WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2014
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ENVIRONMENT
Wading through bureaucratic waters Graeme Wood
Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com
City planners and developers are finding themselves wading through murky waters when it comes to protecting Richmond’s ecologically sensitive riparian areas. These buffers of land surrounding waterways provide shade, soil stability, nutrients and pollutant filtering to the water and are, in essence, regulated by all three levels of government to protect them from development. Richmond’s riparian areas are sloughs, large ditches, small streams as well as marsh areas beyond the dyke, such as Sturgeon Bank. These waterways have protective barriers of five to 15 metres and flow directly into the Fraser River. The provincial Riparian Areas Regulation (RAR) calls on local governments to protect such areas through bylaws. Meanwhile, federal fisheries laws aim to protect fish through ensuring clean water. However, a report from Lesley Douglas, manager of environmental sustainability for the City of Richmond, to the
city’s public works committee on Thursday indicates a number Douglas notes, “there has been a withdrawal of Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) staff from municipal of recent provincial and federal legislative changes have left Environmental Review Committee processes.” questions to be answered. Since this change, the city has had to rely on a “triage” “In recent years, the city has witnessed an unprecedented approach to protecting its waterways rate of change to senior government based on an online application legislation pertaining to DFO staff have made it clear process. This approach “depends environmental management. …With heavily” on qualified environmental the number of changes taking place, that municipalities should professionals, who can be hired by lack of clarity can arise for both staff expect less direct support both the city and developers when and project proponents in the city,” Douglas wrote. from the (federal) ministry... looking at a proposed project. “DFO staff have made it clear The provincial BC Water - Lesley Douglas that municipalities should expect Sustainability Act is still in the less direct support from the (federal) process of being developed to replace ministry and that the onus is now the 105 year-old Water Act, but on the proponent of a project to ensure compliance with the Douglas notes it will allow for better protection of waterways Act,” stated Douglas, noting the city responded to this by in terms of mandating adequate water flows and efficient beefing up its own environmental review process to make water extraction. developers aware of its bylaws and interests. However, Douglas noted, the Act still needs to clarify its scope as it relates to agricultural lands, sloughs and wetlands. With regards to 2012 changes to the federal Fisheries Act see CITY › page 4
EDUCATION
City aims to keep kids busy during strike
Kids like this little guy will, no doubt, be over the moon with an unscheduled day off school next week. Parents, likely less amused, will have to make alternate arrangements. The City has organized various day camps to help out. Photo submitted.
The City of Richmond is offering a number of activities for young children to attend on Tuesday when a looming rotating teachers’ strike is expected to hit Richmond schools. Day camps for six to 12 year old students will be available at various community centres such as Cambie, Hamilton, South Arm, Steveston, Thompson and West Richmond. Kids are asked to bring a lunch and suitable clothing options and costs are about $20$40. Drop-in programs are available at other municipal facilities. There will be public
swims at Watermania, public skates at the Richmond Ice Centre, and floor hockey at Minoru Arenas. The Richmond Olympic Oval is offering a skate as well as its GetSkills camps for children five to 12 years old. The camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and there is some before and after camp supervision available. Day camp hours vary. Some start as early as 7 a.m. and last until 6 p.m. For more information go online at www. richmond.ca/register or call 604-276-4300. For oval information go online at www. richmondoval.ca.
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