flooded my mind……I am shut out of THIS, HORGAN’S pathetic attempt at democracy.  Folks, wake up this is a very dangerous situation, this is our government’s elected official’s abdication of their responsibilities towards the electorate. I am contacting Civil Liberties.”

>>> Other protests

Other protests are being held around the province.

Megan Ardyche participated in the Campbell River event and will be holding one in Comox today (Mar 5).

Kenny mentioned a province wide Ancient forest protest planned for March 19.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Late yesterday afternoon, the BC Centre for Disease Control released more information about the spread of COVID 19 on Vancouver Island.

During the week ending on Saturday, Feb 27, there were 58 active cases in North Vancouver Island. 44 of these were in the Comox Valley, 13 in the Greater Campbell River Area and 1 in North Vancouver Island.

The worst outbreaks were to the south, in Central Vancouver Island.

This is the most up to date information, pertaining to Local Health Areas, released to the public.

The BCCDC also released a COVID update report for the week of February 14-20.

At that time there were 157 cases of the so called “UK variant”, B.1.1.7, and 23 cases of the South African variant B.1.351 in British Columbia. The report did not identify the infected communities.

Fewer elderly people are being admitted to hospitals, and the average age of admission is now 55 years.

There were no deaths for people 29 or younger and the average age for COVID related deaths was 80.

More up to date statistics from Island Health show that, as of yesterday, the number of active cases has dropped to 270. Sixty eight of these are in North Vancouver Island.

There are currently 16 Vancouver Island residents in hospitals and 1 in critical care.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Late yesterday afternoon, the BC Centre for Disease Control released more information about the spread of COVID 19 on Vancouver Island.

During the week ending on Saturday, Feb 27, there were 58 active cases in North Vancouver Island. 44 of these were in the Comox Valley, 13 in the Greater Campbell River Area and 1 in North Vancouver Island.

The worst outbreaks were to the south, in Central Vancouver Island.

This is the most up to date information, pertaining to Local Health Areas, released to the public.

The BCCDC also released a COVID update report for the week of February 14-20.

At that time there were 157 cases of the so called “UK variant”, B.1.1.7, and 23 cases of the South African variant B.1.351 in British Columbia. The report did not identify the infected communities.

Fewer elderly people are being admitted to hospitals, and the average age of admission is now 55 years.

There were no deaths for people 29 or younger and the average age for COVID related deaths was 80.

More up to date statistics from Island Health show that, as of yesterday, the number of active cases has dropped to 270. Sixty eight of these are in North Vancouver Island.

There are currently 16 Vancouver Island residents in hospitals and 1 in critical care.