FRIDAY FEB 28, 2014
VOL. 41, NO. 08
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A summary of cetaceans
Cool facts you might not know about local whales, porpoises and dolphins
The eight-limbed braniac
Local biologist extols the virtues of this week’s Creature of the Week
Celebrating Bowen
Looking back on last year’s Bowfest, and planning for the next
Islands Trust applies as a commenter on pipeline expansion National Energy Board denies Trust’s request for an extension of the application deadline MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Commuters and students walk off the 3:30 ferry. Meribeth Deen, Photo
The Islands Trust is among one of the more than 2,000 applicants hoping have their opinions heard at a set of National Energy Board hearings into the expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline. The Trust had made a formal request to the NEB that they extend the deadline for application, but the request was denied. “I know we are not the only ones who have made such a request,” says Sheila Malcolmson, Council Chair of the Islands Trust. “We would have liked to have had more time to make the application so that we could have more public debate surrounding the issue prior to making our submission.” The NEB’s deadline for submitting an application on this matter was February 12th. Malcolmson pass his proposed resolution. says the Islands Trust was not “I have mixed feelings about the fact that the informed of this until January 14th, petition was tabled in the Legislature today,” says which left, as stated in the letter requesting an extension, “an insufPietrow. “I spoke to Jordan Sturdy on Monday eveficient amount of notice for an ning, and he said he would show the petition to elected body with accountability to [Transportation] Minister [Todd] Stone, and make taxpayers to make such a significant sure that it was discussed in the Premier’s office. I decision.” then suggested that the opposition critic on ferries, The Islands Trust requested that NDP MLA Claire Trevena could table the petition... the deadline be extended until March He wants me to just trust him, trust that he’ll be as 7th, so that the Council could diseffective as possible, but I just can’t put my faith in cuss the issue at its meeting taking his process.” place between March 4th and 6th. Malcolmson says that the request continued, PAGE 2
Bowen petition against ferry cuts presented to BC Legislature MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
As of Monday, the Liberal MLA representing Bowen Island, Jordan Sturdy, had been in possession of a local petition against BC Ferries for 35 days. Eager to see the petition presented at the BC Legislature, its creator, Andrew Pietrow, urged Bowen’s Council to draft a resolution urging Sturdy to raise the petition as a Caucus item. Council dismissed the request, and on Tuesday, MLA Sturdy tabled the petition in the Legislature. Despite this development, Pietrow says he still wants Council to
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VOL. 4 1, NO. 02
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MER IBET ration H DEEN s will be prothose detail EDITO tal assessmentby the R cted the environmen it is condu Howe Soun cial govR ish cess, whether d is a place EDITO Bowen is nment, Provin wher mill near Squam one Federal gover A former pulp shores of Howe erning this of five governing e watersheds and both. boundarie West ernment or Ngo says Woodfibre s converge. estry distri region are the Islan municipalities on on the North a chance at a secHow cts, First get However, to provide Elected offici Nations, as ds Trusts, three regio e Sound. Also Sound may Liquefied Natural Gas y, the ting BC Hydro ress govexpec a well nal als is as comp facilit t districts, from the as provi Sound have ond life needed to three forssing and expor been meet communities whosncial and federal form (the gas the power est, they come (LNG) proce National Energy Board governmen ing for a into liquid e watersheds ximately adecade to natural gas ts. together unde feed into Forum. At now that the the company’s applic cooled to appro the r the bann discuss issues of their last needs to be Celcius). common palities, regio er meeting, has approved t LNG. The Canadian es interthe eleven of the Howe Soun represeny -160 degre together to nal governments d Communi n, Bowen’s signees (whic tion to expor Assessment Agenc Peter Frinto to Sky Clean Air ntal ty h include coordinate urge the federal andand the Squamish Environme for public comment Sea conmuni the is y to Natio cid tative n) agreed 14th, they strategy for the Sounprovincial gover is now asking federal environmen n while the Societ to work nments to are hopin a Society, says the re-industrializatio d. At their to give to help build g to hear on whether is required, and next use about d the the what highe meeting, a ce cerne al in general, on r levels of tal assessmentrequest by the Provin Bowen muniprocess. y governmen January d for the annu of Howe Sound cipal coun of power largel ct the meeting as whether the t are willin as a source zed bia to condu of Howe Soun a representa cillor Wolfgang g should be of hydro concerns about locali illy waters Trust. of British Colum Dunt tive of Bowe the chilly tal assessment, alleviates n but also z will be attending mers brave environmen “Part of this as a truste water)! Swim air pollution. need to know the spee from the rd, wanted to the reason I ran as approved. inside (the uka, photo Islands t goes forwa a trustee change the I think if “We really Baby it’s cold with the Islan focused on If the projec 3-4 tankers – each fact that Frinton, “butal gas to dip. Kami Kanets ely cifics,” says Polar Bear “And I can the issues just affectthe organization was ds Trust is becau