Province purchases land
A popular location for sea kayakers and ecotourists is coming under the provincial government’s protection after a deal with an American logging company was reached for land on Quadra Island.
Environment minister Mary Polak announced the deal Wednesday, March 19, after the provincial cabinet signed off. The province and a group of partners will buy 395 hectares of ecologically-sensitive land from Portland-based forest company Merrill & Ring for $5.85 million and two parcels of Crown land on nearby East Thurlow Island. The deal includes a $350,000 donation from the forest company.
The land on Quadra connects Small Inlet and Octopus Islands provincial marine parks and increases the amount of protected waterfront land on the island.
Minister says no
BC Hydro will not need any new power generation capacity for the next decade. That was the response from minister of energy and mines Bill Bennett to Dave Formosa, City of Powell River major, and Clint Williams, Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation chief, in reply to the proposed Freda Creek run-of-river hydroelectric project. The proposal is a joint project by Tla’amin and the city.
Last year, council voted to enter a partnering agreement with Powell River Power Development Corporation to investigate the possibility of the hydroelectric facility on behalf of the city.
According to Bennett, BC Hydro is focused on renewing existing electricity purchase agreements and is looking only at new projects producing no more than 15 megawatts of electricity. Freda Creek would have the potential of producing up to 36 megawatts.
