Meager debris restoration project receives $150K grant

THE GOAL IS TO BUILD A NEW ECOSYSTEM ATOP THE SITE OF CANADA’S LARGEST LANDSLIDE THAT COULD REDUCE FLOOD RISK DOWNSTREAM

BY MEGAN LALONDE

DURING THE DISASTROUS flood of record that wreaked havoc in Pemberton in October 2003, flow rates on the Lillooet River peaked at about 1,490 cubic metres per second.

The June 2021 heat dome, meanwhile, saw the river’s flow rate sit above 600 m3/s for six consecutive days. Still, the event managed to cause significant flooding, mass sandbagging efforts and even evacuation orders in the area.

Basically, the Pemberton Valley’s risk of suffering the adverse effects of flooding is going up, even if the river’s flow rate doesn’t, explained Veronica Woodruff, senior project manager and principal with Clear Course Consulting and founder of the Pemberton Stewardship Society. “You’re seeing the flood levels be much higher at a lower discharge,” she said.

One reason for that? A 12-and-a-half-yearold landslide debris field on nearby Mount Meager.

The entire southern peak slid down the side of the volcano in August of 2010, bringing an estimated 50 million cubic metres of debris down onto Capricorn Creek and into the Lillooet River Valley along with it. It’s considered to be the largest landslide ever recorded in Canada. Sediment from the remaining four-square-kilometre debris field has been slowly but steadily working its way into the waterway ever since.

The Pemberton Valley Diking District has been working to remove that sediment from the river annually in an effort to maintain its capacity to handle high-water events, Woodruff explained. “They take up to 60,000 cubic metres [of gravel] a year,” she said. “That’s quite a lot—I think that’s like 6,000 dump trucks.”

That work is typically carried out in February or March, when water levels are low, she continued. The problem? “Usually was our idea to not only improve habitat at the site, because it is still quite devoid of vegetation, but to reduce the amount of sediment that’s moving down the river.” by September, October, that gravel they’ve removed is already back,” she said. “It’s not a long-term solution and it has to be done every year, otherwise that flood risk is even higher.”

Floodplain mapping suggests erosion off the landslide debris could continue for decades, but Woodruff has an idea that might just clear things up in a shorter timeframe: ecologically restoring the site.

“One of the ways to reduce erosion, when you look at a site like landslide debris, is to have a working ecosystem—so trees that hold all the sand and gravel in place,” she explained. “That

Last month, the restoration project Woodruff helped spearhead alongside Lil’wat Nation’s Troy Bikadi in 2019 received $150,000 from B.C.’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. The funding is provided by the provincial government and administered by the Union of BC Municipalities, intended to support communities to better prepare for, mitigate and respond to climate-related emergencies.

The funding will pay for engineering and geomorphology input needed to assess the landslide debris field and develop a planting plan, said Woodruff. “Those kinds of professionals are just generally expensive,” she explained. Plus, “what we learned in 2021 is that it’s actually not as simple as planting trees,” she added.

During 2021’s heat dome, researchers were confronted with just how unconfined the flow of Meager Creek is through the slide debris, particularly during flood events.

“The stream just goes everywhere,” Woodruff said. “So if we planted trees … and then you have a high event like in 2021, basically, the water would have wiped everything out.” With that in mind, project leaders are considering a few ways of managing the reforestation area.

“One of the ideas is, potentially, to build a setback berm that would exclude Meager Creek from accessing a portion of the slide debris that we can work on to restore,” Woodruff said.

Work could include “really innovative restoration techniques” like incorporating different species of plants and shrubs, conducting ground treatments or even introducing mycelium.

Woodruff was on hand during an event at the Ullus Banquet Hall in Mount Currie on Thursday evening, Feb. 23 to discuss the newlyfunded project, alongside Glyn Williams-Jones, a volcanologist and Earth sciences professor at Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University, who presented his seismic research findings at Meager to an audience of about 40.

That raises another question: what happens to the ecological work in the event of another incident on the notoriously unstable massif?

