Island Marine
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Strait of Georgia Every Second Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at islandtides.com An Islands’ Community Newspaper ~ Bridging The Gulf Since 1989 Canadian Publications Mail Product Volume 19 Number 16 August 9–22, 2007 50¢ at Selected Retailers Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Tide tables 2 Security? 2 N Pender OCP 2 Saturna notes 3 Letters 4 Cement tours 5 What’s on? 5 Save energy 6 Lasqueti parks 7 Worm trip 8 Bulletin board 11 Photo: Toby Snelgrove Hottest July Kayakers silhouetted at sunset of Edith Point, Mayne Island day on record LNG tankers through the Islands? New treaty includes Record-breaking heat was recorded at Patrick Brown Victoria Airport in Sidney, according to some Island shellfish Environment Canada. July 11 was the Two companies are competing to be the first to large on-demand ‘firm’ power supports BC hottest day ever recorded, at 36.3ºC; The Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement, establish a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Hydro’s green power strategy by making it breaking a record set on July 16, 1941. It terminal on the BC coast. They are Kitimat LNG possible to utilize wind and run-of-river power which was recently ratified by members of the band, includes fishing rights in the Fraser River and was preceded by the warmest night ever and Westpac Terminals, both based in Calgary. sources, which may not generate power when it recorded, at 19.6ºC. Over the past two weeks, both have announced is most needed. (However, BC’s extensive shellfish harvesting rights on Galiano, Mayne, On Gonzales Hill, where Victoria’s plans to build combined-cycle, gas-fired, hydroelectric generating capacity is already Saturna, and Tumbo Islands. weather has been recorded since electricity generating plants in conjunction with employed as a ‘balancing’ resource, since its The agreement, which recognizes the Tsawwassen the proposed terminals. generators can be turned on and off as First Nation territorial claim over the Southern Gulf 1898, July 11 saw a temperature of The Kitimat terminal proposal has received required.) Islands, has not yet been ratified by the province of 36ºC, also the highest ever recorded. environmental approvals from both the Said WestPac Director and former Attorney- British Columbia or the government of Canada, but After breathing a sigh of relief that, provincial and federal governments. The General Geoff Plant: ‘We hope the BC both governments appear to be committed to its despite the extreme heat, summer Westpac proposal, originally planned for Ridley Government will agree that we will offer new approval. had really started, July then Island near Prince Rupert, has been moved to and flexible energy options for the province by According to the preamble to the Agreement: presented astonished locals with a few Kiddie Point, at the north tip of Texada Island allowing power generation using natural gas ‘Tsawwassen First Nation claim aboriginal rights days of balmy rain. in the Strait of Georgia. WestPac has that can be imported economically.’ based on their assertion of a unique, current and The July 11 spike, resulted in historical, cultural connection and use, since time announced that they have now leased 46.5 WestPac also claims that the use of a natural higher than normal average daily immemorial, to the lands, waters and resources hectares of land there, and that they plan to gas-powered generating plant on Texada Island temperatures for all July (normal construct a marine jetty and LNG handling would enable BC Hydro to decommission the surrounding those areas of Roberts Bank, the Fraser figures are in brackets): Daily high facility for deepsea LNG tankers, LNG storage Burrard Thermal generating plant, thus River, the Fraser River estuary, Pitt Lake, the Pitt 23.3ºC (21.9ºC); daily low 12.8ºC facilities, a 600MW gas-fired generating plant, improving air quality in the Fraser Valley River, the Serpentine River, the Nicomekl River, and connections to both the BC Transmission airshed. Government policy requires that all Boundary Bay and the Gulf Islands, that comprise (10.8ºC); mean temperature 18.1ºC 500kv electrical line to Vancouver Island, and new generating plants produce zero net Tsawwassen Territory in Canada.’ (16.4ºC). the Terasen natural gas pipeline to Vancouver greenhouse gas emissions, and that existing The Gulf Islands claim included Salt Spring, North The rainy days gave a monthly Island. Both of these lines run across Texada plants reach this target by 2016. It is not clear and South Pender, Galiano, Mayne, and Saturna precipitation total of 31.8mm, more Island. how WestPac would reach this ‘zero net’ Islands. However, this territorial claim is not than 50% above the norm for July. WestPac is ‘in the early stages’ of applying standard, but the purchase of ‘carbon credits’ mentioned anywhere else in the agreement, and However July’s wet ones were nothing for government approvals, and does not appear might be the answer. At $15 per tonne, the cost appears to be included mainly as historical context. like July 20, 1993 when it rained to have reached any agreements with either BC of such credits has been estimated at some $23 This broad definition of Tsawwassen Territory 50mm—now that’s wet! ✐ Hydro (to purchase the electrical power million per year, a small price for the possible does not play a large part in the agreement, except produced), BC Transmission Corp (to transport electricity sales of $300 million. for: the power), or Terasen (to buy and transport WestPac also claims that the company could • consultation on National Park or NMCA And the natural gas from Texada). make LNG available for vehicles in planning and management in the Territory; WestPac claims that the importing of LNG neighbouring communities. But there is, at the • gathering plants in Provincial Parks, Protected nominees are... by tanker provides a new way for BC to become Areas, or Wildlife Management Areas in the energy self-sufficient, and that the provision of LNG, please turn to page 2 Territory; The nomination period for two vacant • participation in provincial and federal Local Trustee positions has closed, with environmental management processes in the two candidates nominated to run in the Don’t blame us, says Ferry Commission Territory. Hornby Island by-election and two in the South Pender Island by-election. In its latest Annual Report, the BC Ferry Increasing Fares The 224-page Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement almost totally settles their claim. The only Nominated for the Hornby Island Commission has put considerable emphasis on Fares, admits the commission, will continue to remnant of that claim that remains is the Intertidal Trustee position are George Buvyer and trying to explain what its responsibilities are, rise: Bivalve Fishing Area, which includes the entire Tony Law. The South Pender Island and to explain why it can’t do very much about ‘Our ruling contains an inflation-related intertidal shoreline of Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and candidates are Richard Rue and Wendy the rapid increase in ferry fares. formula under which BC Ferries could raise Tumbo Islands and surrounding islets (but not Scholefield. The Coastal Ferries Act, which set up the fares considerably faster than the increase in Parker Island). However, where this overlaps with a An Election by Voting will take place commission as a ‘watchdog’ over BC Ferries the consumer price index through 2012. National Park or a National Marine Conservation on August 25. Those elected will serve Services Inc, limited its responsibilities to We built into the price caps a challenge to Area, the agreement makes it clear that the National until the current term of office ends in ensuring that the ferry corporation was run as a the company to improve its overall productivity early December 2008. by 1% annually. Even so, our ruling means, on Park or NMCA regulations take precedence. The viable business, with an increasing proportion agreement also states that the right is to harvest ‘for The by-elections will fill two vacant of its revenue from fares, and a decreasing average over the four years of performance Local Trustee positions for the remainder term two, that fares could climb at up to two domestic purposes,’ and ‘is limited by measures proportion from government subsidies. necessary for conservation, public health or public of the 2005-2008 term of office. The times the rate of general inflation on the major positions became vacant this spring To quote the Commission’s report: ‘The safety.’ route group, and up to three times on the other following the resignation of former Commission is not an ombudsperson acting to It is also clear that the Province has retained the ‘non major’ ones. Hornby Trustee Cari St Pierre and the resolve any private disputes with ferry right to ‘authorize uses and dispositions of foreshore Behind these relatively rapidly rising price death of former South Pender Trustee operators; nor is it a general complaints or rights’ even if these affect the Tsawwassen First caps are certain realities: John Henshaw. compliments bureau. Further, it is not Nation harvest, and that harvest, in turn, must not • underlying costs of ferry service are Information about the nominees, responsible for regulating safety or affect other ‘authorized uses.’ climbing due to general inflation in the cost of voter qualifications and registration, Islands Trust executives say the Trust was environmental impacts of ferry operations.’ In labour, fuel and maintenance; voting times and places has published in consulted about Tsawwassen First Nations harvesting considering fares, the Commission is not • on top of this, BC Ferries is in a catch-up local newspapers throughout the Hornby empowered to consider their impact on the rights, and they expect that bivalve harvesting will only communities served by ferries. FERRIES, please turn to page 3 affect small areas of the Islands’ shoreline.