6 minute read
Cable Bay Update
BY KERITH WADDINGTON
In rural communities, conversations by the mailbox are often how information about local goings-on get shared. As often as not, the story getting told is only partially correct or takes a dizzying array of segues before getting to the truth.
It was conversations such as these that spurred long-time Cedar resident and environmental steward George Creek to reach out to TAKE 5 with what he hopes is some clarification on where development applications surrounding the beloved local Cable Bay Trail are at.
“There is a lot of misinformation floating around about Cable Bay, so I compiled a summary which I hope provides clarity,” says Creek. “I also wanted to provide people with a way to make their voices heard if this is something they feel passionately about.”
First, some background on the issue, provided by Creek.
The lands roughly bordered by the Duke Point Highway to the west, Harmac to the north, Dodd Narrows to the east, and the City of Nanaimo boundary to the south were originally part of the MacMillan Blodell/Weyhauser forest tenure.
In approximately 2009, these lands were acquired by a Calgary businessman, Wilf Richard, with the intent to do an extensive development encompassing many homes, stacked RV lots, a golf course and spa. It was named Oceanview Golf Resort and Spa Ltd., and an application for a subdivision development was made to the City of Nanaimo.
Residents of Cedar-by-the-Sea opposed the proposed development strongly as access to the large development would be through local roads which were not designed, built or maintained to handle the anticipated traffic volumes.
Other objections included urban sprawl, cost of city services, fire protection and more.
The development was declined by the city.
Fast forward to 2022, when the land to the west of Cable Bay Trail was sold to Nanaimo Forest Products for some $14 million. This area abuts the Harmac pulp mill (owned by Nanaimo Forest Products) and an industrial land fill.
It is important to note that the trail, which opened in the summer of 1996, is the result of an ongoing legacy project between Nanaimo Forest Products and the city.
Nanaimo Forest Products has applied to the City of Nanaimo to rezone their lands to Industrial, with the idea of subdividing it into smaller lots with five proposed land uses: heavy industrial, industrial, sawmill, manufacturing and warehousing. Proposed daily vehicle traffic in and out of that side is estimated to be 1038.
Meanwhile, on December 19, 2023, a formal application for subdivision of the lands east of the Cable Bay Trail was filed with the City of Nanaimo: the applicants are Cable Bay Estates (85 per cent) and 1127326 Alberta Ltd. (15 per cent). This proposed subdivision is for 34 lots of a minimum of two hectares (some are larger) with access via Nicola and Ivor Roads.
As Creek points out, the application calls for the realignment of Nicola Road to connect with roads within the development area and an access point where Ivor Road abuts the city boundary. There is no mention of any other roads or condition relating to feeder roads or routes.
As this is outside the City of Nanaimo urban containment boundary, the city will not provide the usual services of water and sewer. If approved, all dwellings built will require drilled wells and above- ground septic systems. However, the proposed development is within the City of Nanaimo boundary, so fire protection would be the responsibility of the city fire department. With no water service or hydrants, all water for fire fighting will have to be trucked in from a city source via the local roads.
Creek acknowledges that there are many issues making this subdivision/development undesirable from both a local perspective and a Nanaimo point-of-view.
“Our area is quiet and peaceful. The increased traffic on our access roads would impact the quality of our coming and going,” says Creek. “And the Cable Bay lands are more suited for a natural park than a housing development. In fact, the applicant’s own ecological report makes a better case for a park than for housing. At least seven ecologically-sensitive areas are identified in the report, and there is concern that other areas — like several Garry oak meadows — were missed altogether. Action is being taken to challenge the accuracy of the report.”
Creek adds that there is no proven water aquifer that would sustain 34 wells in a concentrated area, and that septic systems on rocky, steep sloped grounds adjacent to the ocean are a likely source of pollution.
For those unfamiliar with the trail itself, it provides Cedar residents and visitors with a quiet 1.9-kilometre trek to the ocean through Douglas fir forests and the afore-mentioned Garry oak subsystems.
Of particular note, it is one of only three places in Canada where Muhlenberg’s centaury, a small red-listed flower, has been found to grow, according to environmental assessments.
With a residential development proposed for one side and industrial development for the other, where does this leave concerned residents?
“With strength in numbers and empowered with knowledge,” says Jackie Wasyluk, who, together with Jain Alcock-White, spearheaded the local, unincorporated Save Cable Bay group four years ago.
Just shy of 3,000 members, the group is challenging the development proposals on environmental and logistical grounds.
The group has an email call out to the mayor and council to do whatever they need to in order to protect the east side of Cable Bay, with its intact old growth and Garry oak ecosystems, and make it a park.
And while the group doesn’t want to see industrial development on the west side of the trail, they currently have a petition with more than 22,000 signatures to limit development to a minimum of 100 metres and retain the areas where the buffer is larger due to environmentally sensitive areas.
Wasyluk encourages people to check out the group’s website at savecablebay. org. And Creek provides the following contacts for those wanting to take part in the email campaign:
Mayor and Council of Nanaimo: www.nanaimo.ca/your-government/ city-council/contact-mayor-and-council
MOTI Development Services Nanaimo: DevelopmentServices.Nanaimo@ gov.bc.ca
RDN Area A director, Jessica Stanley: Jessica.stanley@rdn.bc.ca
MLA for our area, Doug Routley: douglas.routley.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Individuals who have emailed the City of Nanaimo have to date received the following automated message, abbreviated for length:
These applications are currently under review to confirm compliance with applicable City of Nanaimo policies, bylaws and development permit area guidelines (including for the protection of the natural environment), as well as Provincial and Federal statutes.
…the City recognizes the value of the Cable Bay Trail and intends to enhance buffering to the trail and protect environmentally sensitive features on lands adjacent to the Cable Bay Trail through development of adjacent lands. The City is also working to expand its trail network in the area and to secure improved public access to Joan Point Park through development of these lands.
Alcock-White points out that the City has, to date, agreed to a buffer of 30 metres from the trail but up to 100 metres in areas where there are sensitive features. As such, she believes “the response does not adequately recognize the importance of the area.”
