Message from the Executive Director
The best kind of people
A groundbreaking Sunshine Coast decision shows that BC’s communities have not lost the power to protect our environment
I’ve recently come to the conclusion that West Coasters are the best kind of people. Earlier this month our Development Officer, Andrea Wilkinson, and I had the privilege of visiting with several donors and allies during a short tour of the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. And as always, I’ve come away warmed, inspired, and humbled.
West Coasters, I’ve come to realize, do more than simply support environmental organizations like West Coast; they are themselves environmental champions, defending their own communities, and in some cases, others far from their own backyard. Almost none are paid for their work, and quite often their struggle is a long and lonely one.
Donna Martin, Sharon Bywater, Kim Kornbacher and Salt Spring Island Residents for Responsible Land Use (SSIRRLU) are a case in point. For four years, they battled to save the fragile ecosystem of Walker Hook, also a sacred burial site for the Penelakut First Nation. A commercial fish hatchery was allowed to drill wells and pipe its effluent through the site, without any requirement to perform environmental impact studies or conduct a proper environmental assessment. (See Savewalkerhook.com for the full story). Despite reams of scientific data, a top environmental lawyer funded by West Coast’s EDRF, and representation from the Penelakut’s Elders on its side, the SSIRRLU lost its case to stop the effluent flow earlier this year.
Yet, their spirit has not been crushed. As we sat in the warmth of Donna’s seaside home, munching on homemade cookies, the three women laughed as they shared memories of a battle well fought. “We learned a lot,” Donna said, ruefully. “It wasn’t a total loss.”
Sylvia Pincott on the other hand, is a veteran of leading by example. The longtime naturalist took to heart the adage of starting with your own backyard, by creating an oasis of indigenous plants and habitats to attract and protect native animal species. She went on to found the Abbotsford Backyard Habitat and co-authored a number of guides for Naturescape BC. Despite the recognition she received in Abbotsford, including a public garden named after her, she and husband Keith fell in love with Pender Island and are now both active in conservation work there.
It’s Keith though who has made the longer journey of the two. He was a faller for 35 years, working in clearcut in the forests of Haida Gwaii, the East Kootenays, and Vancouver Island. “I knew what BC used to look like, back then when there were forests,” he said. In those years, like most people, “we didn’t think about what lived in the forests. It didn’t matter if it was nesting season, or if the caribou were migrating, the schedules didn’t take that into account.” As the years went by, Keith says, it started to trouble him “the way they just took everything, trees that were misshapen or maybe had too many limbs in large areas that could have been left. They weren’t marketable but we took them anyway.” He tells one story of logging a watershed in Haida Gwaii, where the logging resulted in contamination so bad that the men had to drive out to find potable water to bring back to the camp.
Meeting Sylvia, he says, opened his eyes to the beauty of the natural world. He’s proud that he now knows the names of the many bird species that come to their feeders. Asked what his wish is for BC, he said: “That we all give some consideration to all life on the land. Whether you’re a logging company or a private landowner, give consideration to that life by setting aside untouched areas.”
– Patricia Chew
Contents:
The gift that keeps giving, and giving, and giving...
We are grateful to all our donors and supporters, but each month, we
say a special thank you to the members of our West Coast Protectors’
Club. These special donors make small monthly donations to our operating
costs, through an automatic withdrawal from their chequing account or VISA
card. It’s a very simple way to give, and also very painless.
For example, you might allow us to draw just $10 a month from your
account (about the price of one movie, or two lunches, or three coffees).
You’ll hardly notice the money is gone, and at year-end, when we send
you a tax-deductible receipt, you’ll have made a significant
contribution of $120!
And the value of your monthly donation to us goes beyond the face value
of your gift. We can reduce renewal notices to monthly donors (saving
paper and other resources), and your generous gift provides an ongoing,
reliable source of operating funds, allowing us to focus our attention on
emerging and critical issues.
The Protectors’ Club is critical to West Coast’s long-term plans.
It is our most reliable and important means of support on a month to month
basis. We invite you to now become part of this important program. Your
gift, of any amount, is greatly appreciated. However you choose to give,
thank you.
If you have a credit card, we can accept your donation online!
To make a tax-creditable donation to West Coast, click
here, and you will be taken to our secure, encrypted payment
page.
For more information about benefits and how to get started, call us at
604-684-7378 in Vancouver and 1 800 330-WCEL toll-free
throughout British Columbia.
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