Email from Dorothy Chambers Re: Gorge Marine Trail concerns

Elena Bolster

Subject: FW: gorge marine trail.

From: "Mayor And Council Email" mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca To: "Aaron Weisgerber (weisgerber.aaron@gmail.com)" weisgerber.aaron@gmail.com, "David Screech" MayorScreech@viewroyal.ca, "Heidi Rast" hrast@telus.net, "John Rogers" john.rogers007@shaw.ca, "Ron Mattson" rmattson@shaw.ca Cc: "Kim Anema" KAnema@viewroyal.ca Sent: Friday, November 18, 2016 9:29:05 AM Subject: FW: gorge marine trail.

From: Dorothy Chambers Sent: November-12-16 5:15 PM To: Mayor And Council Email Subject: Fw: gorge marine trail.

From: Dorothy Chambers Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2016 1:57 PM To: Jeremy Loveday (Councillor) ; Ben Isitt (Councillor) ; Lisa Helps (Mayor) ; Charlayne Thornton-Joe (Councillor) ; pmadoff@victoria.ca ; gyoung@victoria.ca ; mlucas@victoria.ca ; ccoleman@victoria.ca ; malto@victoria.ca ; ccoates@victoria.ca ; jjohnson@victoria.ca Subject: gorge marine trail.

Dear Jeremy, thank you to Victoria Council and Mayor for asking me relevant questions and wanting to hear my opinions, and concerns regarding this kayak route proposal into the sensitive areas of the Gorge waterway. I appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions and thank you for the time you all took to read the previous correspondence sent to View Royal Council and the boating communities. This has been an ongoing struggle for environmental awareness and education for over 15 years now.

Have a good look at this map. Here is where they would like to encourage kayaking, into fragile estuaries. This is where they think boaters belong, and View Royal and Ocean River have no concerns at all to disturb wildlife sanctuaries and ecologically sensitive areas.... It’s all about the boating experience. Look at the routes up Craigflower Creek, and Millstream... hug the shores of these narrow shallow, feeding/resting/nesting/staging grounds. Perhaps their map has now changed from so much adversity, but the belief is still to encourage boaters into these regions.

Jeremy, pls. have a look at the map that was presented at their public parks planning. Big posters of kayaks pulled up on sensitive marine grasses, while the paddlers walked around in the fragile nesting areas of the migratory birds. Yes, that is what they promoted as fun boating.

In front of the CRD, the reps from the Victoria Migratory Bird Sanctuary, myself and many other stewardship groups, John Rogers explained how kayaking in these narrow shallow estuaries was quite a great boating experience. And, View Royals’ goal was not only to promote boating the in estuaries, but to encourage it by adding many more launch sites, for easier access to these wildlife refuges. He had no problem with any environmental and wildlife concerns expressed by all. In fact, he stomped away each time a concern was brought up.

He seemed quite perplexed regarding concern for the staging, migrating and spawning Coho salmon in these shallows of brackish water. Wasn’t aware of the salmon. Really, boaters are destroying large wood debris in the water so they could hold races up the estuaries in these salmon migratory routes and he has absolutely no concerns. It’s a federal, provincial and municipal violation, but he is OK with it because it provides access to the fun boating areas.

What Migratory Bird Sanctuary? Nearly one hundred years old, and Portage Inlet and our other two estuaries of Craigflower and Colquitz Creeks are their main feeding, nesting and resting grounds.... He didn’t know that either, apparently, neither did the entire View Royal council. Nothing in any of the presentations about this Federally protected migratory bird sanctuary, nor the amazing salmon run. No, just encouragement to have many more launches to bring boaters here.

Mud flats.... really, aren’t they just mud? They are the biggest feeding grounds on this fly way for our birds. Every paddle stroke disturbs the carbohydrate rich biofilm that feeds them. And never mind that every single time a boat approaches water or shore birds, they have to take flight. But of course, all that is in my previous correspondence. No, he had no absolutely no concerns for disturbed birds, having to leave their young and nests alone, open to predation because the boaters want to experience the area.

Aside from Deb Becelaere, Superintendent of Engineering, Town of View Royal, stewardship groups have no communication nor education on issues with View Royal on any environmental concerns of the Gorge Waterway. No wonder there is such a lack of understanding of this area, and why they want to promote boating in these Ecologically Sensitive Areas. They just aren’t interested. Boating is more fun.

Sadly, just as happened during the parks planning meeting, John Rogers came to the Gorge Waterway Initiative meeting and was aggressive and argumentative with any challenges and concerns expressed about boaters in these areas. He argued with the CRD who receive many many complaints of boaters in these regions, and went as far as to say, that doesn't happen.

According to Birds Canada, boaters, yes the kayakers, canoeists and stand up paddle boarders are the number one reason for bird disturbances in our area. It is the reason that Go Rowing had to move their business out of the sensitive Esquimalt Lagoon. This paddle route takes the boaters right by the entrance, and yes, John Rogers says no one will enter the lagoon. Again, a very uninformed statement, no concern for wildlife, only another great place for boaters to enter.

John Rogers says, this project will go ahead no matter what the conservation concerns are. He thinks he will educate the boating community to stay out of Portage Inlet and the other two estuaries. Too bad he hasn't been on board for environmental concerns, and the education brought to the boating community for over 15 years, that is failing miserably. Now, with a "for profit" business into the area, he is interested in boater education. He is partnering with VCKC whose members are known as the number one abusers of these wildlife refuge areas, a statement also told to me by Brian Henry.

Do they plan to fence off Portage Inlet? Education in the boating community has not worked over the past decade and a half. And well, why is he wearing one hat saying none of the marine trail users will enter the estuaries, yet, as a View Royal Councillor, he is encouraging launches to be built IN the estuaries? He has made it very very clear he endorses paddling in sensitive areas. He wants the Marine Trail users to launch in the fragile mud flats of Portage Park. Again, a complete lack of understanding of the values for birds and marine life in that area too. It's just mud. Likewise with Millstream estuary, the home of thousands of migrating salmon, threatened by low waters, and a kilometer of mud flats to sustain our precious migratory and resident birds. Let's get those boaters up there, destroying biofilm and salmon staging areas and bird habitat. Yes, the route was incorporated into the Marine Trail proposal.

I waited for John Rogers to weigh in on your conversation, but then, he has never responded to any emails of environmental or wildlife concerns or complaints.