The Daily Gold

Gold River Village Council - December 17, 2018

Suzanne Trevis

Present at the regular council meeting were Deputy Mayor Kirsty Begon, Councillors Brenda Patrick, Rachel Stratton and Joe Sinclair. Mayor Brad Unger was absent with apologies. Village Administrator, Larry Plourde was also present. There were 6 members of the public, and the press, in the gallery.

​

During open session the press asked whether the village could update the Business License listing on the website as the currently posted list is from 2015.  Deputy Mayor Begon confirmed that the listing for 2019 would be added to the website.

​

The meeting was called to order and as there were no late items, the agenda was approved and Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting held December 3rd were passed.

There was only one report on the agenda tonight. Mayor Unger gave a brief rundown of items from November.

• Tourism - for the past three years the Regional District has been working towards a Regional District Tourism Plan.  Last year Gold River contributed $500 towards Destination Campbell River, as did the other municipalities within the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), except Campbell River, who contributed over 90% of the costs involved.  This year they are looking for up to a $1000 from the smaller communities. The presentation that was made to the SRD will be made available to council members in the near future.

• Transportation - a safe walking trail and transportation between Gold River & Tsaxana were discussed, along with public transit to and from Campbell River. A grant has been received to do a feasibility study. The committee involved includes members of the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), the Mowachaht Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN), Carrie Tarasoff from the Health Hub, and Mayor Unger.  Lynne Stone, from Minister Claire Trevena’s office, also attended the meeting.

• Waste Management - there is a new board and many new directors. There was an overview on how things work for new members and updates on the Bio Solid Leachate Treatment and the Financial Plan. Two new directors were appointed to the Comox Strathcona Solid Waste Advanced Technology Select Committee (SWAT), and to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) Special Committee on Solid Waste. Two committees our Mayor also sits on.

• Municipal Governance - with ‘new councillor training’ not scheduled to take place until the new year, a workshop covering meetings, rules, and effective decision making was held for new council members. Councillors Brenda Patrick and Rachel Stratton both took advantage of the opportunity.

• ​

Under Council Information Items the Deputy Mayor advised that a new Bylaw Officer has been hired and will be making the rounds. Some outstanding issues around town, re. unlicensed vehicles, unsightly premises,  etc. have already been addressed.

​

There was a reminder that Business Licenses and Dog Licenses all need to be renewed in the new year.

There was one bylaw up for adoption regarding Council renumeration.  Up until recently, council members received a portion of their renumeration tax free.  This has been eliminated, which effectively meant some council members would pay more tax on money earned, which in turn meant they were taking home less money.  This is not just here, but across the province. In large centres like Vancouver, this could translate into quite a large sum. Council had been given the choice to carry on with no change and absorb the cost themselves, or to increase their renumeration by a given percentage to offset the difference.  It was difficult to determine, as everyone’s tax situation is different. Some members may not see any difference, while others might be losing quite a bit.

​

Council Bylaw No. 714, 2018 allowed for the Mayors annual indemnity to go to $15,076.88 from $13,706.25,  Councillors now receive $7,538.44, up from $6,853.13. The Deputy Mayor also receives an additional $1,064.25 per year, up from $967.50.  These rates go into effect January 2019. Council generally reviews their renumeration on a four year basis with a review during their second year (2020), and new rates coming into effect for the third year (2021). This will still happen as it is a separate issue.

​

There were six items of correspondence on tonights agenda, only one was discussed.  The Emergency Social Service committee were asking for space in the Jack Christensen Centre (JCC).  There was some discussion about what was available. Council passed a motion supporting the initiative in general. Committee members agreed to meet up with staff to look over what was available.

​

During Open Session Dave Hart asked whether other village properties, such as the Tourist Info building could be utilized by the ESS committee.  The Administrator advised that there wasn’t an issue with the JCC, they just had to decide on a room.

With no further business the meeting was adjourned.  

The next Council Meeting will take place Monday, Jan 7th, 2019 at 7pm

A minor facelift and a few repairs are in the plans over the next few weeks.