approximat and a half times the burning natur se I tell you that ing the speci so inward they were plant they would likely the roughly one Ferries Coastal Class looking, so region is fic Gulf Islan From seeing an that has changed drast power their opposition. The “thre size of a BC the ferries that ically in theds,” says Duntz. a lot more as ats” Dunt avalanche of threa , I am a lot face and (such ective bay past he z ts.” Ferry persp says peop points to year as now en Horseshoe the big picmy personal years ago. le in the Southern include shellfish travel betwe will pass by Bowen rned about and in the farm Gulf Islan more conce comes to air quality, ds were relati ing, whose impa “After a numb Nanaimo) month. Propelled by the paramedics it gas ct directly to ture when vely naive er of these does to the say, greenhouse Island every diesel as a the patient about five the ambulance. proje thee age of questions about d through the natuger seats of emergency, we call the ” natural gas and using e-hulled debris and landscape and they cts have gone throu create ge, an the doubl iver and passenpaged forKare dama don’t like driver gh, people emissions try as a whole.” n tonnes ed the messa get it,” Duntz says ge that gets left back-up fuel, n receivhes we “When we n-based carry 2.1 millioChina behind whenhe says. “And they see what it lance, DEEN new prop ral gas indus m that we’veethHug and geoducks, , the Bowe a few to the ambu tankers will osals for see all the MER IBETH her to confir n weMerib they close get into Deen which is entire ispatccher natural gas Merran Smith Energy with dispat simil photo cher as it of her ied “hom will mean ies” at the of liquef hue. “Whe R was to Clean ly new to ar projects (inclu down.” by the dispat of 225 Dono or ted thing n tanke EDITO ays says the direct comcollec Statio ding the region), end ofofthe rs shipp e through the ation every year. a, says that that it is a Year’s eve lance Servic plus indus the farming of the manager scho ed softal olTides area have ing, coal, oil and liquid get the inform day Canad trial plans he BC Ambu in the lead up to New LNG is Marion Ngo, Woodfibre Natur at “Before we raised the offer is updat lance says that ” about BICS not in. hue s natur ber that busy . does with Dono come alarm al gas will make judge remem an system unusually . tion,” says es the ambu munications the project is still in be going edic Brend ber 29th ments on Dunt What the new system that ensur locations. fossil fuel. these thing this year. Paramen midnight on Decem PAGE 2 GPS to four The island z. MER route emergency l, this is Gas Ltd., says s of planning, so eles, we need continued, ware for the the most directIBET H DEEN shift betwe ber 30th, he responded lly engimore infor that could s in Howe Soun the early phase Colleen O’Nei during his E D I T inator d face madrastically ing technology,projects g the typica on Decem drivers take Circle coord OR change the a whole other set ments regard and midnighthe says, is unusual durinto those calls in the ts of the For Caring region’s lands of projects , 2 neering and impac a rn. a com- a large hotel hue drove On the last whole other proposals calls, which cape: ued, PAGE a major conce equipped with r season. Dono -marina of school Hughes said daycontin - a gravel Hughes saidstory.” slow winte ambulance, which is . 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DED recreation Duntz. “We need about the region one full day driving the schooquality of even bette helps of Dry Eye to their g contac as a whol to ingculty al r. oms know sympt t or protection lead to the l bus two a week until lty wearin hmen e, movi fi them all as indiv pen by accid areas, residential decide what we want a prolonged difficu she’s afternoons for ages “I know if eyes, and diffi can a replanouris areas, and focusingidual Ave ent.” Parkadeleaving big cementwhich to be indus ng for, in turn,and they’ve got g, tired shoes you don’t is found day or after now havesaisdiagnosticGeologist tearin “You need Clyde to fill. surface, trial areas the siblin times I even light,Some of , to just but end and gs rs vity to let , andDocto former mayo be a good those thing Shoppers hasorhad the if so who need to ning at the know if they’ Eye Savary ion, sensiti ly monit Drug eyes ve driver,sensat itative know that s hapthey r Bob Island privilege Mart are. of course, d vision, often worse uter screen. 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Maureen Sawasy 604.947.2442
continued, PAGE 2
FRIDAY 4 JAN 03,, N201 O. 01
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was denied promptly, and the Islands Trust did manage to get their application in prior to the deadline. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also requested a deadline extension (the risk of an oil spill caused by increased tanker traffic in along coastal waters is of significant concern to the state of Washington) and was also rejected. However, the EPA did not manage to get its submission in prior to the deadline. In applying to participate in the hearings, the Islands Trust chose the role of a commenter on the Kinder Morgan project. “As an intervenor, we will have the opportunity to make a very thorough written submission outlining our concerns about marine safety and the increase in tanker traffic that the pipeline will bring to our waters,” says Malcolmson. “As our members are not situated along the actual route of the pipeline, and the hearings are actually focused on the pipeline itself and not tanker traffic, we decided to use this particular method for stating our case. We have a very limited budget and we want to use a variety of approaches to change policies on oil spills and tankers. We didn’t want to put all our eggs in one basket, with these hearings alone.”