Mt. Tuam Meeting Expresses Concerns

(gulf Mattb* Srifttoooft Your Community Newspaper THIRTIETH YEAR, NO. 40 500 GANGES, BRITISH COLUMBIA WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11,1989 Mt. Tuam meeting expresses concerns Twelve residents from the Ganges area met with loggers on Mount Tuam last Thursday to protest the clear-cutting of approximately 300 acres of land owned by Murray Cyprus. According to Chris Anderson, one of the organizers of the event, the purpose of the meeting was to let loggers know that several resi dents in the area are concerned about both the speed and the size of the cut He noted the size of the cut has radically grown over the past few months and described it as a visual sore spot especially noticeable by ferry users travelling in and out of Fulford Harbour. Anderson added that last Thursday's meeting also demonstrated support for current government efforts to clamp down on clear-cut logging, and for the Gulf Island's becoming a "Special Forest Management Area" - an idea proposed by the Islands Trust two weeks ago. "We didn't want a confrontation. We wanted representatives from various interest groups to come together in a dialogue with the log gers." As a result of Thursday's meeting, Anderson said, Dan O'Donnell, the logging contractor working on Mount Tuam, agreed to participate in discussions about logging practices on the Gulf Islands with repre sentatives from the Islands Trust this week. He said his group is concerned with both the visual and environ mental impact of the cut He said that soil on the steep, bare slope is washed away and along with that, the minerals that allow for a healthy regrowth. Site owner Murry Cyprus, however, says that those concerns are ill-founded and that logging is nothing new to the island. He added that a 50-year plan for the area calls for it to be replanted and added that it is too early to say whether the land would be further developed. Two men apprehended in Village Market theft Ganges RCMP arrested two men were apprehended in the men in connection with a break, Vesuvius Bay area. enter and theft at the Ganges Vil Police have not released the lage Market last Monday. total value of cigarettes and cash The theft, which occurred early stolen, but say the amount greatly A group of Unemployment In Waters. October 9, is the second time the exceeds $1,000. surance recipients undertake The men are working at 3:30 Ganges grocery store has been RCMP are investigating the vounteer work in the early hours am — to hit low tides — and broken into in the last five months. possibility of a connection between Thursday to build a free-stand standing a 14-foot piling, using a Ganges RCMP were called to this theft and the previous one. ing pile supported super-struc 20-foot aluminum tripod and GVM at approximately 6 a.m. The two men, who are not lo ture — part of the Ganges block and tackle. The group, Monday. An employee told police cals, will appear in Victoria provin boardwalk. Shown here are (top) which includes both locals and he saw a vehicle leaving from the cial court on October 13. John Welling and Brian Waters; off-islanders, have chosen to rear of the building, just before dis (left) project consultant Grant voluntarily take on this project covering the theft Wickland and (right) Brian Within two hours, local police NSIDE Driftwood photos by Derrick Lundy located and arrested two males in iwaaMMmsMM ! , , connection with the offence. The •iY.Y.Y.TiWhT.Y, Rotary Exchange stu dent Karelia Hogan returns from Spain. See Islanders plan to participate in walk to mill story Page A18. By NANCY VAIL More than anything else, resident Ron Miller is waiting for In an effort to draw attention to Cliff Wilson and his wife, though, he noticed the smell of sul the results of a study his band re- conditions at the mill, a group of Eileen moved to Crofton from Van phur dioxide from the nearby pulp quested from a Vancouver people from both Salt Spring Island couver four years ago to build their mill, so strong sometimes that some biologist. The purpose of that and Crofton have planned a walk retirement home - an Victorian- residents in the area complain they study, is to determine the con next Sunday afternoon that will style bungalow surrounded by 15 can't sleep at night taminant levels in edible substan take them to the gates of the mill acres of pasture and grazed by a What concerns Wilson most of ces grown On the land and and, they hope, the receptive ears of small herd of sheep. all are the pollutants he sees being consumed by natives on that par some of the company's senior per Just after he arrived, Wilson