“There’s so much uncertainty when you’re looking at risks like volcanoes,” said Woodruff. “Like, ‘is it going to erupt?’ or, ‘Is there going to be another landslide?’ The truthful answer is I have no idea.

“Meager is Canada’s most active volcano, but it is still considered dormant. The risk from a volcanic eruption at Meager is incredibly low probability, but of course high consequence—and not only for our site.” n

Builders'

Breakfast

LOCAVORE 1861 MAMQUAM RD, SQUAMISH

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

7:15-8:30 am

Home Retrofit Rebate Programs: What contractors & their customers need to know

Karine Le Du, Senior Energy Specialist, District of Squamish and Greg Bloom, Manager of Industry Relations, HPSC /HPCN will be speaking on the following topics: Canada Greener Homes Initiative, CleanBC Better Homes and Home Renovation Rebate Programs and the Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN)

FREE for MEMBERS

$5 non members

Pre-registration required

Pending approval for 1 CPD Point

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: BUILDERS, GENER AL CONTR AC TORS, TR ADES & RENOVATION CONTR AC TORS (AIR SEALING & INSUL ATION, WINDOWS & DOORS, HVAC & AIR BAL ANCING), ENERGY ADVISORS & BUILDING OFFICIAL S Register at: www.seatoskychba.com under events

Open House

Pemberton and District Community Centre, Monday, March 6, 2023 at 4:30pm-7:30pm

Agenda

4:30pm - Display Boards* 5:00pm - Presentation

5:30pm - Small Group Discussions

Please join us to gain a better understanding of the federal, provincial, and municipal home renovation rebate programs. Our presenters will explain contractor requirements for the various programs, including product selection requirements and specific contractor qualification requirements. By understanding the differences between the federal and provincial programs and how they can be stacked, contractors in the renovation sector will be better positioned to suppor t homeowners in the Sea to Sky on their retrofit journeys We will also provide contractors information about HPCN, value of membership to ‘your company and your customer’. pemberton.ca

*Drop in anytime to view and provide your comments on the Display Boards.

Call For Funding Applications

Applications are now being accepted for our April 1st, 2023 Spring Funding Deadline.

The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support to community groups and charities whose activities provide benefit to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts & culture and the environment. Special emphasis is placed on children, youth and family programs For more information, eligibility requirements and to complete an application, please visit our website at whistlerblackcombfoundation.com. Or contact Mei Madden, Executive Director at mmadden@whistlerblackcombfoundation com

We must stop rewarding destroyers and punishing defenders

AS OF EARLY FEBRUARY , police have “made more than 90 arrests and dozens of detentions” to facilitate construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C., “running up a taxpayer tab of more than $25 million,” according to the Narwhal. François Poirier, president and CEO of TC Energy, which owns the project, was rewarded with “$9.81-million in his first full year as CEO, including a $1.1-million bonus and share and stock option awards valued at $6-million,” the Globe and Mail reported.

Regular Meeting

Tuesday March 14, 2023, commencing at 5:30 pm in Council Chambers 7400 Prospect Street or via Zoom Webinar, Meeting ID: 840 0997 7920

How do I get more information?

Copies of the proposed Development Variance

Permit application may be inspected at online at www pemberton ca under the current applications webpage or at the Village of Pemberton Office, 7400 Prospect Street during office hours from Monday February 27th to Tuesday March 14

Scan the QR Code below to view the application

NOTICE OF COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF AN APPLICATION TO VARY ZONING BYLAW NO 832, 2018 7340 Crabapple Court - Lot 3, DL203, KAP72731 DVP #131

Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 499 of the Local Government Act, R S B C 2015, that the Village of Pemberton will consider a variance to Zoning Bylaw No 832, 2018 at its Regular Meeting scheduled on Tuesday March 14, 2023, commencing at 5:30 pm in Council Chambers or via Zoom Webinar, Meeting ID: 840 0997 7920

Variance Requested:

Jake McEwan, Agent for the landowner on behalf of Pemberton Gateway Limited Partnership has applied for a Development Variance Permit to amend section 8 3 of the Village of Pemberton Zoning Bylaw No 832, 2018

