Estuary

This is where I spent most of my day. A big box store wants to set up shop next to our estuary. There have been protests the last few Tuesdays and we were hoping there would be a big turn out today for another one. Our paddling club decided to take to the waters to join in the protest. Unfortunately we didn't get a huge turn out but those of us who did, had a good time.

One of our members.

It's a beautiful area with lots of wildlife. Having a huge parking lot full of lights could drive many of the nesting birds from the area. This picture was taken near the seaplane ramp on the spit where we launched.

In the last few years a great deal of money and effort has gone in to trying to restore the estuary which was abused by many years of industry. Several lovely walkways have been established so that people can get out and enjoy the area. The large store and parking lot would back right on to one of these trails.

Good luck with your commitment , Sandy. It sounds like a very worthwhile cause! Looks like a lovely spot., Tsk, tsk, shame on them!

Sandy, stand your ground! Let them build it on some vacant wood lot or something, there's enough of those from companies that have had to close. Leave the estuaries alone! (IMHO)

Linda, trying to slink away now that she's had her moment of social protest.

LOL, you're funny, Linda...

well hope that they leave it the way it is, so pretty and peaceful
Wilma

Thanks for the encouragement. I have a feeling we can't stop them coming to town but I sure wish they would locate it in a different spot. If the area is rezoned it should be to parkland.

Sandy,

You don';t think you should mention name of the @!!@#$ box store, where there is no need forthis. They have already one 45 milers away in Courtney.

You don;t think a monster lettering writing - emailing campaign to the Council might stop the rezoning to commercial and make it rezoned to parkland in perpetuity??

Ginny really ranting & Raving here.

What a lovely serene place.......wishing you luck with your fight Sandy!

No, I didn't want to mention the name Ginny. Judging from the numbers of people out protesting I don't think enough people care. Many people from here drive the 45 miles to Courtenay and are probably thinking how nice it will be when they don't have to. Those same people have probably never taken the time to walk along the estuary so they have no idea what all the fuss is about.

That's an eagle up there.

Well, there is a way to make them collect and clean the runnoff from their parking lot to make it pure when it goes into the river. Will look it up so you can show to Council.
G

Sandy, has your group made a presentation to City Council? Have you approached people like Sierra Club or WCWC?

Closer to you, do you know about Delores Broten at the Watershed Sentinel on Cortez? She may get interested in opposing a Big Box store. She's a good contact. Her phone number is 250-935-6992

Use mine and Dave's name as an intro, if you like.

Good luck!

Rosemary

Yes, they're saying that they've addressed the issue of runoff from the parking lot so maybe it's the same thing that you're referring to Ginny.

It's an individual thing, only some of our group seems to be interested in protesting Rosemary. One of our members got the ball rolling by encouraging people in the club to write letters to City Council. I don't know how many have. There's been lots of information in the newspapers and on the local TV station. I think that anyone living in the area who cares about the estuary and doesn't want this store to be built here would come out and show their opposition. There are a number of groups who have sent representatives to speak out at the protests.

CBC Victoria had a good interview this AM re this piece of land. Lets hope it prods some people into taking ACTION
Inanda

Rats, I missed it. Hopefully it will be on again.

Hi Sandy,

After doing a Google search for the story to identify the company involved (was not surprised by the result, I have to say), I've just sent an e-mail to the company via their customer service form to say that I won't patronize their local store here in Hull until they cease this effort. Not that I ever shop there or ever intend to anyway, but they don't need to know that! (feeling mighty self-righteous here....lol....but this company has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time)

Thanks for telling us about this. And thanks for the beautiful pics! You're lucky to have such a neat place nearby. :-)

Shannon

I've sent a letter to the Mayor and City Councillors protesting the use of this site for that store. Hopefully more people will send letters to Council.

We're finding, with our environmental work, that more and more companies and city planners are starting to listen to such concerns, if for no other reason than they want to avoid the hassles! Never underestimate the power of letterwriting and phone calls.

Keep us posted, Sandy, as to what happens.

Rosemary

Okay, I'll keep you posted. Good going Jeanne.

CBC Victoria will give a report on last night'ss meeting in CR re the new walmart store - any minute now. It is now 7.28 in Victoris so right after 7.30 news. I think.
Ginny

Shoot, missed it--couldn't get on the 'net to pick up my mail earlier this morning. What was the gist of it?

Nothing much at all. They had a model showing changes to be made to building. Walmart still is not thinking of moving to another site. So, all in all, nothing at all.

Keep sending letters to council and CBC. The property has to be rezoned. Think the council meeting for first reading of this is April 9. Is that right Sandy?

Wallmart spokesman said he is happy that the town wants Walmart to come. It seems to him that it is only the site that is the trouble???????

