Strait of Georgia Every Second Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at Uniting The Salish Sea ~ From Coast to Coast to Coast islandtides.com Volume 21 Number 24 December 3-December 16, 2009 $1 at Selected Retailers Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Tide tables 2 Ferries 2 Bulletin board 7 RTI 5 Local Food 8 Flooding on Vancouver Island Heavy November rain, as storm after storm has swept across the coast from the North Pacific, has caused flooding in towns at some of Vancouver Island’s big river estuaries. Rain sluicing down the eastern slope of Vancouver Island caused rivers to overflow their banks, flooding some heavily built-up low-lying areas on the eastern seaboard. High winds and high tides in the Strait of Georgia made the situation worse by slowing the escape of flood water at river mouths and estuaries. On November 16, the Duncan area, on the banks of the Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers, was hard hit. The municipality declared a local state of emergency. Local agencies and businesses swung into Photo: Ryan Murphy action to help flood victims. High in the trees, Islands arborists do well in competitions. Gabriola’s Jeff Rietkerk competing in the master’s challenge Island Savings Recreation Centre in Duncan was turned into an emergency in the BC Tree Climbing Championship, see ‘Round the Islands,’ page 5. reception centre. Island Savings Credit Union staff joined provincial emergency Commentary ~ Patrick Brown program workers, helping new arrivals Too close for comfort—a ship runs aground check-in and advised them about The reality of a Strait of Georgia oil spill was reports in this side of the border were phone Not such a ‘free vote’ financial assistance and helping initiate brought uncomfortably close on the night of calls from individual witnesses on the Islands. On Wednesday, November 4, the House of Commons damage claims. The Canadian Red Cross November 18. The high winds which have been The BCNew Democrat Party reports that on managed to pass a bill which would terminate the also provided assistance; Thrifty Foods battering the coast for a couple of weeks caused the following Monday, November 23, when national registry of long guns. Bill C-391, was given provided food vouchers to help those the bulk-carrier Hebei Lion to drag its anchor questioned in the Legislature about the oil-spill second reading, approval in principle, and is now transitioning out of emergency reception centres. and run aground onto Conconi Reef between threat caused by the grounding, BCLiberal destined to an all-party committee, which will hold Provincial Disaster Financial Mayne, Pender and Saturna Islands. Victoria’s Environment Minister Barry Penner had no public hearings. Following this, it will be put forward Assistance is being provided to help Joint Rescue Coordination Centre was notified idea an incident had even occurred. ‘It is clear for third reading in the Commons, and it must also be families with the mop-up of 300 by the Hebei Lion, which in turn notified that the latest round of BCLiberal cuts to the passed by the Senate before it can be enacted. evacuated homes. To be eligible for Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada. environment ministry has left the province The long gun registry has been the subject of provincial assistance, damage must be with greatly reduced capacity for controversy and misinformation throughout its 14- The ship, carrying 1.5 million gallons of fuel from uninsurable events such as environmental monitoring and response,’ said year life (it was introduced after the Montreal oil was fortunately helped by the rising tide, overland flooding and mudslides. For NDP environment critic Rob Fleming. ‘This Massacre). The Conservatives included its and pulled off the reef by a tug the following qualifying claims, the program covers up morning. incident had the potential to be a catastrophe termination in their election platform, but failed to and the environment minister wasn’t even to 80% of the portion of a claim Despite ferocious southeast winds in achieve a majority government. They decided not to aware it had happened.’ Fleming was exceeding $1,000, to a maximum of winter, the Plumper Sound anchorage is put the bill forward as a government initiative especially concerned about Minister Penner’s $300,000. Local governments are also considered a favourite ‘safe anchorage,’ for because, with the current dysfunctional imbalance of lack of awareness about the situation given that eligible for DFA; those being considered large vessels waiting for a berth in the Port of our parliament, the three opposition parties might all other BCLiberal ministers are lobbying heavily are Comox Valley Regional District, Vancouver or for international shipping being oppose it, and it would be defeated. for expanded crude oil supertanker traffic and Nanaimo Regional District, Cowichan ‘parked’ before leaving on another assignment It was therefore introduced as a private member’s for the lifting of the federal moratorium on Valley Regional District and Strathcona across the world. Early this year after the bill, under the sponsorship of Candice Hoeppner, a coastal drilling. Regional District. economic downturn, a gigantic car transporter Manitoba Conservative MP. Few such bills ever reach Luckily the Americans were on deck on the Areas of Courtenay/Comox at the was anchored in Plumper Sound for months. a vote, but if they do, custom decrees a ‘free vote,’ day of the grounding and ready to respond. mouth of the Comox Valley river network Plumper Sound is also used by Canada which means that all MPs are free to vote as their The Washington Department of Ecology (Puntledge, Courtenay, Tsolum and Shipping Lines for the off-loading of gypsum conscience and the opinion of their constituents reported it thus the next day: Browns Rivers) were also affected. BC onto barges headed for Texada Island. This has guides them. ‘Free votes’ are rare; they have Hydro helped out there by managing Ecology spill-response managers kept caused a good deal of annoyance on the three historically been reserved for issues such as the 1964 flows into the Puntledge River at the close watch today after a 794ft cargo ship Islands because of the plume of gypsum dust flag debate, and votes on capital punishment and Comox Dam. went aground in the Gulf Islands, just and, in the 1990s, the overturning of a gypsum abortion. In the Campbell River area, BC Hydro northwest of Washington’s San Juan barge and the dumping of a large quanity of In this case, the vote was carried by 164 to 137. was also working hard to control flood Islands. No spill was reported. gypsum on the ocean floor. Eighteen Opposition MPs voted in favour of the bill, water but it had to open the John Hart The bulk-carrier Hebei Lion dragged Downplayed in BC along with all the Conservatives, and so it passed. We Dam releasing water into the Quinsam anchor in winds that reached 74 mph This November’s incident, within the area of have no way of knowing whether Conservative MPs River and also initiate a spill into the Elk overnight and was blown onto a rocky reef the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, was really felt free to vote as they wished; if they were, Lake Falls Canyon. BC Hydro did ward off Mayne Island at Plumper Sound in the downplayed in British Columbia but given full their complete support represents a remarkable off potential flooding along the Campbell coverage in Washington State. The only timely SHIPPING, please turn to page 3 LONG GUNS, please turn to page 2 River and no major problems arose. 0 This Edition Marks The Completion Of Our 20th Year Of Publication! With this edition completes 20 years of publication. An independent from the start and still an independent; during the last two decades has evolved from a local to a regional community newspaper. Our circulation has risen from 4,000 to 18,000. Heartfelt thanks to our all advertisers, contributors and readers. is available at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes or racks inside! Sidney—Beacon Avenue Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Parksville—Heritage Centre Mall Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Ave Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Campbell River—Island Highway @ Village Willow Point good reading, great coffee — it’s time to get SERIOUS! Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Dec 3, 2009 Minister considers, then ignores, first ferry report recommendation ~ Patrick Brown Responding to questions in the legislature on November 19 However, she noted that the responsibility for protecting about the BC Comptroller-General’s October report on the customers’ interests had never been specifically assigned to any InternetInternet PPropertyroperty governance of BC Ferries, Minister of Transportation and part of the structure, and recommended that the role of the MMonitoringonitoring SServiceservices Infrastructure Shirley Bond said, ‘We’ve made a commitment to Ferry Commissioner be expanded to include this, and that the consider every single one of the recommendations seriously.’ Commission’s oversight of fare levels be expanded to include However, having presumably done so, she has reappointed at reservation fees and other revenue sources, particularly for WATCHWATCH YOURYOUR PROPERTYPROPERTY OVEROVER THE INTERNET least one of the directors of the BC Ferry Authority to both the services (such as drop-trailer transport) which face private AS IF YOUYOU WERE THERE...THERE...