Required Parking stalls: 63 off-street parking stalls

Variance Requested: 21 Dedicated Residential Stalls, 16 Shared Parking Stalls, and 4 Visitor Parking Stalls for a total of 41 parking stalls

During the November COP27 climate talks in Egypt, more than 30 climate protesters were jailed in the U.K., adding to more than 2,000

BY DAVID SUZUKI

arrests in a campaign that began in April. On January 17, climate activist Greta Thunberg and others were arrested for protesting the demolition of a German village for a coal mine expansion. On the same day, a Reuters headline read, “Big Oil’s good times set to roll on after record 2022 profits.”

Worldwide, climate activists—and journalists and scientists—have been arrested, jailed, silenced and even killed for protesting to keep the planet livable for humans. Meanwhile, “the top executives at seven big energy companies had an average increase in their compensation of more than 21 per cent in 2021, compared with the prior year. In dollar terms, that was an extra $2.3-million for each, bringing the average pay package to $13.4-million,” the Globe and Mail reported.

For decades, oil companies covered up their own and other scientific evidence that dismissed evidence about climate change from his and other company’s scientists, was appointed secretary of state in the Trump administration.

Under our outdated economic systems, those who knowingly fuel a crisis that threatens human health and survival are richly rewarded, while those who try to halt the destruction—often young people whose future is most at stake—are punished.

Governments aren’t just subsidizing coal, oil and gas companies with tax and royalty breaks, loans and direct financing; they’re also using tax dollars to provide security for these companies through aggressive policing and enforcement.

The same is true of companies destroying forests and other natural areas critical to life on Earth, and the courageous people standing up to them. The latter often includes Indigenous Peoples, whose rights are being trampled as their knowledge of the function and importance of ecosystems is ignored. Many have paid with their lives.

It makes no sense. But it’s all considered reasonable in the context of global systems that prioritize wealth accumulation and rampant consumerism over everything else.

The problems won’t go away by stopping a pipeline project, coal mine, old-growth clearcut, oilsands operation or massive dam. That’s just playing “Whac-A-Mole.”

Governments should be working for the best interests of all people, not just wealthy corporations. If protecting the systems our health and survival depend on—from carbon and water cycles to forests, wetlands and more—isn’t in the public interest, what is?

Even the false promise of “jobs, jobs, jobs” is an anachronistic method of trapping working people in a system that does far more harm than good. If we were to reimagine our economic systems as ways to improve human

Where is the subject property?

The variance request considers the subject property located at 7340 Crabapple Court having the legal description of Lot 3, DL203, KAP72731, PID 025-587-897

How Can I provide Feedback?

If you would like to provide feedback at the March 14th Regular Council Meeting, please log-in to the ZOOM Webinar as an Attendee Following the presentation of the DVP application by staff the meeting will be opened for public comment

Written submissions pertaining to the application may be submitted to the attention of Sheena Fraser, Manager of Corporate & Legislative Services, in person at 7400 Prospect Street, via email at admin@pemberton ca, by mail at PO Box 100, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 or by fax at 604-894-6136 prior to Monday, March 13th at 4:00 pm

Sheena Fraser Corporate Officer

their products could cause catastrophic climate disruption. Not only have they faced no consequences, they’ve reaped massive benefits.

New evidence shows the lengths to which they’ll go to enrich themselves and shareholders—even if it means supporting brutal governments. The world’s largest oil and gas service companies have been raking in enormous profits in Myanmar, propping up a murderous military regime. In 2021, oil giant Chevron lobbied against proposed sanctions that would hinder operations in the country.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving fossil fuel profits to record highs—as global average temperatures also break records.

The rewards aren’t just monetary; former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who has health, well-being and happiness, we’d all be enjoying more leisure time—time with families and friends, time in nature, time pursuing education and interests. Instead, we’re caught in a seemingly endless vortex of working, consuming and spending.

We need to change our ways of thinking and acting. It’s not too late, but every delay increases the challenges and costs. A better world is possible. We just need to imagine it and make it real.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. ■