Grant sought for aerator repairs By TONY RICHARDS oxygen at lower levels. Driftwood Staff Nordin's report said two sepa­ Mounting concerns over the rate problems needed to be ad­ quality of water in St. Mary Lake dressed: internal loading of phos­ have led to a move to obtain spe­ phorus from sediments at the lake cial funding to repair the aerators bottom and external sources of installed 10 years ago, but no one phosphorus in the watershed. He yet knows when those repairs will recommended aeration for the first be completed. and offered several "watershed Kathy Reimer of the Salmon management options" for the sec­ Enhancement Society has applied ond. They included limiting devel­ for matching funds from opment, sewers and pumping and Environment Canada's environ­ hauling sewage from properties in mental partners fund as the first the watershed. step in paying for repairs that Two aerators were subsequently could run as high as $20,000. built after being designed by envi­ The aeration equipment was in­ ronment ministry personnel and stalled on the recommendation of fisheries engineers at the University a 1983 Ministry of Environment of B.C. Fisheries biologist Peter report by Richard Nordin of the Law said in an interview that 10 ministry's water management years ago there had been little expe­ branch. A study of lake water rience in building such equipment. quality between 1979 and 1981 "We had to design it ourselves." identified an oversupply of nutri­ Law noted that the system's life ents as the lake's major problem expectancy at the time was only and that phosphorus was a key el­ 10 years. ement of that condition. Nordin But, he said, "we feel fairly wrote 11 years ago that there were comfortable with the system" and year-round algae blooms, poor water clarity and a shortage of WATER A2 Attitude shift needed in changing job market says vice principal By VALORIE LENNOX "The days of jobs-for-life are Driftwood Staff gone." Learn to learn, learn to try and The baby-boomers were the last learn to fail. generation to walk out of school That's the advice Scott and find employers waiting with Bergstrome hands out these days, open arms. "There were tons of trying to prepare students at Gulf jobs around." Islands Secondary for a fast- Bergstrome remembers recruit­ changing job market. ing drives on university campuses, But the same advice applies to as companies vied for graduates. many adults, says Bergstrome. Now many graduates can't find Last week he attended a workshop work at all. While in Vancouver on Skills Now, the government last week, Bergstrome met a GISS initiative to prepare people of all graduate who is now in a third- ages for the changing job market. year honours program at UBC. Before such initiatives can be The student was dismayed to dis­ successful, Bergstrome said, peo­ cover employers are seeking tech­ ple need to change their expecta­ nicians and skilled labourers and tions. feared the only possible source of 16 years, the visiting skippers gave demon­ "I think we need a major atti­ employment was to complete a Sheila Ball was one of many Salt Spring tude shift in this country. We still master's and doctorate degree and Elementary students who enjoyed a visit strations to students, and spent some time cling to old ideas and institutions. then compete for a university last Thursday by the Island Hoppers, a skipping with them in the schoolyard. We feel if we get a head full of skipping team from Victoria. Aged five to Photo by Tony Richards knowledge, someone will want us. ATTITUDES All tlierlxt le ital Comment V> HI ml III flMHtKililmU Classifieds A2: 'ross-Currents I>5 at Femwoodfon Crossword 157 GradsatGISS hn>u»h the Years V31 subject of new bo< Editorials \4 talk about their plai in Thumb H5 by Dayle Gaetz Letters \5 ter Nature 156 )uter Gulf Islands B14 Real Estate 151-16 Sports B10 \ k\v Point \4 weanesaay, iviay 10, iwt jn^^v «l>^£*t Reimer hopes groups Vision Quest this week & School AUDIO & VISUAL will match funding ARTS & TECHNOLOGY Take advantage of a sunny weekend Kathy Reimer expects to hear District, the Salmon Enhancement SUMMER WORKSHOPS to go beachcombing for that potentially this week about the prospects for Society, the Capital Region and FOR YOUTH prize-winning piece of driftwood to enter federal money to help repair the property owners. She said some with film maker and recording artist in the Great Driftwood Contest — aeration system on St. Mary Lake. resort owners have already offered PEETER PRINCE Reimer met a June 1 deadline