Texada Island’s Northeast Bay has become the focus of an initiative to have the property become part of qathet Regional District’s park system.
The regional district received delegations at its recent planning committee meeting and committee of the whole meeting, urging the regional district to oppose a shellfish application that would be located in Northeast Bay, and to establish a regional park in that area.
At the June 11 planning committee meeting, Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said that Northeast Bay has been designated by the province as a use, recreation and enjoyment of the public reserve (UREP) for probably 40 years.
“It is highly prized and widely used by people on the island and also by kayakers who come to visit,” said McCormick.
When asked by Area B director Mark Gisborne if there was a suitable alternate location for a shellfish farm on Texada Island, McCormick said she would suggest in the full expanse of the eastern shores of the island, somewhere there is an appropriate location for a shellfish farm that is not next to a UREP.
At the June 13 committee of the whole meeting, McCormick said the shellfish application came before the regional district planning committee a year ago and the regional district voted to object to the application going forward. She said a revised application has been put forward and the planning committee is recommending the board object to it.
“There is a lot of concern at the community level,” said McCormick.
Texada Island representative James Mack, a director of Texada Action Now, told the committee of the whole that at the organization’s annual general meeting, there was a vote to oppose the shellfish application in Northeast Bay and further protect it for the future.
He said the UREP land designation needs to be given more formal protection on Texada Island as a regional or provincial park. The organization is also asking for the foreshore marine area to be protected.
“We are asking that you will help us protect Northeast Bay and make it a formally recognized park,” said Mack. “This marine ecosystem deserves protection as well.”
Sandi Little, another Texada Island resident, said the Russ Creek area, adjoining Northeast Bay, is a Texada Island jewel, with its dozen-plus waterfalls and swimming holes. It flows through the UREP at Northeast Bay and into Malaspina Strait.
“Northeast Bay is a designated primary site for BC marine trails, bringing paddlers, sail and power boats to Texada,” said Little. “Northeast Bay is one of the few beach accesses on Texada and really, the only accessible campground on the east side.”
Little said she was visiting the area recently and it was like a mystic playground.
“It would be a terrible loss if this pristine park of supernatural BC were to be lost to industrial development,” said Little. “Please help us protect Northeast Bay by giving it a park status.”
Terry Hollo, also from Texada, echoed the previous two speakers and asked that the regional district protect Northeast Bay by making it a regional park.
Area A director Patrick Brabazon said there are two sides to the question. He said the matter falls into parks acquisition, which is an ongoing issue that was not going to be settled at the meeting. He said he had previously tried to get the provincial government to relinquish a UREP in Okeover Inlet.
“If we were to move on this, attempting to get to relinquish crown land to us, if they would simply transfer the UREP to us as a park, I think that would be superb,” said Brabazon. “We have no means of buying it. As a matter of fact, I would object to having to buy it from the province, but I’m certainly willing to approach it from the point of view of them transferring it to us and we will protect it. Giving it to us would be the best thing that could happen.”
McCormick said there was a lot of opposition to the shellfish application on Texada Island. She said that a public meeting earlier this year, attended by more than 150 people, was unanimously opposed to this application.
The committee of the whole voted that the committee recommend the regional board enquire with the province about the possibility of transferring the Northeast Bay land designated for use, recreation and enjoyment of the public reserve to qathet Regional District to be used as a regional district park.