After the major renovations a few years back, it's always good to be proactive and take care of the small things. L'il Roadie will be open to feed hungry travellers and locals.  L'il Roadie will be open for Lunch & Supper, Monday thru Frday and will be open for Breakfast, Lunch & Supper on the weekend.  

A photographer on Vancouver Island is again raising concerns about the practice of dumping effluent containing fish blood from fish processing plants.

Tavish Campbell says little has changed since he collected samples from bloody waste discharged into the ocean last year. 

The samples, from processing plants that handle farmed salmon on Vancouver Island, were tested by the Atlantic Veterinary College and found to contain piscine reovirus (PRV), a virus that some researchers believe is harming wild salmon.

The findings prompted an investigation by B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and a province-wide audit of fish processing facilities.

• B.C. investigating claims fish processing plants released contaminated effluent

Last month, Campbell returned to the plant in Tofino to repeat the tests.

"It was very distressing to see that nothing had changed in that year," he said, noting the new samples also contained PRV.

Permit review underway

The ministry of environment said it is in the process of reviewing, and amending if necessary, each of the 30 effluent discharge permits for fish processing facilities that have been issued under the Environmental Management Act.

That review is to "ensure that effluent discharge permits in the fish processing sector contain provisions that are protective of the environment," the ministry said in a statement.

• New research suggests wild salmon exposed to fish farms have 'much higher' rate of viral infection

Campbell is also calling for stronger regulations on fish pathogens — such as PRV — from the federal government.

But the science on the risk to wild salmon is far from conclusive, said federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

"There are certainly very different perspectives from a scientific perspective," he said.

Wilkinson has appointed an expert panel to study PRV and said he does not expect any potential changes to regulations until the panel reports back.

Fish plant to treat effluent

Meanwhile, changes are underway at the the Lions Gate Fisheries processing facility in Tofino where the samples were taken.

It has installed a system to treat effluent before it enters the ocean. That system is expected to go into operation in January.

"As a certified organic company we always strive to do better for our fish and for the environment where we operate," said Tim Rundle, general manager of Creative Salmon, which owns the processing facility.

"We worked with Lions Gate and the provincial government to amend the discharge permit to allow this trial and that is now in place."

• 17 fish farms could all be phased out under new agreement between B.C. government, First Nations

While PRV is found both at aquaculture sites and in the natural environment, changes to effluent permits are welcome news, said Dr. Mark Sheppard, a former lead veterinarian for Fisheries and Oceans Canada who now works for aquaculture companies, including Creative Salmon.

"There's always room for improvement. It's encouraging to see that effluents are being screened as much as possible to try to improve the quality of the effluent," Sheppard said.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

,

Candy Cane Lane goes to.......Burman Court ☺️Chamiss Cres was a very close 2nd.
Gingerbread House award goes to,The Lees on Matchlee, Honorable mentions that made it tough were The Ballard’s also on Matchlee, The Begons on Golden Hinde and the Stratton’s on Cala Court. There were a lot of well lit up and decorated homes. Take a ride one evening enjoy all the festive Christmas houses 

Merry Christmas Gold River from the Chamber of Commerce 

Here's a portion of a news release by Claire Travena bragging about all the wonderful new webcams throughout the province.  The picture wth this story is a screen grab we took Friday December 12th, it's basically the same picutre day in day out....the webcam on our highway doesn't work.  Perhaps it's time we all took a little time this holiday season and call  Claire directly to get this resolved.   

(250) 287-5100

clairetrevena.ca

​

Twenty-two new highway cameras were added to the DriveBC network in 2018 and cameras at existing locations have been upgraded, resulting in 70 new webcam views to provide more information about current conditions on B.C. highways.

There are now nearly 800 highway webcam views at more than 400 locations throughout B.C., providing weather, road and traffic conditions to travellers with near real-time coverage.

VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C- Ferry travellers will have difficulty today.

Due to the heavy weather, BC Ferries has cancelled multiple sailings on it’s major routes today. As of 5:45 a.m., the cancellations affected the following main routes.

• Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay

• Tsawwassen-Duke Point

• Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay

• Tsawwassen-Southern Gulf Islands

The Comox-Powell River run was also cancelled, with the 6:15 a.m. leaving Little River and the 8:05 a.m. leaving Powell River no longer taking place.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us,” read the service notice.

“We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations. We will resume service as soon as it is safe to do so. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience experienced as a result of this cancellation.”

Wind warnings are in effect for the entire Sunshine Coast and all of Vancouver Island, except for the northern end.

According to Environment Canada, those areas can expect winds between 70 and 90 km/h this morning, picking up to 100 km/h in exposed coastal areas around noon.

The federal government says it’s creating a single comprehensive set of regulations to clarify how aquaculture is run in Canada. Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says that’s part of a new approach to the sector aimed at bringing in more economic returns and environmental sustainability. His department is also ordering a study on alternative aquaculture technologies to be carried out with B-C and Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Federal environment commissioner Julie Gelfand issued a report earlier this year calling for better monitoring and more detailed scientific study of the industry’s effects on wild fish.

 Recent snow storms have transformed Mt. Washington into a winter wonderland, so the resort announced today it will open for skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing on Saturday, December 15th. Resort spokesperson Sheila Rivers noted, “A few storms rolled through this week leaving us with a good base to get things started. With lots of snow in the forecast, we are looking forward to a great holiday season.”

Christmas Eve Mass at the Catholic Church on Cedar Crescent will be at 8PM with Fr. Jan.

Regular weekly services are at 3pm every Sunday.

Fr. Jan: 2nd and 4th Sunday

Lay Service: 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

 ‘Candy Cane Lane’ judging is next Wednesday evening. December 19th. Have your lights on! This year we have added the ‘Gingerbread House’ award for the one house that rocks with Christmas Spirit! Good luck everyone

CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C-The police in Campbell River are still looking for more information after a strange incident involving a fake cop last week.

According to Corporal Ron Vlooswyk, spokesperson for the Campbell River police detachment, a man tried to “arrest” a woman in Campbell River last Tuesday around 4 p.m.

In a report from the Campbell River Mirror, which cited Vlooswyk, he confronted the woman while she was crossing the street. He told her she was under arrest, but she was able to get away.

She placed the call to the RCMP and said he backed away because there were people watching.

He was picked up by a vehicle, believed to be white in colour.

Shortly afterwards, the police received another call about the same man. This time, he tried to accost a woman in her parked car. The report said he started pounding on her window.

The women described the man as a Caucasian male in his 30s with short dark hair, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and white runners. He was also described as “off”, possibly due to mental illness, drugs, or alcohol.

On Monday, Vlooswyk confirmed the reports to the MyCampbellRiverNow.com newsroom, and stated that the incidents were very odd and concerning. He indicated that police have not had any other reports of anything similar since Tuesday.

“Certainly, we’re keeping our eye out, and of course we’re asking the public if they see strange encounters like this to give us a call,” said Vlooswyk.

The Campbell River detachment can be reached at (250) 286-6221, and Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With fall salmon runs coming to an end, recent numbers show certain pockets of Vancouver Island have experienced at or above average returns of chinook, coho and chum.

According to a salmon bulletin posted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada from Nov. 30, the salmon runs have done fairly well, especially on southern parts of Vancouver Island.

The DFO estimated roughly 20,000 chinook salmon returned to Cowichan River during the fall run. This is much higher than the four-year average of just 12,000.

Kevin Pellett of the DFO said this could have to do with the fact that a significant portion of the chinook population in Cowichan River is wild.

“Cowichan has been a bright light in terms of chinook numbers the last couple years,” Pellett said. “We’ve been seeing above average returns since about 2015 or so.”

Pellett said a lot of other systems on the Island are hatchery dominated but most of them are still bringing in “about average” returns.

READ MORE: Half of Canada’s chinook salmon populations in decline: scientists

The wild chinook, according to Pellett, are better adapted to the changing ecosystems which could be why they are doing much better and the Island’s coho salmon are also doing well.

