Island Tides Regional Newspaper
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Every Second Strait of Georgia Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at islandtides.com A Legend of the Coast Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Volume 20 Number 20 October 16—October 29, 2008 $1 at Selected Retailers Tide tables 2 Candidates 2 & 3 Gardening 3 Letters 4 What’s on? 5 RTI 6 Bulletin board 11 45 candidates nominated for Islands Trust Photo: Henny Schnare, www.henny.ca positions Galiano ferry workers clean-up the beach at Sturdies Bay as part of Vancouver Aquarium’s Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up. At the close of the nomination period for the Islands Trust elections, 45 candidates, including 15 incumbents, Elder Cedar nature NGOs take legal action to protect orcas had submitted nomination papers for On October 8, the federal Department of Southern Resident Killer Whales.’ positions on twelve local trust reserve celebrated Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) was presented Frustrated by the federal government’s committees and Bowen Island with a lawsuit backed by environmental groups failure to take steps under SARA to protect the Municipal Council. Voting day is ~ Islands Trust Fund from across Canada. Filed by lawyers with orcas, the David Suzuki Foundation, Saturday, November 15, 2008. In the Gabriola Island residents gathered recently to celebrate Ecojustice, the lawsuit alleges that DFO has Environmental Defence, Greenpeace Canada, Mayne Island and Saturna Island local the official naming of the Islands Trust Fund’s Elder failed to legally protect critical habitat of BC’s the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the trust areas, an election may not be Cedar (S’ul-hween X’pey) Nature Reserve, formally most iconic marine mammals, the endangered Raincoast Conservation Society and the necessary as there were two candidates known as the UREP lands. Snuneymuxw linguist and Southern Resident and threatened Northern Wilderness Committee have turned to the nominated for the two positions in each elder Dr Ellen White honoured the nature reserve with Resident Killer Whales. courts as a last resort. local trust area. a Hul’qumi’num name—S’ul-hween X’pey or Elder On September 10, 2008, without consulting ‘DFO’s decision not to protect critical habitat Nominations closed at 4pm on Cedar. Dr White translates the word ‘elder’ to mean killer whale scientists, DFO declined to issue an of Resident Killer Whale is symptomatic of the Friday, October 10 but on South Pender more than old; it has connotations of unseen ancestors Order under Species at Risk Act (SARA) to federal government’s widespread failure to the nomination period was extended and guardians. A stroll along the nature reserve’s trails protect the Resident Killer Whales’ critical implement the Species at Risk Act,’ said Gwen until 4pm, October 14 as there only one can reveal the true meaning of the name—visitors may habitat from destruction, say the groups Barlee, Policy Director of the Wilderness candidate for the two local trustee feel the presence of ancient spirits in the veteran cedar bringing the action. Committee, adding ‘BC’s endangered species positions. giants that watch over this quiet place. ‘This is the first lawsuit ever of its kind in deserve better.’ Like other communities in British ‘This is a very special day, because this is a very Canada,’ said Lara Tessaro, Staff Lawyer at Bill Wareham, Senior Marine Conservation Columbia, island communities elect special place’ said Gabriola Land & Trails Trust Ecojustice. ‘We hope to force the federal Specialist at the David Suzuki Foundation, local government representatives every President Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley at the event. ‘I am government to legally protect the critical explained ‘To truly protect killer whales’ critical three years. Islands Trust trustee are delighted that we have the chance to gather to celebrate habitat of endangered species—like the ORCAS, please turn to page 7 among these, together with regional this jewel, a place that individuals and groups from district representatives and school across the island worked so hard to preserve and district trustees. protect.’ Commentary by Patrick Brown Voters in each of the twelve Local The Islands Trust Fund Board received the Elder Trust Areas elect two local trustees to Cedar (S’ul-hween X’pey) Nature Reserve from the Anatomy of a body blow serve on a local trust committee and to Province of British Columbia in 2006 as its first Free Do you remember: ‘Follow the birds to Over the last five years, the emphasis of represent it on the Islands Trust Council. Crown Grant. Members of the Gabriola Land Victoria’? It used to be the slogan of the BCFS has certainly changed from providing the Local trustees serve a three-year term Conservancy and the Gabriola Land & Trails Trust led government-run BC Ferries. Five years after the transportation infrastructure for the coast to and make land use planning decisions the campaign to protect this land. The 65-hectare (162 Coastal Ferries Act and the ‘privatization’ of BC being a profitable monopoly