Summary of Brant Festival Special Presentation

for Members and Invited Guests

Friday, March 31, 2006

Qualicum Heritage Inn

7:30 A.M.

In Attendance: Bruce Cownden, Chair Helen Sims

Michelle Jones Mark Flinta

Manley LaFoy Marge LaFoy

Susanne Hale Linda Todsen

Jeff Hale Karen Barry

Lindsay Locke Egon Kuhn

Joanna Smith Tait

Guests: Councillor Charles Robinson, City of Parksville

Councillor Marc Lefebvre, City of Parksville

Marilyn Hayden, Recording Secretary

Presentation

The Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits of Planning and Developing Wisely on the Shores of British Columbia

Presenters: Michele Deakin, Mid Island Wildlife Society

Nikki Wright, Co-Chair of the Seagrass Conservation Working Group

Executive Director of Seachange Marine Conservation Society

Edith B. Tobe, Project Manager of Squamish River Watershed Society

Michele Deakin welcomed everyone and introduced Nikki Wright and Edith Tobi.

Nikki Wright

· Presented 2 species of eel grass, one native and one non native

· Green Shores Program

o Survival of the coastal shoreline

o 70% loss of eel grass in Puget Sound

o 80% fish use eel grass for their life cycle

o Retaining walls to not last

1. Coastal processes – preserve the integrity

2. Coastal habitat and species – maintain or enhance habitat diversity and function

3. Water and Sediment Quality – address methods to minimize or reduce pollutants to the marine environment

4. Reduce impact on shorelines

Edith Tobe

· Squamish is a Green Shores Community

· Managing growth with habitat

· High winds to deal with

· Promote continuous shoreline

· Developers are taking on Green Shores development

· Using eel grass restoration

· Utilizing the Smart Growth Program

Questions from the audience:

Is there a process for retaining wall requests to municipalities?

Nikki – education book “On the Living Edge”. Use a buffer zone of vegetation and logs rather than retaining walls or rip rap.

Edith – hard engineering seldom lasts, working with processes will be for the long term.

Nikki will meet with Councillor Marc Lefebvre to view erosion example in Parksville following presentation.

Are mechanisms in place for shoreline protection?

Edith – need the vision of the whole

Green Shores Program

Embrace the vision of health communities

Is there advice on storm water collection?

Michele – grate mates, storm water parking lots, Qualicum Beach experimenting with rain gardens

Do Municipal Engineering Standards need to be addressed?

Edith – Ministry of Environment and Fisheries and Oceans are relaxing requirements when using Green Shores Program. David Polster using Bio Engineering, took up higher rip rap and used logs and planted plants.

Michele – An example can be viewed on Admiral Tryon Blvd. in Columbia Beach, left of the water access.

Michele Deakin thanked Nikki Wright and Edith Kobe for their interesting presentations.

For more information:

Reference book: Coastal Shore Stewardship, a guide for Planners, Builders and Developers on Canada’s Pacific Coast available online at www.stewardshipcentre.bc.ca

Green Shores Project Team – Gretchen Harlow 604-940-4659, gretchen.harlow@ec.gc.ca, www.stewardshipcentre.bc.ca

Nikki Wright can be contacted at seachange@shaw.ca

Edith Kobe can be contacted at tobe@shaw.ca

Squamish River Watershed Society website www.squamishstreams.com

Addendum received via email from Michele Deakin:

During the talk given by Nikki Wright there was a question about options for retaining walls and rip rap. The suggestion to participants was to go and look at a property on Admiral Tryon Blvd. to see what they had done. In going to see that property ourselves, we were very disappointed.

There are two options for the current condition of the property (washed out and no vegetation). The first is that the big storms took the structure out, and the second is that due to some questions by local residents over the placement of the log frame on the property line, the owners may have been asked to take the whole thing out.

We apologize for the confusion. I will try to find out what happened there, as this is clearly not the solution Nikki Wright was suggesting the audience consider. I will get back to ODCA members with the information.

Michele Deakin

Note to members: The ODCA scholarship was approved as follows:

OCEANSIDE DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION

$500.00 SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship:

The scholarship is offered to a student in District 69 who is proceeding to or enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution in subjects related to trades & technology or a construction trade apprenticeship program.

Criteria for Selection:

1. The recipient must have a satisfactory record of achievement and must show promise and interest in the area of trades and/or technology.

2. The recipient must be proceeding to a form of advanced training or is presently enrolled at a regional college, a school of trades and technology or in a construction apprenticeship program on Vancouver Island.

3. Supply 2 letters of reference, one personal reference and one from either school teacher, post secondary teacher or employer if already in an apprenticeship program.

How to Access:

The recipient of this scholarship must submit a receipt from the registrar of an accredited post-secondary institution or Apprenticeship Program, indicating enrolment, within 1 year of selection to the Oceanside Development & Construction Association. A cheque will then be forwarded to the recipient of this scholarship.

Applications:

Applications for this scholarship must reach the Oceanside Development & Construction Association by June 1, 2006.

Selection:

Selection for this scholarship will be made solely by the Oceanside Development and Construction Association Scholarship Committee.

Next General Meeting: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 12 noon

Parksville Community Centre

Guest presentation updates by:

Councillor Wendy Maurer, Town of Qualicum Beach

Councillor Charles Robinson, City of Parksville

Next Executive Meeting: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 12 noon

Parksville Economic Development Office