Pellett said historically, in the 1980s, female coho went out in the spring and stayed in the Strait of Georgia. In the 1990s they disappeared, but it seems they have come back in the past couple of years.

Many sport fishers in the area were calling in reports of female coho during the winter months this year, and Pellett said “it was entirely unexpected.”

Coho returns were also at or above average this year, with places like Big Qualicum River seeing counts of about 9,980 coho.

Pellett said another hypothesis as to why coho have been doing well has to do with the transient killer whale population in the Strait of Georgia. He said there have been more transient killer whales in the Strait that have been present for more days.

The whales eat marine mammals such as sea lions and seals and those mammals tend to feed on juvenile coho and chinook.

“[The whales] change the behaviour of harbour seals,” Pellett said. “If [the seals] are staying closer to shore than the salmon might have a better chance of surviving.”

As for chum salmon, areas such as Goldstream, Nanaimo and Cowichan River have also seen average or above average returns, and Pellett said the most recent count showed about 50,000 chum salmon in Goldstream River.

READ MORE: Salmon attracting people and birds to Goldstream Provincial Park

However, just to the north in areas like Big Qualicum and Little Qualicum River, returns have been significantly less.

In Big Qualicum River, the estimated count as of Nov. 30 was 11,166 chum. This is in comparison to a four year average count of 90,595.

Little Qualicum River saw an estimated count of 8,679 with the four year average being 69,316.

“Everybody wants to know why,” Pellett said, pointing out one thing to consider with chum is that they follow four-year patterns of abundance.

Four years ago, a warm water pocket in the North Pacific drew several chum out there which “likely didn’t do them any favours,” according to Pellett.

However, in 2015, a cold water pocket was around South Vancouver Island where southern chum stocks could have had better chances of survival, but Pellett notes these are just theories.

Pellett also said it is important to remember that salmon stocks always fluctuate, so while some areas are seeing significantly high returns, it may not stay this way for long.

“We see fluctuations between high and low abundance over decades,” Pellett said. “Whatever goes up, must come down.”

Drivers in the North Island should be prepared for winter weather this weekend.

That’s according to Mainroad North Island, who issued an advisory on Thursday afternoon. According to the company, there is potential for variable snow conditions on Saturday.

“Higher elevations such as Mount Washington, Gold River to Tahsis area and Tsitika Summit may see snowfall,” read the advisory.

“Motorists are advised to check DriveBC.com for the latest road condition reports and to drive for the conditions. Winter weather can change quickly, depending on your location, and so should driving habits. Mainroad North Island Contracting will patrol the service area throughout the weather event and respond accordingly.”

The company also asked drivers to be wary of shaded areas, bridge decks, and corners, as ice and slippery road conditions could form in frosty mornings and evenings.

“If vehicle windows are frosty, the surface of the road may be as well,” read the advisory.

“Mainroad North Island Contracting crews are out on the roads patrolling 24/7, as well as applying brine and de-icing salt; however, motorists are reminded to drive to and for the conditions. Please exercise caution as weather conditions can change quickly, particularly around daybreak and sunset.”

The company’s 24-hour hotline can be reached at: 1-877-215-7122.

VICTORIA, B.C. – BC Ferries announced additional sailings for the holiday season.

Starting from December 20th until January 1st, there will be an additional 130 sailings on the Vancouver – Victoria (Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay) route:

• December 26th – 27th – 6 a.m. departures from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen

• December 21st and 28th – 10 p.m. departures from Tsawwassen

• December 23rd, 26th, and 27th – 10 p.m. departures from Swartz Bay

• December 26th and 27th – Midnight sailings from Tsawwassen

There will also be over 30 additional sailings for West Vancouver – Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay), and six extra sailings on the West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast (Horseshoe Bay – Langdale) route.

BC Ferries is advising travellers to book their travel times in advance to guarantee a sailing spot and to arrive 30 – 60 minutes in advance for their sailing.

According to a news release, BC Ferries is expecting December 23rd to be the most popular travel day before Christmas, and December 26th-28th to have a high volume of travellers after Christmas.  

For more information on holiday sailings, and reservations, visit bcferries.com