VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Have you walked the beach between Jordan River and China Beach lately?

If you have, you'll notice from Rock Piles to about a kilometer down the shore, that the beach is saturated in gas and oil slick.

And if you walk further, you'll notice the yellow and blue surveyor's tape in the trees, on the logs and even anchored in the sand on the beach.

Walk just a bit further and you'll notice gaps up on the ridge, and trees that are downed and what appears to be a sliding hillside.

And just beyond that you might feel your heart stop as you come upon 3 large debris piles sitting right on the mid-tide mark. One of the piles is all but burnt up...so really you can't miss them.

If you can stomach the trek up the "Beach Access Trail", you might have concerns with re-inforced creek beds, culverts and ditches re-routing run off into the stream, and a section of stream that has been completely covered with dirt and rocks.

You don't have to think too hard before you question the ramifications of heavy machinery used to push the debris onto the beach, the churned up sand and rocks and logs that are all mixed with dirt, the implications to the habitats that live there, the run off of oil and other toxic materials into the ocean, and if you think about the surveyor's tape, you might just even wonder about access to some of your coveted surf spots.

These are my own observations, go look for yourself and see what you think.

What are you prepared to do about it? Email me at .

Mahalo!
:)Brooke

I noticed the raping and pillaging of the hillside above JR on Friday, JR itself looked "normal" but I am amazed this continues to be permitted.....who's district/regional responsibility is THIS?? Money grubbing F@#&ers

As per most things that involve the environment, and especially those things that happen outside of the City of Victoria, it's been difficult to find the major players in this. I'm not going to name names (yet), but lets just say I've jumped thru too many gov't hoops, talked to too many pompous fatcats, and left too many messages to back down now!

It's all about the big bucks and the water front views...screw the habitat, the environment, and anyone who gives a damn about that place! Like that's worth anything at the end of the day!

:)Brooke

It certainly sounds like a case (or several) where DFO should be notified. Have you spoken with them yet? If so, what did they say?

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

One thought: have you tried engaging the press? CH or one of the other local stations are often interested in these type of issues.

Morewind is on the right track about the press. We also need to get the pictures up on bigwavedave and other media like utube, river rippers etc.
media can be your best weapon, but you have to make waves like going after the government slogan " supernatural British Columbia". I'm sure the gov. does not want anyone slagging the province. Don't forget the big thrust is the Olympics.

I've contacted a friend at DFO and have described the infractions to him, and he said that it sounds like there are grounds for someone from DFO to go in and suss it out. So I'll be contacting their office in Victoria tomorrow and sending out some emails and video footage. Although with the back up of cases and complaints they receive, it might be some time...so...more time to get the story out there!

As per the media, I went straight to the Sooke News Mirror and hopefully a piece will appear sometime next week, so keep your eyes peeled for the details. I will contact the other news stations and try and get them on board too!

Much Mahalo for the support from you BigWaveDavers out there!
:)Brooke

I left a recorded message with "report violations" at Fisheries and Oceans Canada on October 6. I called again today (Oct 19) to see if they had sent anyone to investigate. This time I got a person, but they couldn't find my original report and didn't know if it had been investigated. So I gave them my report again.

The creek in question is known as First Creek (1 km west of JR) and I believe it is a fish bearing stream (at least trout, if not salmon). The impact on the stream and foreshore is really bad. I hope it is investigated and the damage repaired as soon as possible. I fear the rains of the last two weeks have made things worse. I expect there is more silt washed into the stream bed.

As RocDoc says, First Creek is really bad. I went up yesterday with the Editor of the Sooke News Mirror, and with all the rain lately, the creek is full of silt, and now full of brown dirt that has run off the ridge around the creek.

With the amount of development happening around that creek, the creek is beaverdamned with debris; has newly dug culverts to divert the water; a reinforced creek bank with alot of large boulders; heavy machinery has been used right on the creek banks, and finally (and this is my least favourite infraction), covering over (about a 100 feet or so) the creek itself! To be honest, it's freakin' ridiculous what's happening out there, and I'm not even talking about the mess on the beach!

