13 Year-End Edition Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421

Gulf Islands Every Second Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at Connecting the Islands of the Salish Sea Archipelago Since 1989 islandtides.com Volume 24 Number 25 December 15, 2012–January 16, 2013 Year-End Edition Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Photo: Toby Snelgrove Worth a close look: Island-style Christmas lights in Mayne Island’s Japanese Gardens. Regional district opposes coal mine Experience art for an oil-free coast ~ Sara Miles Most people will never visit BC’s north coast art, donated by their creators, is currently hung and Great Bear Rainforest. However, an at ArtSpring on Salt Spring Island until process until aquifers mapped exhibition, a film, books, calendars, and an December 16, when it moves to Nanaimo, At its November 27 meeting of the board of real leadership and voicing the legitimate online art auction now give everyone the chance opening on December 20 at the Nanaimo Art directors, the Comox Valley Regional District concerns of Comox Valley residents,’ said to experience this breathtaking place, through Gallery. Other towns and communities across (CVRD) unanimously passed a motion to Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner artists’ eyes. Canada are asking for the exhibition and the oppose further processing of the application for with the Wilderness Committee. ‘The proposed Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s foundation is looking at ways to extend its tour. the Raven Underground Coal Mine project Raven mine makes absolutely no sense for sweeping ‘Oil-Free Coast’ initiative began last The June expedition to the rainforest aboard until comprehensive aquifer mapping, an Vancouver Island, given the inherent risks it June with a two-week cruise taking 50 artists the Raincoast Foundation’s 70-foot research independent provincial baseline study, and an poses to water quality and the surrounding as a group to Haida Gwaii and the coastal vessel Achiever and Mothership Adventures’ independent federal joint review are riparian ecosystems,’ Coste continued. rainforest. They went to document what Columbia III is documented in the 22-minute undertaken. The motion was proposed by ‘Further, this project would be a massive step increased oil tanker traffic in the area will put film Reflections, now screening in communities Electoral Area ‘A’ Director Bruce Joliffe back into the boom-bust finite resource cycle at risk. Their trip developed into a collection around the province. (Baynes Sound-Denman/Hornby Islands). that always led to environmental and socio- that is part education, part fundraiser, part From any location, one can experience the The mine would be located near Vancouver economic damage on this coast.’ adventure, and all sheer magic. artworks in the online auction. Go to Island’s Fanny Bay, 20km south of Courtenay, In addition to impacts in the Comox Valley, Already shown in Vancouver and Victoria, www.raincoast.org and click the Oil-Free Coast potentially producing 1.88 million tonnes of the Raven project would affect a larger part of the resulting exhibition of sixty-three works of OIL-FREE COAST, please turn to page 5 coal per year. The controversial project is Vancouver Island during its projected 17-year strongly opposed by the Wilderness lifespan. From Fanny Bay, the coal would be North Galiano approves new emergency building Committee, local grassroots citizen and trucked over public highways in 52,000 heavy Sara Miles environmental groups, the BC Shellfish B-train coal trucks annually, to the proposed North Galiano is getting a new ‘We knew its days were numbered,’ Roger Growers Association, and the Council of port site at Port Alberni. The port would be firehall/emergency services building, and it Pettit, Vice-chair of the North Galiano Fire Canadians. The K’ómoks First Nation has also serviced by large ocean-going freighters, should be ready in just over one year. Protection Commission, told Island Tides. expressed concerns about the potential possibly requiring dredging in the Alberni In a November 24 referendum, 94 North The firehall renewal process began about 15 environmental impact of the project. Inlet, which is a migration corridor for BC’s Galiano residents voted in favour of, and 40 years ago, when the North Galiano Community Based on concerns over the mine’s impact third most productive sockeye salmon run. It voted against, authorizing the Capital Regional Association