News Leader News for March 27, 2007
IS THE DAM PROJECT A TROJAN HORSE?
You know it might just be me, but I've had the oddest sense of déjà vu lately. In 1991 and 1992 was the last time there was such a large push for power in our valley. If I recall correctly, it started off with a coal biomass burner and ended with a proposed dam on the Similkameen River. Somewhere in there was a company called Railex vying for a municipal waste incinerator. Another company, Medtrack, wanted to burn medical waste. John Rubis was a Mayor in opposition to the burners.
Edward (Slim) Allison was chief of the USIB, opposed the dam. He was concerned about the effects a dam would have on flow regimes, fish habitat and groundwater level decline. The USIB chief also noted that BC is now selling hydro electric power to Alberta and the US.
My, my, the more things change.
Chief Barbara Allison of the LSIB was in agreement with USIB. Money and promises were floating through Princeton faster than a politician can butt cover.
Through it all we somehow managed to emerge with our town relatively intact. Fast forward 15 years. What kind of new and exciting energy initiatives are being brought forward? (drum roll please) None.
Not one.
Fifteen years have passed and our municipal government will continue to entertain all the same proposals without amendment. Except now, we are shipping even more power out of the very communities in this country that produce the electricity to begin with. Not only is power exported at a higher rate, we are paying more for it, and all of our small independents are vanishing. It would be nice if the communities that produced the power got a cut rate, you know a sort of 'go team go' from our government - oh wait, the province can't do that because they are too busy selling off our public commons - hydro being just one of them.
What's a wee town to do? Maybe a better question to ask would be what is our valley going to do that we can all live with? I would have liked to talk to town council but they are to busy talking quietly about dams behind closed doors in a time of drought. So I went to talk with Joe Dennis, even though he's not my Chief, he had the time. So for the record, here's a page of Joe. Q: what do you think of power initiatives in our Valley?
"We all can't be naive. We've gotta think of ways of bringing in resources and power. We need power, but the thing is with the power, it doesn't come into our community it goes out of our community and that's the whole issue. I'm in favour of power if they put power in and our community had a cut and it was a green enough power that it wasn't going to disturb us. It doesn't work that way. In the real world, that's the whole issue. In the real world, we won't see that dollar coming in, all we'll see is the devastation after the fact. And then when you ask them to clean it up, oh yeah, we'll get to that. We have so many years to clean it up and in that many years, it pollutes the hell out of everything else in that time." Q: Do you feel the band and adjacent municipalities are consulting each other?
"(Municipalities, mayors, and bands are) all on their own and we're supposed to be a community that works together and all of the bands and different communities and what we want our valley to look like. And it's hard too; we've got pressures from businesses coming in and starting to talk to our members that own land, and we are trying to promote being entrepreneurs. It's the only way we're going to survive in this community. It's not because we're going to have industries. So to survive you have to be an entrepreneur." Q: Have there been any discussion tabled by SVPS? (Similkameen Valley Planning Society) ?
"We discussed the river and it's all good and well to say that we should do a study on the river and update our studies on the river and look at the consequences if we don't start taking care of our river and the water table due to the fact we don't get the snowpack anymore. I said I am in favour of doing a study on the river and that, but I cannot give an ok on the dam on the river because it's not just my voice that says we can do a dam on this river. If we need to control our levels of the river, maybe natural dams can be put in, but this is a fact they're looking at different ways of trying to get out Compliance by putting in alternate energy." Q: What do you think about the proposed dam project?
"We should have a study on our river to know what climate change is doing to our river, and our fish and our quality of life which is a good thing, and if we have to put natural barriers in the river to slow the river and keep our water tables up. But with a dam situation, we (LSIB) still said we cannot ok this unless we put it through to our members cause it's just like a community and we would have to have a whole community meeting and get peoples input before they decide they are going to put a dam in and look at the pros and cons. At the end of the day, what is it that we really want? And what we really want is the protection of the land. It's not the dollar; it's the protection of the land." Q: What steps do you think are important for LSIB in regards to the proposed dam?
"We've gotta do our archaeology studies and our environmental studies. Upper Similkameen and Lower Similkameen have to put our archeologists out there and do a study on everything that's on the river before they build dams. I heard that they're discussing putting it up further on the Similkameen." Q: How have you seen Industry impact the valley in the past?