I'm encountering the usual run around from all the Ministries-hence getting the Editor out there yesterday-and today I'm going to call the hotline myself to complain. I don't know that anyone has been out there to look at it, but we'll keep calling the hotline til they do!

If you'd like to see the mess for yourself, but can't get out to JR, go to www.surfridervictoria.org to check out the pics...they should be up within the next few days.

Mahalo!
:)Brooke

Environment Minister Barry Penner ( a very good man BTW) Email:



Deputy Minister (the person that actually runs the Ministry operationally)

For more local info/contacts try
http://www.dir.gov.bc.ca/gtds.cgi?show= ... ode=DEPOFF

It is amazing what a letter or email will do, they Minister's Office assigns response numbers to each inquiry or report which have to be responded to within a certain timeframe, usually 2 weeks.
The sooner you post those pix the better, not everyone has a chance to get out that way. Post some here and send them to the Minister too

If you don't receive a response from DFO, you may also try reporting this at http://www.Salmonopolis.ca. This new site is a partnership between David Suzuki Foundation and the Sierra Club - BC Chaper, and collects info on habitat violations, and follows up to ensure enforcement by DFO.

MOT operations and their public affairs people are now aware and looking into the issues affecting their area, hope this gets all cleared up

I think that I've successfully posted some pics of the development happening at Jordan River...I think...I'm a rookie at this!

Mahalo!
:)Brooke

Hey All,

Just wanted to give you the update on the development at Jordan River. I just got off the phone with Richard Christianson, a Fisheries Officer from DFO, and this is what he had to say...

1. First Creek: The Officer said that First Creek is not a fish bearing stream and therefore the question of the 'riperian zone' being encroached is null and void-the stipulations do not apply to this creek. Furthermore, because it isn't a fish bearing system, a developer can do what he likes along the creek and to the creek. When I questioned him about the creek being covered up, he said that he didn't think that it was "significant" and that "with a blast of water", the creek would resume it's natural path and repair itself; even with the excess run off of water, silt and dirt, the system would bounce back. He said that the creek was a "small system" but perhaps with all the run off, water quality might be an issue. He didn't see the otter's den and so had no comment on that when I asked about it.

2. Oil on the beach: They looked at the development up on the ridge, and found no oilstains, diesel spills, strong odour of diesel, or leaking machinery. The Officer suggested that perhaps the oil on the beach was from an oil spill off shore, or perhaps the bilging of the hull of a tanker or large fishing vessel. He is ruling out an "upland shore" source, but I still have issues with the correlation between the development and the sudden appearance of alot of oil on the beach. He suggested that we have it tested to see what it is (oil or decomposting seaweed), and then contact the Coast Guard.

3. Use of heavy machinery on the beach: The Officer said that a bobcat was used to move debris around, and that the "footprint" left by this type of machinery was "small".

4. Impact on the Habitat: The Officer said that the Environment Ministry should be consulted on this and that if we wanted to know if an Environmental Impact Study had taken place, that we should contact the CRD.

5. Debris piles on the shore: The Officer did find issues with this practice, and he said that he'd be contacting the Developer and telling him to move the piles off of the beach, to above the high tide line. And he also said that he'd be telling them that the use of excelerants, that close to the ocean, is not acceptable.

So there you have it! I still have concerns with the oil on the beach, whether or not an Environmental Impact study was done for that area, and the time frame in which the piles will be moved; I'm hoping the piles will be moved today. There will be enough of us out there this weekend in the water, we'll see what happens.

I feel a small success with the outcome of the debris piles being moved! And also, the developer will know that Surfrider and other folks are patrolling the beach and that we've got our eyes and ears open to what is going out out there.

Does anyone know where, or how, or who can test the oil on the beach? I'm still trying to contact the Ministry of the Environment, and I'll also be in touch with the CRD today.

Mahalo!

:)Brooke

You could have the oil analysed yourself. I would start by talking to someone like CanTest (see link below).

http://www.cantest.com/cms/page1596.cfm?ptc=1770