Category Archives: News

The 150-year-old tower at Race Rocks under threat

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Senators ‘just want to get the facts’

By Sandra McCulloch, Times ColonistNovember 12, 2010

The 150-year-old tower at Race Rocks is among nearly 1,000 lighthouses and light stations under threat.

Photograph by: Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist, Times Colonist

Senators examining the proposed destaffing of lighthouses insist they want to hear from all sides when they visit Vancouver Island next week.

The members of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans aim to hand its report and accompanying recommendations to federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea by the end of the year.

In 2009, Shea announced lightkeepers would be eliminated. But a public outcry prompted her to ask the senate committee to investigate and make recommendations.

The senators will visit the west coast Nov. 16-20. But its appointment-only format has left some people concerned that only select parties are being heard.

“The senate committee’s schedule does not include any public meetings where B.C. residents can tell the senators what they think about eliminating lightkeepers from B.C.’s 27 remaining staff lightstations,” the Canadian Lightkeepers Association. Its comments came in a press release titled “B.C. public shut out of lighthouse hearings.”

Senator Dennis Patterson, deputy chairman of the committee, said the press release is an example of the misunderstandings over the visit and added that the senators wanted to meet as many people as possible.

“I know there has been some concern about this format, that we’re cherry-picking witnesses, and I want to assure you this is not the case,” Patterson said.

“We’re very open to hearing all points of view. We just want to get the facts.”

Financial constraints prohibit the senate from holding full-blown public hearings here, Patterson said. Instead, the committee will hold “fact-finding” sessions around kitchen tables, at lighthouses and in places like council chambers, said Patterson.

The format can be less intimidating than formal hearings, he said.

“In my opinion [it] can work very effectively,” he said. “You can sit around a table and have an informal exchange of views. We want to hear from the maximum number of people in an informal way.”

With a deadline of Dec. 31, there is a sense of urgency, Patterson said. Last week, he canvassed public opinion in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The destaffing question we feel is most urgent — it has evoked a lot of concern on both coasts,” said Patterson.

The committee has already heard from representatives of the Coast Guard, the Canadian Lightkeepers Association and others who have testified in Ottawa.

Former senator Pat Carney, who opposes destaffing lighthouses, is scheduled to testify in Ottawa on Nov. 23.

The public hearings have a place in the system, said Patterson, “it’s just that we’re not able to take the show on the road for financial reasons.”

The committee expects to visit 10 to 12 lighthouses on the west coast and meet people in Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Prince Rupert and Vancouver.

The senators represent both sides of the house and there is no hidden agenda, Patterson said.

“Senate committees, I believe, have a reputation for doing good work and being independent,” he said.

Anyone wishing to address the committee should contact its clerk, Danielle Labonte, at 613-949-4379. The committee’s email is fish-pech@sen.parl.gc.ca.

smcculloch@timescolonist.com

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Lighthouses Part of Canada’s culture

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Published: November 11, 2010 1:00 PM
Updated: November 11, 2010 1:41 PM

Its easy on southern Vancouver Island to allow lighthouses to become part of the scenery. Unless one is a boater, a person may simply take the presence of these light stations for granted.

But there is a certain romance with lighthouses. They are a part of our history, a slice of coastal living that we envision as part and parcel of experiencing the rugged life of a maritime resident.

A Senate committee is further looking into whether Canada’s 51 remaining stations with lighthouse keepers need to be staffed.

No one would argue that having a live set of eyes available with the ability to take action in the event of a crisis isn’t critical at times.

On the other hand, technology has improved since the first lighthouses were installed along our coastlines. The notion of setting up a series of cameras, perhaps linked to satellites, to monitor the waters off Vancouver Island, for example, doesn’t seem like such an out-of-this-world solution.

But what of the actual light stations?

The revelation that the federal government has listed the majority of Canada’s lighthouses as surplus had many Canadians collectively raising their eyebrows.

