Login / RegisterLegislation introduced to remove land from Stawamus Chief Provincial Park for Sea to Sky Gondola
Anders Ourom says opponents of the Sea to Sky Gondola project still plan to try their best to stop the removal of land from Stawamus Chief Provincial Park.
Ourom, an organizer with Friends of the Squamish Chief—an ad hoc group fighting the proposed sightseeing gondola—spoke to the Straight hours after the B.C. Liberal government introduced legislation to take a 2.36-hectare strip out of the Class A park. In the 1990s, he sat on both the study team that recommended the creation of the park and the citizens’ advisory committee that helped draw up the park’s management plan.
“This just highlights the importance of people saying what they think of the project and the process to the government as soon as possible—signing the online petition that we have, writing to the various addresses,” Ourom said by phone from his Vancouver home office. “It underscores the importance of people getting their two cents in now.”
Today (May 7), Bill 49—the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2012—received first reading in the B.C. legislature.
Introduced by Environment Minister Terry Lake, the bill would establish 10 new conservancies and tinker with several protected areas around the province.
“I expect two of the boundary modifications to rightfully attract special interest,” Lake said in the house, according to the Hansard transcript. “Specifically, 2.36 hectares are being removed from Stawamus Chief Park. If the Legislature approves this amendment, it is proposed that the lands removed from the park be established as Stawamus Chief protected area under the Environment and Land Use Act. This will allow for the application of a park use permit for facility development associated with the gondola development through what is now the park.”
Sea to Sky Gondola Corporation’s proposed gondola would travel through the park from a base on private land, between the Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls, to a top terminal on Crown land on the ridge northwest of Mount Habrich.
In December, the company applied to take the 20-metre-wide, 1.18-kilometre-long corridor out of the 526-hectare park. Sea to Sky plans to build seven of 15 towers and cut 364 to 597 cubic metres of timber in the gondola right of way.
A news release from the Ministry of Environment says Bill 49 would also add about 1.93 hectares of land to the park. The addition is “a result of Crown lands transferred to the ministry in 2008 from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for a closed road that was no longer needed as part of the Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project”, the release notes.
According to information provided to the Straight by the ministry, the park’s boundaries were modified in 2007 as part of the Sea to Sky Highway expansion project.
Bills require three readings and royal assent to become law. The spring legislative session is scheduled to end on May 31.
As of 5 p.m. today, 163 people had signed Friends of the Squamish Chief's online petition expressing opposition to the gondola project and calling for a public hearing on the park-adjustment proposal.
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I have many a friend who say - "What happened to open honest democracy?" "When did politicians become akin to criminals?" "When did doing wrong become so acceptable?" and the clincher.. "My children are being exposed to this and i worry for their future..."
Great to see that the Liberals are embracing ways to continue to stimulate BC's tourism economy - especially here in Squamish where we need economic diversification - as they outlined in their 5-year strategy on tourism: http://www.jti.gov.bc.ca/tourismstrategy/documents/MJTI_TourismStrategyR...
There are dozens and dozens of long term climbers, hikers, environmentalists, the Squamish Trail society, etc that are very supportive of this project. The area above where the top station is located is a heavily logged watershed. Has been for decades. Now this gondola will be a catalyst to using this area for non motorized recreation. Without the gondola it will certainly continue to be used for resource extraction of all kinds. Without giving Squamish diversification in its economy, it will revert back to heavy industry, chemical plants, pulp mills, logging and the like as soon as those opportunities reappear. Note during the last election the number of candidates that felt that these industries were a good idea. For all you protectionist folks, especially those that happily use the Smoke Bluffs park...that there have been over 200 trees cut down in that park over the last few years alone to maintain the climbing routes and hiking trails! Where is your outrage over that compromise to a class A park?
Personally, as someone who has worked on preservation and environmental campaigns all over BC this is a fabulous project to support and I am disgusted at the dishonesty and hypocrisy of those that oppose it and the comments from others who know nothing other than their own nonsense. We can agree to disagree but to make outrageous accusations, stay silent in the face of misrepresentation, lies and half truths....you should be ashamed.
The proponent's public consultation process is not impartial, it is biased, naturally, in favour of the proposal. BC Parks' mandate is to stand up for our parks and protected areas.
Parks were created for a purpose; to be protected from commercial development pressures. The gondola proposal sets a bad precedent it letting commercial interests run "public" consultation processes regarding removing land from a Class A provincial park. That is a recipe for disaster.
The Chief is a provincial park that was created on behalf of the public, as such the public has the right to have their say in a meaningful public consultation process run by BC Parks.
BTW the figures come from a combination of sources:
Firstly, The Squamish Chief Online Poll Conducted in February of 431 people. The poll showed 21% opposed, 37% "not 100% sure but let's go ahead", and 38% "it's fine." The remaining being undecided.
Further still, the SLRD public hearing in which 54 people spoke in favour of the project with 14 opposed.
Finally, November 2011 - DoS public hearing in which 36 people spoke in favour with 4 opposed.
Miguel
You post infers these meetings were organized by the developer - when in fact both meetings I referred to were organized by local Government being the District of Squamish and SLRD, as part of due process.
I would also point out that those opposed publicly rallied and encouraged those who shared their views to attend as did the proponents.
Can we talk now?
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