corporation. The for their communities. They are acre) forest contains the last remaining stand of old- ferries, the seagulls have come home to roost— government has stubbornly limited its financial responsible for decisions about official growth trees on Gabriola Island. Stoney Creek and in Victoria (surprise!). exposure, refusing to review its original community plans, zoning and In 2003, the newly elected Liberal provincial business plan. New ships have been built, subdivision regulations and a variety of government, looking for a prototype for the mostly outside Canada, with over a billion development applications. ‘privatization’ of BC Hydro, seeking to make dollars borrowed by the now ‘independent’ On Bowen Island, voters elect two political capital out of the previous NDP corporation. Directors and officers have trustees at the same time they elect the 7- government decision to have fast aluminum received substantial increases in remuneration. member Bowen Island Municipal catamaran ferries built in BC, seeking to limit Fares, originally forecast to rise modestly Council. Two municipal trustees both the political and financial responsibilities with the cost of living, have more than doubled represent Bowen Island at the Islands for providing ferry services to coastal on some minor routes. Recently, in addition to Trust Council. communities, and facing the need to borrow announcing its intent to move to new offices, it The Islands Trust Council has a over $2 billion in shipbuilding costs to renew has taken to defining its services as ‘products’, provincial mandate to preserve and much of the aging fleet, decided to ‘sell’ BC thus raising the possibility of discontinuing protect the Islands Trust Area and its Ferries. Since it was already a Crown them if they do not yield profits. And in a novel unique amenities and environment for several other streams cross the property, bringing vital Corporation, and there were no waiting buyers, example of political blindness, the government residents and all British Columbians. To nutrients and biodiversity values to the forest. the government exercised considerable has appointed the brothers Stoilen, one to the carry out this mandate, it makes Wetlands scattered throughout the property accounting ingenuity to sell it to itself, stripping Board of Directors, and one to the ‘regulatory’ decisions about overall policy, staff provide habitat for amphibians and food sources for the corporation of assets as it did so. commission. resources and budget. many bird species. The property protects several at-risk Thus was born BC Ferry Services Inc Here Come the Seagulls A preliminary list of candidates for plant communities and animal species including the (BCFS), an undercapitalized corporation, with Besides significant increases in operating costs, Islands Trust positions is on page 3. A band-tailed pigeon and the red-legged frog. an ambitious but risky, business plan BC Ferries has been hit with large increases in final list will be determined by Chief ‘When we protect natural areas like forests and ‘regulated’ by a Commission whose fuel costs. The government has refused to Election Officers on Monday, October marshes, we not only get to enjoy the natural beauty responsibility was to ensure its financial increase its subsidy to absorb even part of these 20 at 4pm. ✐ but we also receive real and measurable benefits such viability (so it could borrow money), and if NATURE RESERVE, please turn to page 2 necessary ignoring any other public interest. FERRIES, please turn to page 9 is now available at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the Island Tides yellow boxes or racks inside! Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Nanaimo—Across from the Hospital Campbell River—Island Highway near Larwood Rd South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Ave Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd Sidney—Beacon Avenue Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave good reading, great coffee — it’s time to get SERIOUS! Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Oct 16, 2008 Commentary by Ellen Gould Conservatives still pushing mortgage deregulation? istening to Stephen Harper and you might think Canada mortgage products do not do cash-strapped families any AT FULFORD HARBOUR plays to our national stereotype when it comes to the favours. Rather than being considered a break for low Lworld of finance—we might be boring but at least we don’t income people, mortgages with lengthy amortizations OCTOBER stand for the risky policies adopted by our American cousins. should be regarded as an extremely expensive way to buy a Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. In response to a pessimistic Merrill Lynch report on Canada’s home. An analysis in the Toronto Star pointed out: ‘A 40- housing market, for example, Harper said ‘We don’t have the year mortgage [on a $350,000 home] will save you $73 a 0444 9.5 2.9 0427 3.0 0.9 same situation here with the mortgages as was the case in the US week on payments but cost an extra $254,000 in interest 14 0952 6.6 2.0 22 1248 11.2 3.4 TU 1545 10.5 3.2 WE 1925 7.5 2.3 with the subprime mortgages there.