It’s easy to envision high rollers buying the land cheap and erecting pricey spa-lodges on prominent waterfront properties currently anchored by lighthouses.

But is that what we want to see?

Other coastal communities and jurisdictions, the state of Oregon for example, have created successful models for saving these picturesque and culturally significant icons and utilizing them in a different way. Cultural tourism, facilitated by community groups and other agencies, could be the answer for saving the lighthouses of Canada’s Pacific Coast.

The federal government, if it chooses to divest itself of these assets, must commit to work with interested groups to enhance the viability of lighthouses, either as working navigational aids, tourist attractions or both.

Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever

.This article was originally found at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/goldstreamgazette/opinion/107312893.html–now discontinued.

Race Rocks Update May 2009

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Eight Years Later: It is with irony that I write this update, 8 years to the day since Angus Matthews wrote an update in 2002

In 2001 we were still optimistic that a full fledged MPA for Race Rocks would be forthcoming. In the interim, most of the members of the Race Rocks Advisory Board have moved on. As for the representatives of Lester Pearson College, Angus Matthews is now Executive Director of the New Marine Centre in Sidney, and Garry Fletcher has retired from teaching at Pearson College, but remains as Educational director of the racerocks.com website and assists with advice in the administration of the reserve. Chris Blondeau, the Director of Operations of Lester Pearson College is now in charge of administering Race Rocks for the College.

In the interim, Lester Pearson College has continued to raise funds to provide an Eco-guardian at Race Rocks since the de staffing of the Lightstation in 1997. Mike and Carol Slater retired in 2008. and Ryan Murphy, a former student of Lester Pearson College and now a graduate student from Memorial University is now hired as our resident Eco- Guardian. Over $1,000,000 has been raised by Lester Pearson College dedicated to the protection of the reserve since 1997. BC Parks has been helpful in providing for infrastructure upkeep on the island . DFO has not contributed anything to the operation of the reserve.

The rejection by the First Nations of the Gazetted version of the Advisory Board proposal of 2001 led to a cessation of the advisory process . A significant change in the text of the original proposal of the Advisory Group when it was submitted to DFO made the proposal unacceptable to First Nations as well as to many others of the Advisory board.

Sean LeRoy et al, have analyzed the process and have documented it in the Publication : Public Process and the Creation of the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area

From page 8:

” On October 28, 2000, the draft regulations for the XwaYeN (Race Rocks) Marine Protected Area appeared in the Canada Gazette, Part I (O’Sullivan 2000). The proposed regulatory text established the no-take zone within the boundaries of the Ecological Reserve. The accompanying Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) incorporated most of the other consensus recommendations of the RRAB, but also stated: “…although the creation of the MPA does not restrict harvesting by First Nations for food, social or ceremonial purposes, they volunteered to forego this activity in support of the designation of the MPA”

This provision was a surprise to the CSSC, other members of the RRAB, and many at DFO. In November 2000, the Chiefs of several Douglas Treaty First Nations wrote a letter of objection to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, citing the Delgamuukw vs. British Columbia (1997) decision, infringement of treaty rights, and lack of consultation (RRAB 2001). It is not clear whether this objection was a direct result of the Gazette publication, or whether it derived from earlier events such as Miramichi Bay or the ‘designation’ ceremony. Regardless, the regulatory process was halted immediately. Caught in the crossfire, the CSSC lost any currency it had as an intermediary between the Douglas Treaty First Nations and DFO, and has not been involved in the deliberations ever since.
In December 2000, DFO met individually with each Chief of the Douglas Treaty First Nations, acknowledging that proper consultation had not taken place (RRAB 2001). By June 2001, the Chiefs had written a letter of support for the MPA, on the condition that there was true co-operation and acknowledgement of Douglas Treaty rights. Negotiations to allow the final designation of the MPA are currently ongoing (April 2003). “

During the interim since 2001, DFO has pursued negotiations with the local First Nations Treaty Group. In April of 2009, DFO representatives have expressed interest in resolving the issues this year.

