Gabriola LTC Regular Meeting Addendum

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Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee
Regular Meeting Addendum
 
 
Date:November 10, 2016
Time:10:15 am
Location:Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre
476 South Road, Gabriola Island, BC
Pages
9.CORRESPONDENCE10:50 AM - 10:55 AM
9.2Email dated November 8, 2016 from Wilf Caron regarding Ocean Dumping at
Five Fingers Island
2 - 5
10.APPLICATIONS AND REFERRALS10:55 AM - 1:00 PM
10.4GB-RZ-2016.1 Potlatch Properties and Pilot Bay Holdings - Staff Report
10.4.1Late Item - Referral Response from Ministry of Forests, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO)
6 - 8
10.4.2Conceptual Lot Layout plans9 - 12
12.LOCAL TRUST COMMITTEE PROJECTS1:20 PM - 3:20 AM
12.2Housing Options Review Project - Staff Report13 - 40
DEFERRED TO A FUTURE MEETING
1

From: Wilf and Isabel caron  
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 10:27 AM 
To: Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee 
Subject: Fwd: Ocean Dumping Permit. Islands Trust Agenda 
 
The alert for this issue was the legal notice of intent published in the Nanaimo News Bulletin 
dated 27 Oct. 2016. I was aware of dredged solids ocean dumping in Georgia Strait waters, but 
this application for a permit describes the substance as 30 thousand cubic metres of dredged 
wood waste.  In other words, organic (not inorganic) waste. Material would be dumped at the 
Environment Canada designated site adjacent to Five Fingers Island near the city of Nanaimo on 
the shores the Georgia Strait. 
 
 
 
2

In my career as a commercial fish harvester, I have observed, first hand, the impacts of wood 
waste on the marine environment. To me, this intent warranted further investigation. 
The history of this designated disposal site as I interpret it, in the 1960's and 70's,  a study was 
done for a single liquid effluent sewage outfall for the city of Nanaimo, in the Five Fingers 
Island area. That data was then used to form the basis for a solids dump site by Environment 
Canada. It has been in continuous use since then. It is designated a minor site with quantity 
limitations annually. Vancouver area dredgers are allowed to use the site described, permit by 
permit. If so exercised, that would certainly exceed the site limitations. Most identifiable dredged 
dumping in the area is from the Nanaimo estuary, and most of these have been in support of the 
wood fibre industry. This has been a constant for the last twenty years at least. 
 
I have reviewed those permits and the description is usually, if not entirely, for dredging of silt, 
sands, and gravel and some woody material in the amount of 10 to 20 thousand cubic metres 
annually. This proposed permit is for 30 thousand cubic metres of "dredged wood waste".  
 
In my conversation with a professional contract diver, he has observed first hand, at the dredge 
sites, that maybe 10% of the dredged material was inorganic and the rest wood waste. He also 
stated that the dredged areas would usually refill with wood waste in six months.   
 
He has not dived on the dump site as it is over 200 feet i

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