"We're not thinking of clean up. All were thinking is of jumping in with power. Meanwhile, clean up hasn't even started, they just monitor it, and oh, it seems to be enough to keep people alive, so let's not touch it. It's okay for now. And it keeps leeching into our rivers and streams. And then when you ask them to clean it up, oh yeah, we'll get to that. We have so many years to clean it up and in that many years, it pollutes the hell out of everything else in that time. It's the same with our mines. Our mines up in the hills, there are leeching ponds and stuff getting in our water. They should be concentrating on getting in there and cleaning up these areas before they even think of putting in something else that's going to add more pollution to what is already in the river and streams right now. That should be cleaned up. Number One, clean that up, then we'll talk about some other kind of system. Q: You mentioned Compliance earlier. What do you think about the latest proposal?
"We have to get down to our land management and have some kind of regulations on what we're going to put in, and that's why I was pushing about this green stuff (industry and development) we don't need polluting manufacturers, or stuff that's going to pollute and this bio waste thing with this smoke stack is still going to smoke the valley out. Q: You've expressed concern before about what could happen when the wood runs out. So, for the record, what are your concerns?
"Vancouver needs to get rid of their junk, and this is the issue that Cache Creek has. Their Chief, Bob Pascall, went up there and has been fighting with them on - because that Cache Creek one, they're already done. They have filled their dump; they want to make a bigger one. The GVRD is pushing it, and they want to put more dumps down there, dump more garbage, so, that's all they're looking at. If we get a bio waste thing up in there, Vancouver is just going to start dumping more crap, and burning it up. And what's going to be better coal? Or the garbage that's been more contaminated, you don't know what's in it. And the other thing is that they are going to burn all the wood, and once they're out of wood, the bio waste is coming in, the coal is coming in. They are going to put everything in, and we're not going to know. We can't stand there and monitor every truck that comes to the dump. There's no way you can monitor that, even if they say they have a monitoring system. That's their own system. It's no different than the oil and mine industries." Q: Do you have any final comments?
"I am always looking ahead. You have to look ahead. Not just at this next generation, but at many generations. We have to if we are going to survive."
In a valley such as ours survival of the river is paramount, especially considering the inimical relationship between surface water and groundwater.
A 2005 a study by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, ONA, and the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, states that: climate change may be occurring in the Similkameen basin and affecting river flow.
The study examined water flow in the Upper Similkameen River in the 1970s and compared it to the flow in the late 80s and early 90s.
In the later years snow melted earlier in the spring, water flow was lower in the summer, low flow period lasted longer, indicators are that these trends will continue over the next 80 years. (Tell me something I don't know, you say). How about this; by the mid 1980s most of the surface water sources in the Similkameen Basin were fully licensed, meaning that they were at capacity to have water withdrawn for human use.
Rivers in the Similkameen Valley are currently near or below extreme lows on record.
Tulameen River has the lowest rate of flow for the last 56 years. The Similkameen River is flowing at a rate only slightly above the lowest flow ever recorded in 78 years of measurements. (Ministry of Environment 2005/2006).
When I walk through my fields I pass by the abandoned wells that are there because the water table has shifted.
When I stand on the bank of the Similkameen out my back door in the heat of August and look ahead, I too, am concerned about survival. Of my Family, my River and my Home.
ARTS COUNCIL HEARS UPBEAT REPORTS
Member groups of Princeton District Community Arts Council gave a series of positive reports at the March 21 meeting. Theatre groupChelsea Turner says Princeton Performing Arts members are doing very well.
Everything is running smoothly. Arts Council members had toured the gym at Riverside Wellness Centre for a sneak preview of the new theatre setting in what was a gym. The transformation is remarkable.
Chelsea Turner had just won an award in a national poetry competition for works aimed at ending racial discrimination. Vermilion Artists
Vermilion Artists gave a report of activities. They have sponsored two successful art workshops and upcoming workshops have a waiting list.
Students Miranda Grigg and Mary Anne Campbell will show their work during Arts & Culture Week. They received arts bursaries from Vermilion Artists last year.