So now from my viewpoint in 2009, the perspectives on the MPA process have changed somewhat. We are currently committed to maintaining the ecological sustainability of the provincially designated Ecological Reserve. The Ecological Reserve has now been in operation for 29 years. The community has accepted the importance of the area and has recognized the value of conservation. It would be of great assistance to Lester Pearson College if the area was to become financially sustainable with support from governments. I am not so sure however if the designation of MPA status remains of any value.

On the DFO webpage http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/mpa/fntreaty_e.htm the following is a statement on
Respecting First Nations and Treaty Process :

“Canada and B.C. consider First Nations support and participation in the MPA Strategy as important and necessary.  Both governments will ensure and respect the continued use of MPAs by First Nations for food, social and ceremonial purposes and other traditional practices subject to conservation requirements.  Therefore, MPAs will not automatically preclude access or activities critical to the livelihood or culture of First Nations.  The establishment of any MPA will not preclude options for settlement of treaties, and will address opportunities for First Nations to benefit from MPAs.”

Given the above statement it is hard to imagine why 9 years has passed without this being resolved and why no support in the interim has been forthcoming from DFO for the Ecological Reserve. It would appear that it is successful as it is now so one might wonder why adding another layer of bureaucracy is necessary.

The above statement represents the personal opinion of Garry Fletcher.

The story of Ninene: Seal pup likely Canadian-born; now she’s missing

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This story is reproduced courtesy of the Penninsula Daily News: penninsuladailynews.com

By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — A young elephant seal pup that beached itself on Hollywood Beach last weekend is more than likely a Canadian named Ninene.

Link:She is tagged with red tags and then released back at the waterfront

A molting female elephant seal lies on the sand at Hollywood Beach in Port Angeles on Monday. Police taped off the area around the seal to keep people from approaching the animal. — Photo by Chris Tucker/Peninsula Daily News

 

Scientists believe the elephant seal pup that washed up near City Pier is the same seal born Jan. 30 at Race Rocks Marine Ecological Reserve. That seal was named Ninene by researchers at the British Columbia reserve.

The malnourished, scarred female seal was taken from Hollywood Beach — where Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary had protected her from onlookers by erecting yellow tape around her on Sunday — to the end of Ediz Hook near the Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles station on Tuesday to give her more privacy.

She was gone on Wednesday. A sanctuary scientist will check the site today.
Ninene’s life was hard, researchers said. She was weaned early and abandoned by her mother, they said, and was mauled by an adult seal when she was no more than a month old. Bob Steelquist, a spokesman at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Port Angeles, said, “The story gets a little richer.”
Violent childhood
Markings near the seal’s neck — signs of a violent childhood — matched those of Ninene’s, said Garry Fletcher, a volunteer at the Race Rocks reserve. “The pictures sent some evidence of that, and also Race Rocks is only 10 kilometers away,” he said. “As far as we know, we don’t know of any other elephant seals having young ones.” John Barimo, a sanctuary research specialist, said “it makes sense” that the Port Angeles seal and Ninene are one in the same. “It [Race Rocks] is the closest part of Vancouver Island to us, and the timing seems to fit,” Barimo said.

No other elephant seal is known to have been born that far north. Short of conducting a DNA analysis, scientists believe the evidence is sufficient, Barimo said.
Photos of an infant Ninene are available at www.racerocks.com.

Underweight, battered

The 10-week-old seal is severely underweight. She was weaned from her mother when she was 4 or 5 weeks old, Fletcher said. Seals usually are weaned at eight to 10 weeks. “In the first month of its life, it was attacked quite badly by a male,” Fletcher explained.
“We have a series of pictures from when its mother left. It got battered up quite badly.”
At one point, Ninene looked like she was dead, Fletcher said.
Barimo estimated the seal weighed between 100 and 125 pounds when he netted it on Tuesday. Elephant seals that age should weight about 350 pounds, he said.

