Dogs unwelcome
I live on Poplar Street next to the dog poop park [“Dog park fun for all,” December 22, 2010]. It used to be a clean, well-conditioned green space and the only green park in Townsite.
We grow flowers in our yard and have won prizes from the local heritage society, but last summer the stench from the poop barrel was such that it was noticeable from my front yard. The back of my property is next to the park pump house and that area smells about what a person could expect after 100 to 150 dogs a week leave their sign. It reeks in the hot summer months.
There was no communication with me or my neighbours, especially the two licensed day care centres across the street, when the dog park was established. We just had this wished upon us.
Most of the time dogs that come into the park are well-behaved, but there are some that are aggressive and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets mauled.
Often at night people drive up and let their dogs go in the park, then go back and listen to music in their cars. The little area that is fenced off for small children has a dog or dogs in nearly every day. The signage means nothing. A particular target for large male dogs is the ladder that goes to the slide.
There have always been dogs in this park and responsible owners who have cleaned up after them.
I want that park to go back to the way it was, where the local kids had a place to play soccer and get some exercise.
I have lived in the same house for 40 years and had no need of listening to 50 dogs on a Sunday afternoon. I resent this intrusion.
A simple solution would be to lock the gates open. That would keep people from bringing disobedient and aggressive dogs here.
This is not going to go away and I hope my neighbours will let City of Powell River council know their feelings.
Don Sharp
Poplar Street
Valentine Mountain
I would like to take the opportunity to clarify a few points with your readers in response to Devon Hanley’s letter [“Valentine Mountain,” June 25].
Island Timberlands does own private land that includes a portion of Valentine Mountain and the land is designated as Managed Forest and as such is managed for forest resources and key environmental values. We are regulated in part by the Private Managed Forest Land Act and Regulations, administrated by the Private Managed Forest Land Council reporting to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Further to this, over 30 additional provincial and federal acts apply to Managed Forest lands including but not limited to the Wildlife Act, Water Act (soon to be replaced by the Water Sustainability Act), Drinking Water Protection Act, Environmental Management Act, Heritage Conservation Act, Species at Risk Act, Integrated Pest Management Act and the Foresters Act.
As your readers may be aware, the park atop Valentine Mountain was originally the site of a fire lookout located on private land. Ownership was transferred to the Crown in 1971 and subsequently to the City of Powell River for the expressed use as park land. The city continues to own and manage the park and the designed trail access.
As a Managed Forest owner, we are required to manage for specific key public values including soil conservation, critical wildlife, fish habitat, water quality and reforestation. As a forest company certified under the international Sustainable Forestry Initiative standard, we are committed to manage for many additional values. In the case of Valentine Mountain, Island Timberlands has and will continue to consider the impact of our forest activities on resident wildlife, viewscape changes and recreational features, amongst others.
There are no immediate plans for harvest activity on Valentine Mountain and contrary to some reports there is no road construction planned or underway in the area. I would invite residents of Powell River to contact Island Timberlands via email at environment@islandtimberlands.com if they have specific concerns regarding our current or planned activities in the Powell River area.
Morgan Kennah, RPF
Manager, Sustainable Timberlands and Community Affairs, Island Timberlands
Summer days
Success was created all across our nation during the third annual National Health and Fitness day on June 7 [“Activities to highlight fitness,” June 4].
We were able to take a significant step in making Canada the fittest nation on earth, having 150 municipalities and the 2,000-member Federation of Canadian Municipalities proclaim the day across Canada. We are on the brink of major change that will reverse trends of inactivity, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease all across Canada. By Canada's 150th anniversary, I long to see our nation on the trail to stem rising health costs, as Canadians increasingly take responsibility for our own health through healthy life patterns.
In the lead-up to National Health and Fitness Day, I organized several related events, including National Life Jacket and Swim Day on the Hill and Bike Day in Canada. Regardless of political affiliation, politicians participated to pursue the common goals, such as fitness and water safety. Sadly, this past year a number of Canadians lost their lives in the water, in accidents that could have been prevented by the proper usage of life jackets and adequate swim training. As good weather hits our Sunshine Coast, I remind everyone to be safe around the water.