to put up money. B. Tech MP A just two weeks away at Sea Capers. for making an application to the Reimer also clarified a state­ Hands on training with film & video environmental partners fund for ment she made last week about equipment & a multi-track music matching dollars to repair the streams running through un- recording facility. Exciting projects for lake's aerators, designed to put fenced cattle pastures and into the youth interested in learning about: fair change oxygen into the lake's lower lev­ lake. She believed there were two 16MM FILM & VIDEO PRODUCTION els. Heavy algae bloom over the or three farms with such streams CAMERA & EDITING TECHNIQUES winter provided evidence that but stressed that "we are not go­ PERFORMING, SONGWRITING & MUSIC RECORDING Island Savings was buying U.S. cash they had been malfunctioning ing to cram anything down any­ Sessions: I 10-12 years July 25-29 on Tuesday at the rate of 1.3450. since last summer. one's throat." II Teenagers Aug. 1-12 Reimer said she hoped that She also stated that septage III Advanced Aug. 15-26 matching funds would come from from lakeshore properties was a the North Salt Spring Waterworks bigger problem. Phoenix School, 163 Drake Rd, Ganges weatliei For details call 537-2116 WATER HIGHS: 21 C (normal 18) LOWS: 9 C (normal8) From Page Al PRECIPITATION: 10% chance of precipitation Wednesday new aerators will be built with Both Kathy Reimer and a water better components and an im­ management technician with the OUTLOOK: Sunny Wednesday with cloudy periods. proved design that will put more environment ministry suggested Thursday will be sunny with cloudy periods and Friday will oxygen into the lake. that raising the level of the lake be mostly sunny. Temperatures will be lows of 9, highs of 20 The aerators bring up water would keep the water temperature both days, climbing to a high of 21 on a sunny Saturday. from the lake's cooler, bottom lay­ lower and improve water quality. ers to the surface where it picks up Bruno Blecic said the water oxygen before being returned. temperature increases as the water nT NATURAL HEALTHCARE > of note Law said it was the only technique level is drawn down. "If you keep known to address the internal more water in the lake, the cooler SALT SPRING loading of phosphorus. the water is going to be and the ISLAND'S June 8 School Board Law, who works for the envi­ less problems you're going to ronment ministry's fisheries have with quality." He felt a dam BEST KEPT June 10,11 Islands Trust branch in Nanaimo, also con­ or weir would have to be built on June 12 Middle Ages 'Drop in' firmed the possibility of a fish kill Duck Creek to keep the level up. SECRET- this summer. The lake's top 25 But Law said it did not matter We are open feet is too warm for trout and how much more water there was in salmonids in the summer so they the lake. Rather, it required more 9-5 weekdays LUNAR CYCLE: for June 1994 go deeper to find cooler water. But flushing, something that a weir the deeper water is low in oxygen would restrict. And Nordin said • NUTRITIONAL so the fish try to remain in the keeping the level up would only be SUPPLEMENTS a • D o a thermocline, a layer between the useful if it meant a difference of at • HERBAL MEDICINE I June 01 June 09 June 16 June 23 June 30 warmer water and that with insuf­ least "a couple of metres." ficient oxygen, Law explained. A public education campaign has • HEALTH CARE BOOKS "If the thermocline becomes unsta­ been mounted by the Ecosystem Come in and browse! ble... the fish have nowhere to go." Stewardship Project to encourage lottery numbers Reimer said two weeks ago that St. Mary Lake residents to elimi­ 130 McPhillips if a large number of fish die, the nate the use of phosphate-free (across from the library) water could become unfit for con­ soaps as one measure to control the DRAW DATE NUMBERS sumption. external loading of phosphorus. 537-4419 Lotto 6/49 June4,1994 13-17-33-39-42-46 B29 Law said monitoring of the June 1,1994 12-13-16-29-44-45 B40 lake's oxygen levels for three years after the aerators were in­ B.C/49 June 4,1994 11-18-20-32-36-46 B45 stalled found the system was f^idfJslund (^lass June 1,1994 01-06-10-19-22-40 B24 working. Measurements were compared with data gathered earli­ Extra June 4, 1994 10-18-52-92 er by Nordin. TIRED OF STARING AT June 1, 1994 51-58-68-74 "We have a strong background of evidence to show ... the sys­ THE tem has had a significant effect on Patio doors open up a whole new point of view! water quality," Law said.