“Apparently this animal was subject to pretty violent attacks by a young male over there,” Barimo said. “There are signs of the injuries that show up on its neck.” The seal’s current status is unknown. Barimo on Wednesday returned to the site where he released Ninene by the Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angles a day earlier. The seal was nowhere to be found.

A Makah scientist had tagged its fin with a number late Tuesday, Barimo said.
Unless Ninene reappears to humans, Barimo said it’s impossible to know if she has recovered or has become “a part of the food chain.”
The most important factor in a seal’s survival is whether or not it can learn to hunt and forage on its own, Barimo said. “It is a tough call,” he said.
“In nature, not everything makes it. . . . If it can learn to fish, it should start bulking up.”
Fletcher said: “She’s gone this far. She certainly over the worst of it.”

Once indigenous to the northwest, elephant seals were hunted out of the area in the late 1880s, Fletcher said.They survived in California and now appear to be on the rebound, Barimo said.”It was a weird twist of fate,” Barimo said.
“It was born next to a helicopter pad, and here we are releasing her at a Coast Guard station by a helicopter pad.”

________

Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen (use the at sign) peninsuladailynews.com.

Last modified: April 09. 2009 11:39PM

A beacon of hope for Race Rocks ( Times Colonist, 2007)

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A beacon of hope for Race Rocks — Times Colonist (Victoria) February 6, 2007

When Garry Fletcher pulls his hand away from the wet wall of the Race Rocks light station, chunks of stone come off in his palm and fall to the steps of the curving stairwell.

The 147-year-old tower’s base, built out of Scottish granite, isn’t so bad, but up at the top, salt and water have worked through the sandstone. Outside, on the parapet encircling the light, old orange paint peels off in sheets. Continue reading →

Creating power to stay in power:

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Creating power to stay in power: 

Conservatives are out to prove that their plan is better than the Liberal oneTimes Colonist (Victoria) Saturday, January 20, 2007Page: A16 Section: Comment Byline: Les Leyne Column: Les Leyne Source: CanWest News Service

What a lot of trouble Prime Minister Stephen Harper went to in order to announce that a rather obscure alternative energy program that the Liberals unveiled earlier is going to carry on under his government. By plane, by motorcade and by water taxi he made his way almost literally to the ends of the Earth to illuminate the point that “Canada’s new government,” as Tories like to say, is following Canada’s old government when it comes to nurturing alternative energy suppliers.

Lester B. Pearson College isn’t the end of the earth, but it’s on the edge of the western frontier as far as most Canadians are concerned. It was a good backdrop for an alternative energy announcement (even if it is named for a Liberal PM) because it’s home base for the ecological reserve at Race Rocks, on which sits a tiny tidal-power demo project.

Harper has a newfound passion for eco-friendly initiatives that can be said to curb greenhouse-gas emissions that contribute to climate change. It’s burning so intently that he even ventured past the college, hopping a boat for a quick run out to Race Rocks for a photo opportunity.The project is the only one of its kind in Canada. Getting electricity out of this sort of natural power — tidal, solar, geothermal, wind — is about the coolest thing you can imagine. But the technology needs a lot of work before it can go big league, so alternative energy needs to be coddled for years to come. Harper put down $1.5 billion over 10 years.

Federal Liberals fronted a similar program during their last term. Its future was uncertain when the Conservatives took over. But the conventional wisdom is that something clicked in the public’s mind recently.

Perhaps it was prompted by the extreme weather — savage storms in the west, freakishly warm days in the east. Climate change became a big deal and the Conservative government became determined, even desperate, to stay on top of it.

So Harper canned Rona Ambrose, his environment minister, replaced her with someone more familiar with the game of political hardball– John Baird — and set his government on an eco-blitz, which touched down at Pearson College.

