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Smoked out Fire burning at Lizard Lake
Friday, August 14, 2015
Malahat chief resigns over soil deal allegations SARAH SIMPSON CITIZEN
Smoke from a massive forest fire at Lizard Lake, more than 30 km south of Mesachie Lake, blanketed the Cowichan Lake area Wednesday and moved into the rest of the Cowichan Valley after that. [KEVIN ROTHBAUER/CITIZEN]
Smoke from Lizard Lake fire choking Lake Cowichan KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN
A massive human-caused wildfire between Mesachie Lake and Port Renfrew has the Cowichan Citizenagain Banner covered Ad 2015.pdf Valley once in a1
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smoky haze, with the Cowichan Lake area particularly hard-hit. The fire near Lizard Lake was first spotted early Wednesday morning, and despite the efforts 07-24-15 3:40 PM grew quickly of firefighters,
throughout the day and into Thursday. Even the BC Wildfire Service was unsure of how large it was as of Thursday morning. See CIRCLE ROUTE, Page 11
Allegations he was receiving a consulting fee from the owners of South Cowichan’s controversial contaminated soil treatment facility have prompted Michael Harry to resign as chief of the Malahat First Nation. Malahat band administrator Lawrence Lewis confirmed Wednesday Harry had indeed left his post, calling it a personal matter not related to the First Nation. “They are allegations at this point, and it’s unfortunate, but I think Michael’s done what I’ve always known him to do and that’s to do what’s in the best interest of the Nation,” Lewis said. “The Nation had no knowledge of this personal relationship that’s alleged to have existed between Michael Harry and South Island Aggregates. I didn’t know, the Nation didn’t know, and so it appears to be a personal issue or matter between Michael and these folks.” Shawnigan Residents’ Association president Calvin Cook
believes Harry’s resignation came as a result of his group’s most recent court filing, another Notice of Application in B.C. Supreme Court. The information, not proven in court, suggests Harry was paid “a consulting fee per tonne of soil.” “In those listings it does show a consulting fee paid on several occasions to Chief Michael Harry,” Cook said of the documents submitted on Aug. 6. “It’s really unfortunate,” Cook said of Harry’s resignation. “They’ve [the Malahat Nation] been doing so many good things in the community. We’ll just have to wait and see where this leads. I think that’s probably the appropriate thing to do is to step aside until a complete investigation has been done.” It’s been two years since the province authorized South Island Aggregates/Cobble Hill Holdings to collect and treat five million tonnes of dirty dirt over the next 50 years. See RESIDENTS, Page 9