Meanwhile, in California, city fathers in ??? Santa Rosa??? I think is the name, passed a bylaw limiting the size of any new construction. Walmart has now said they will build two stores there then, one a regular store with the other a mega discount grocery store. Will be interesting to see what happens with that.

The Vancouver city BC one is still on the back burner, after neighbourhood after neighbourhood told them to get out. With the BC election coming up in May, will be interesting to see what happens . Won't even talk about what the !@#$ BC liberals did today. Go read a BC CBC site. What crooks Campbell & gang are.

One in NYC has been stopped too. -for the moment -. Not on Manhattan, just across one of the bridges, Queens maybe.

I do wonder what we are doing, with our govts. both US and Cdn. Quite miserable.

Ginny

Sorry, I've been working so much this week I haven't been able to spend much time here. I left for work this morning at 6:40 because I was going to the school that's a 65 minute drive away. I usually only have the local radio on in the car but you can't get any radio station for much of that particular drive so I listened to cds and I didn't hear the report. I'm a night owl so I only get up early in the morning if I have to work. I don't listen to the radio while I'm getting ready for work because I'm always in such a rush. I'm not sure when the first reading at council is Ginny. I'll try to find out.

I caled CBC> They think in is April 9 for first reading. LMK if tht is correct.
Ginny

It appears that tonight March 21 will be the first discussion at Campbell River Council. I just listened to Chuck Salt , a councillor (?) who said apart from all the councillors who think the Estuary must be protected, W#almart has forgotten to attach something (??) to its application.

Ginny

Today must have been seed day for the mail carrier.

I got my seeds today from you Sandra and Ginny

I didn't know what some of them were so I looked them up. Nice, very nice.

I put on my computer how I'm suppose to do them all.

Wow.....I sure have seeds now! :)

Thanks

Darrell (big grin)

Ginny, I'm glad to hear that Wal-Mart forgot something in their application. Anything that might make it fail sounds good to me. Chuck Saults is the Senior's Advisory Commission chair. The Senior's Advisory Commission voted unanimously against Wal-Mart locating on the estuary. Both the city's Estuary Management Commission and Advisory Planning Commission recommended against resoning the land last month. There's going to be a community letter-writing session on Wednesday night. They're saying that one personal signed letter is worth 500 signatures on a petition.

Darrell, I'm glad to hear you received the seeds. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment growing them.

Sandy

So, the zoning didn't go through last night, but was only able to be thrown out because Walmart didn't have all their ducks in a row. The zoning application was incomplete. So, This is only the beginning.

Who owns the land at the mouth of the estuary? Logging Company??? Or has Walmart bought it already?

Inanda - busily writing more letters

Timber West owns the land. The natives want to buy it from them and lease it to Walmart.

Anybody know how much the land is worth? Or t least, how much the timber co wants for the land? Or is it involved with a land claim, so the local tribe are the only ones who can buy it?

Nature Conservancy??? Would it be worth trying to get them involved?

Inanda

I have no idea what the land is worth. I'm sure it's not involved with a land claim or there would have been something in the paper. I understand that Wal-Mart will give the money to the Native Band so they can buy the land if the rezoning goes through. I'm not sure what the reason for that is. It's right next to the reserve so maybe part of the store or parking lot will be on the reserve. I believe the Nature Conservancy is already involved as they've been part of the reclaimation of the estuary that's already taken place. The estuary was used for years as a booming grounds and many businesses operated on the edge of it for years as well. The businesses were given a deadline of when they had to relocate but many have been fighting it. Much money and volunteer effort has gone in to putting back gravel for the salmon to spawn in and to get rid of all that was left over from the booming grounds as well as replant the native plants.

The band buying it and then Walmart buying it from them (or leasing) is probably a tax thing. There is a huge GST /reserve court case going on at the mo. If Tax. Dept. wins, it will be a disaster for companies who have worked with band councils, millions and millions of $$ due to tax dept. Will put many companies under.
inanda

Hi Sandy,

It is a tax thing. Walmart is trying (and doing this) in other areas. For two main reasons.

Municipal taxes are not paid on reserve lands. So..... Walmart gets the band to buy the land, add it to their reserve. Then Walmart builds on it, leases the land from the reserve (far less expensive than buying it). Walmart doesn't have to pay taxes. Commercial enterprises on reserves have very different rules and regularions. No environmental hearings for a start. Many many other things so.... we have to battle on.

This has happened on many reserves in the US, not so many up here. However, Walmart has many empty stores as well, where they have built and the market just hasn't been there.

Inanda

This message was edited Apr 11, 2005 2:04 PM to correct spelling - lol

This message was edited Apr 12, 2005 9:42 PM