Amazing what can come from Ontarians playing golf in December.

The blitz is an impressive one. The prime minister brought two supporting acts with him — Baird and Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn. The federal incursion demanded a provincial response, so B.C. Energy Minister Richard Neufeld made an appearance. And a host of people from the alternative energy world — third-party validators — were invited to bulk up the audience.

The message is double-edged. Conservatives want it known that not only are they concerned about climate change and doing something about it, they’re doing more than the Liberals ever did.

So Harper and Baird outlined their alternative energy funding and quickly compared it to the Liberal record. As Baird put it, meeting the targets set by the Kyoto accord was the start of a marathon, but the Liberals spent the first 10 years after signing it running in the wrong direction.

And Harper said the initiatives were funded in the last budget.

“It may seem like a year is a long time to get them in place, but what we faced when we took office was a whole series of environmental programs that either weren’t reducing emissions in most cases or hadn’t even got off the ground…”

That in a nutshell is what the next few months of environmental debate are going to sound like in Ottawa. Some voters will welcome the new thrust, regardless of its timing. Some will decide Harper’s commitment to cleaner air is too late to be trustworthy. And everyone will have to measure it against the Liberal alternative, which was skimpy, at least prior to the leadership change.

The money promised yesterday for clean power is supposed to createthe same effect as getting a million cars off the road. But if they wanted to tackle climate change head-on, why didn’t they just get a million cars off the road?

It would hurt too much. Harper said people have to have the ability to earn an income. ” What we’re trying to do with our environmental plan is allow people to be prosperous and have energy security as well.”

Harper pointed out the emissions debate often centres on the sectors of the economy that produce them. But everyone uses transportation, energy and industrial products. “If we’re going to make the transformations in our economy we want to make over time, there’s going to be a responsibility of everyone to participate in that.”

The winner of this argument will be the one with the best argument about why their plan to curb emissions won’t hurt as much as the other guy’s plan.

Reprinted with the permission of Les Leyne
lleyne@tc.canwest.com

Extreme Weather Events at Race Rocks

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How We Got Blasted: Record-ripping winds took rare path:

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist Published: Saturday, December 16, 2006

Wind gusts at Race Rocks, off the Island’s southwest tip, reached a record 158 kilometres an hour as the third intense wind storm in a week plowed a trail of destruction through southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Yesterday morning’s storm knocked out power to thousands of residents, toppled trees, and damaged buildings and cars. More residents were forced from their homes because they didn’t have power, and ended up moving into hotels or into the homes of friends and relatives. Around the capital region, areas that suffered the most damage had winds that gusted to between 70 and 90 km/h . In the last three storms, including yesterday’s, the wind has gathered over the North Pacific, whooshed across the ocean, gathered speed in the funnel of Juan de Fuca Strait and then whacked Vancouver Island with its full force, said Chris Emond, Environment Canada meteorologist. “There are tremendous wind speeds and three in one week is unusual.” The wind is coming straight across the cold North Pacific and hitting land, rather than taking the more common route of dipping south and picking up tropical moisture, Emond said.

Anne McCarthy, weather services specialist with Environment Canada, said the storms are cutting a swath straight across Vancouver Island instead of the more usual pattern of tracking to the north coast around Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlottes (Haida Gwaii.) Although we have only recorded extreme values since earlier this year, It is interesting to note the Maximum wind and the Minimum Pressure records for the 14th and 15th of December 2006.

You can read the complete story in the Times Colonist , Dec 16, 2006 The right conditions for a hurricane:

Storm surf conditions which correspond to the low pressure systems. These images were captured from the Stormsurf site at 2300 hrs. Pacific Time , just a few hours before the maximum impact.

This image was taken from the US National Weather Service Images of the evening of December 14. Note the “HURRICN FORCE” location right beside Vancouver Island. Also the atmospheric pressure is as low as 970.

Current Satellite imagery is shown on this page

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