dumped by that mill into both the ticular reserve. The results are ex sonnel. noticed the carrots in his first gar air and the water. pected some time this week. A similar action last year drew den seemed unusually small and "It is not important to me be What Miller wants, he says, is an 150 marchers, but this year, or Candidates in the CRD slow growing. He also noticed, cause I am 65, but if I had a family environment where his children ganizers are hoping to attract more. election respond to an Is during his first four years there, that it would be a whole new ball "don't have to wear gas masks" and Says Phyllis Coleman, another land Watch Society ques sand on the beach has become com game." a company which would show of the organizers behind Sunday's tionnaire. See story Page pletely covered by a multi-coloured Several blocks away, native more consideration for the people walk, "We are all victims of this A14. "muck." councillor and 35-year Crofton who live there. TURN TO PAGE A2 Page A2 GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD Wednesday, October 11,1989 Crofton pollution is protested OUTLOOK From Page Al That upgrading program which Wilson, in the meantime, mill because we are all affected by is expected to cost the mill more wonders whether all of this work is For the week beginning Outlook for the weekend is the smell or the sound this mill than $300 million dollars over the too little, too late. Monday, October 9: sunshine with loudy periods. causes in our lives. We're not as next few years will include a secon "They are spending all that king them to close, we are asking dary effluent treatment system. money when they have been here Mostly cloudy with HIGH: 15 degree C them to decrease the pollution." That system, Clarke suggests will for 30 years and everyone thinks sshowerss beginning Tuesday Under guidelines set by the "substantially reduce the biochemi they are heros. They are just fol province, the mill is issued permits cal content of the effluent" and is lowing provincial guidelines and night Continuing cloud, wind LOW: 6 degrees C also expected to eliminate dioxin and rain. covering its air and water emissions those guidelines are there because and refuse sites. The total amount discharge at the mill. there is an election in two years." of air and water emissions are specified in those permits however there is nothing that specifies how much of the various chemicals ISLAND WELL DRILLING LTD. Beyer A6 Entertainment A15 coming out of the mill can be Red Williams, owner-operator d Black B2 Letters AS released. The results of the AIR ROTARY EQUIPMENT i Classifieds B6 Prov. Round-up R4 monitoring it conducts itself are Serving the Gulf Islands since 1959 Call collect 245-2078 "" V. Country Gourmet . A15 Real Estate Rl submitted to the Waste Manage Editorials A4 Sports B16 ment Branch of the Ministry of En- [ vironment on a continuous, monthly or quarterly basis as DIRECT DAILY SERVICE TO VICTORIA' specified under the terms of the per- DAN PIPPIN miL 4» Owner/Operator Driftwood welcomes Ron Bollans with the Waste LL 537-4243 bus. Management Branch out of S37-2524 home 537-2608 FAX Nanaimo notes that Crofton "is not A DIVISION OF ALL-CAN EXPRESS LTD. in compliance with the terms of the 388-6931 Victoria new reporter to staff permits" at all times and adds that the province has proposed what are New to the staff of the called Absorbable Organic Halide Driftwood is Nancy Vail, who has regulations or "AOX" for short, Before you frame in those closets, check come to Salt Spring after having which will mean that permits will -lytfk FULFORD GLASS worked as a reporter at a variety of specify how much of certain chemi FOR SLIDING MIRROR PANELS. daily and weekly newspapers in Al cals can be emitted. Those regula berta. tions, if given the go ahead, are BRUCE WILLIAMS, Journeyman Glazier expected be in place within the next Call today 653-4242 Free estimates Vail studied journalism at the few months. Southern Alberta Institute of Tech nology in Calgary, Alberta and In the meantime, the findings of later earned a B.A. in English from an independent study at the mill the University of Calgary. requested by the Waste Manage ment Branch out of Victoria and Her experience includes two conducted last July are currently years with weekly newspapers near being studied by that branch. The Calgary, four years with the Cal purpose of that study was to ex VOTE JULIA SUTT0N-ATKINS amine all of the sulphur compounds gary Herald and two with the for former Calgary Albertan. coming from the recovery boiler.

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