Mary Bedford expressed concerns about lack of display tripods for art shows. Arts Council members voted to have Vermilion Artists investigate the cost of this equipment. Ballet
Del Hall, of Princeton Concert Society, reported all arrangements for Arts & Culture Week, April 22-28, are going ahead smoothly. She handed out posters for the ballet, Butterfly Affect, that will be doing a performance on April 29. Garden Club
Freda Schroeder, of Princeton Garden Club, says the group is keen on participating in planting at the new park being developed across from the curling rink. Councillor Ray Jarvis, Arts Council liaison delegated from Town Council, advised the Garden Club to write a letter to Town Council expressing their desire to become part of the team. Princeton Writers
Joseph Dubé, representing Princeton Writers Group, said the writers are doing a lot of writing, as individuals, but the group was not doing much at this time, other than getting together. Community Band
Joseph Dubé reported Princeton Community Band will be part of the parade in Hedley for Stamp Mill Day on May 5, and will be at Music Under the K on May 25. He said the band is developing a bigger repertoire of popular tunes. Councillor Jarvis complimented the band on their increasing skills. Museum
Nick Mills commented briefly on the future expansion of the museum, then described a new display planned for this year. Photographs given to the museum are of historical interest, but often lack the names of people in the photos. This year, a display of such photos will invite the public to fill in the missing names. Potters
Sue Le Poidevin said the Potters Guild membership is growing, and pottery classes, both for youngsters and adults, keep the kiln going two or three times a week. Town Website
Nick Mills had discovered that a few of the Arts Council member groups were missed on the new website. He volunteered to see that they were added. Members on radio
Jon Barlett and Rika Ruebsaat, who do shows of historic songs and poems, will be on North by Northwest (CBC radio) on Sunday, April 1.
COUNCIL DOES IT RIGHT SAYS EDO
Economic Development Officer Michael McLaughlin says Princeton's Town Council is doing economic development right. Council is developing the industrial park site first, then looking for companies interested in relocating.McLaughlin was reporting to Council on March 19 to explain his activities on behalf of Similkameen Valley Planning Society (SVPS). This organization is comprised of Directors from Regional District areas of the Similkameen Valley, Indian Band Councils and municipalities, which together pay McLaughlin's salary and expenses, to a total of $82,000. There is little money available for projects.
Chambers of Commerce are important to support local business development and promote tourism and increased business opportunity. One of the problems for most Chambers of Commerce is generating revenue. SVPS is hosting a workshop on April 30 in Hedley to help local Chambers find ways to raise money.
McLaughlin told Council he is continuing to work with Vermilion Trails Society to help them raise money. Grist Mill goes to Heritage
SVPS has expressed growing concern about the Grist Mill, which was the top tourist attraction in the Similkameen Valley in the past. It brought 18,000 tourists a year to Keremeos area, but in recent years, run by a private company, numbers decreased to 5,000 tourists a year.
SVPS wrote letters to the government to express these concerns. The private sector no longer will run the Grist Mill operation. The provincial Heritage Branch has taken over the operation on a budget of $40,000 per year. Another dam good idea?
Meetings between SVPS and U.S. interests have addressed, once more, the potential for a dam on the Similkameen River. Washington State is very interested in having a dam on the Similkameen River. In the early 1990s, Princeton Light & Power presented plans to the provincial government for a dam in Similkameen Canyon. The provincial government discouraged the plan by demanding an ever-increasing number of studies and goalposts for planners to meet, and money for information gathering simply ran out.
McLaughlin said SVPS is gathering all the studies it can find pertaining to damming a site on the river. The purpose is to look at the feasibility of building a dam.
There are big advantages to having a dam on the river, McLaughlin stated, not only to produce electric power, but to control the water flow, provide adequate water depth for irrigation and protection of fish, and protect natural habitat along the riparian areas.
There are also "downstream benefits", which is a package of financial benefits to the communities in the Similkameen Valley.
COUNCIL SUPPORTS HOMES FOR THE HOMELESS
Councillor Pam Jones asked fellow Town Council members to encourage government to renew funding for the National Homeless Initiative. She referred to a letter from the District of Squamish to the Prime Minister, and asked Council to send a letter endorsing the Squamish position."I listened to Harper's budget speech and it seems we have a big surplus and plenty of money. We're in a more prosperous time."
Council agreed.