purchased the land for a new hall, on regional water quality, the CVRD previously is also feared that the mine could threaten the District to increase property taxes to fund at the southeast corner of Porlier Pass Road requested that independent watershed shellfish, tourism and farming industries on construction of a new fire hall. and Cook Road. (North Galiano Fire Protection mapping be included in the environmental central Vancouver Island. The firehall currently in use is 20-years-old, Commission became an entity in its own right review requirements. This request was not The pre-application phase for the project is and located on private, leased land. The hall is under the CRD in 2004.) met, prompting the motion to oppose the mine drawing to a close and the proponent, too small for the new fire trucks, it does not ‘We got serious about three years ago, when until the provincial and federal governments Compliance Coal Corporation, is expected to meet modern safety requirements, and the the landowners said they would not renew the recognize the legitimate apprehension of submit their final application to the provincial landowners do not wish to renew the lease. It lease,’ explained Pettit. regional stakeholders. and federal review bodies in the near future. is not earthquake proof either, a factor that The first estimates for the project were high, ‘The Wilderness Committee would like to Public comment periods will be part of the final could severely limit emergency response so the commission found ways to reduce the publicly congratulate the CVRD for showing review process. 0 capabilities in the event of a disaster. FIRE HALL, please turn to page 4 is at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes outside or racks inside! Sidney—Beacon Avenue Nanaimo—VI Conference Centre Parksville—Heritage Centre Mall South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Nanaimo—Beaufort Centre Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Avenue Nanaimo—Crnr Island Hwy @ Hammond Bay Rd Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd CO-OP Campbell River—Willow Point Village Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, December 13, 2012 Kinder Morgan introduces pipeline expansion project Mary Gillis AT POINT ATKINSON DECEMBER Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. 0523 15.4 4.7 0406 7.5 2.3 1020 11.5 3.5 1100 15.4 4.7 12WE 1513 15.1 4.6 20TH 1822 6.2 1.9 2242 0.7 0.2 0609 15.7 4.8 0036 10.8 3.3 1115 11.5 3.5 0507 9.2 2.8 13TH 1604 15.1 4.6 21FR 1139 14.8 4.5 2328 0.3 0.1 1912 5.2 1.6 0654 16.4 5.0 0215 11.8 3.6 1211 11.2 3.4 0624 10.5 3.2 14FR 1657 14.8 4.5 22SA 1218 14.4 4.4 1958 4.6 1.4 0013 0.7 0.2 0330 12.8 3.9 0737 16.4 5.0 0747 11.2 3.4 15SA 1309 10.8 3.3 23SU 1258 14.1 4.3 1751 14.1 4.3 2040 3.9 1.2 0058 1.3 0.4 0423 13.5 4.1 0819 16.4 5.0 0858 11.8 3.6 16SU 1411 10.2 3.1 24MO 1338 13.8 4.2 1849 13.1 4.0 2120 3.6 1.1 0143 2.6 0.8 0504 14.1 4.3 0901 16.4 5.0 0955 11.8 3.6 17MO 1516 9.2 2.8 25TU 1418 13.5 4.1 1954 12.1 3.7 2157 3.3 1.0 0228 3.9 1.2 0538 14.8 4.5 0941 16.1 4.9 1041 11.8 3.6 18TU 1622 8.2 2.5 26WE 1458 13.5 4.1 11.2 3.0 2111 3.4 2232 0.9 Photo: Paul Manly 0314 5.9 1.8 0610 15.1 4.6 1021 15.7 4.8 1121 11.8 3.6 Kinder Morgan is introducing its Trans Mountain pipeline expansion at public information sessions. Here, a Kinder Morgan 19WE 1725 7.2 2.2 27TH 1537 13.5 4.1 2247 10.8 3.3 2305 2.6 0.8 staff member speaks with a member of the public, while a protester holds a sign opposing the project. NEW MOON DECEMBER 13 | FULL MOON DECEMBER 28 anaimo’s Beban Park Recreation Centre was abuzz marine shipping safety concerns posed by the public. with oil pipeline advocates and opponents, Tuesday Responding to questions about oil spills, staff mostly referred evening, December 4. For over three hours, clusters of to information provided in the brochures. For example, the individualsN and advocacy groups from Vancouver Island and company has been loading marine vessels since 1956 ‘without the Gulf Islands dropped into a Public Information Session a single spill’. There have been 78 spills recorded on land, hosted by Kinder Morgan. The open house was one of a series ‘mostly in pipeline terminals and pump stations’, since 1961. being held by the Texas-based energy company to introduce its Visitor Bob Hollies, a retired chemical engineer who lives in Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project. Parksville, said, ‘It’s like shipping out raw logs.

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