Cowichan News Leader Pictorial, October 31, 2012

Page 1

News: More than 50 left temporarily homeless in apartment fire page 5 On stage: Cowichan dancer gets tryout with Royal Winnipeg Ballet page 21 For all the news of the Cowichan region as it happens, plus stories from around British Columbia, go to our website www.cowichannewsleader.com Your news leader since 1905

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Andrew Leong

A zombie makes its way across the railroad tracks during the third-annual Community Option Society’s Zombie Walk on Friday, in Duncan’s Charles Hoey Park. The event was billed as a Cowichan United Way fundraiser, but given a series of other signs, some residents are not so sure. For more on this story, see page three.

Province refuses to take unilateral action to prevent river crisis repeat

Peter W. Rusland

News Leader Pictorial

D

ucking a dry Cowichan River and another ¿sh kill next fall could rest with regional directors and Crofton pulp-mill brass applying for a new provincial water-storage licence. “We’re willing to work with all stakeholders to avoid a repeat of what happened this year,” said mill manager Rob Belanger after Thursday’s politely tense meeting in Duncan. Crofton mill holds licences for river-water storage and extraction to supply its operations. More storage of spring run-off behind Cowichan Lake’s 1957 weir — to prevent summer low-Àow woes and dead salmon — needs a provincial licence. Rob Hutchins, Cowichan Valley Regional District chairman, indicated if Victoria won’t act

Up to Cowichan: Formal public process needed to change storage practices to save the heritage river, the CVRD board would seek that licence. “It’s the (forest and lands) minister’s responsibility, but if they fail (to act on storage), yes we will (apply for a licence).” Thursday’s meeting drew about 150 citizens, government, Natives and business leaders to the Quw’utsun’ Cultural Centre where opinions and ideas were aired about why spring water-storage didn’t happen in Cowichan Lake to slake a

drought-crippled river this fall. Most anger about a dry river, that killed 1,000 spawning chinook, was vented on Brian Symonds, Ministry of Forests and Lands’ waterstewardship director. “Step up, take on the licence, and do the job,” fumed Gerald Thom, Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society’s president. Symonds insisted due process be followed to gain broad community input, plus a formal

licence re-application. “We’re reluctant to issue it to ourselves. We need to go through the process and look at (storage) impacts,” he said of the lake’s 800-odd properties that may be affected. But David Anderson, former federal environment minister, explained B.C.’s legislation basically allows Symonds’ boss, minister Steve Thomson, to boost emergency lake water-storage. “He’s got the authority now,” stressed the Cowichan Watershed Board member, angry Thomson appears to have ignored valley leaders’ May pleas to store water, and head-off a dry river in late summer. “We need the minister to recognize his responsibility and do the job. “The buck has to stop somewhere. It has to stop with the minister . . . acting on the Cowichan,” Anderson said. more on page 12

Talk to Kal “Service Is What We’re All About, We Just Happen To Sell Tires!”

Ryan Arruda

Ken Karpick

5295 Trans Canada Hwy., Duncan

Bodie Kroek

Chris Pilkey

Kevin Wood

Mitch Vandersluys Doug Jordan

250-746-9815

Trevor McClelland

Jon Redlick

Steve Perry

Roddy MacDougall

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