On a brighter note, Canada’s 147th anniversary was a great reminder of what we can be grateful for—a strong and peaceful nation. Attending events around our riding, I continue to be inspired by people who so proudly represent our country, in parades, tours, festivals and other community events. I thank you, organizers and participants, who volunteer your time to make our community and our country great.
In addition to meeting with constituents, another key to shrinking the distance between the Coast and Ottawa is to bring our ministers to the riding. I am pleased that Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird met with us July 8, to be followed by a succession of other key government leaders who will be visiting our riding over the summer. More details are available online.
Please let me know if you have an event in your community you’d like me to attend. I look forward to seeing you over the summer.
John Weston, MP
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
Petition invalid
Powell River Friends of the Library board read Elaine Teichgraber's letter with some interest, in which she claimed City of Powell River staff told her that the Save Willingdon Beach petition was valid [“Petition valid,” July 9]. We inquired whether this stamp of approval had indeed been conferred by the city. Here’s what the city clerk told us: “... a majority of the petitioners had provided their name and address on the petition and... met the Community Charter requirements by providing their name and address. The city... has not conducted a formalized process to validate the legitimacy of the signatures...some children may have signed, some signatories are from outside the municipality and the region, and there may be some questionable signatories...”
So it appears that the city did not tell Teichgraber that the petition is valid after all, but just that in the clerk’s opinion it conforms to the Community Charter because there are some names and addresses on it. Section 82 (2) states: "A petition to a council must include the full name and residential address of each petitioner." This is patently not the case with the Save Willingdon Beach petition, as any citizen can see by going to city hall and requesting to see the petition. Children, people from out of town, even Sir Paul McCartney have signed that petition.
We have also heard numerous reports of the half-truths and scare-mongering used to acquire signatures: that the library will be on the beach, that there wouldn't be space for Sea Fair anymore, that the library plan was a Trojan horse for condo development, and more.
The Friends of the Library understand fully well that the Willingdon South location is controversial, but we also do not believe that the Save Willingdon Beach group's petition is legally valid, nor does it accurately represent the feelings of the local population.
P R Brown
Friends of the Library
Fruit fly invasion
This past week we have found a lot of grub damage in cherry crops around Powell River. The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is breeding up and getting into our fruit again [“Attack on fruit comes by wing,” October 23, 2013]. It will be moving on to raspberries and blueberries next along with other berries, soft-skinned plums, blackberries and wild berries.
SWD is often referred to as just the Spotted Wing, or also the Asian vinegar fly or Asian fruit fly. Every kitchen and compost bin in the area attracts common fruit flies (or vinegar flies) over the summer. The common fruit fly just feeds on decaying fruit. But now, among these many species of drosophila, is the tiny SWD which is different. The SWD lays its eggs in ripening fruit, so the growing larvae damage the fruit on the tree. The signs are grubs, holes, spoiled fruit, rot, mush and mould. This fruit fly is very invasive because it hosts on all soft-skinned fruits and has many breeding cycles per season.
This SWD pest is manageable, but it will take diligence by the growers, harvesters and processors. We urge everyone to immediately implement these strategies: pick fruit as soon as it is ready, don’t let it hang and get over-ripe; store it in a cool place right away; pick often as fruit continues to ripen; pick clean at the end of the harvest so you don’t leave any breeding sites; clean up the ground thoroughly under the tree or bush; don’t throw fruit in the compost or over the fence as that provides breeding sites; don’t take infested fruit to Augusta Recyclers, as that spreads the infestation; destroy infested fruit by putting it in a black plastic bag in the hot sun, or bake, boil, freeze or nuke it, or bury it at least half a metre deep.
Eating fruit that contains the grubs will not make a person ill, but it is not aesthetically pleasing. Such fruit can still be used to make juice or jelly.
For more information and updates, readers can contact me at tedcooper1@shaw.ca.
Margaret Cooper, Powell River Garden Club
Massett Court
Library location
Why not build a new Powell River Public Library together with the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives on the museum site [“Library responses favour Willingdon,” July 9]?
If we are talking of showcasing art, culture and literacy then the blending of a museum and archives with a library makes a lot of sense. It would be a win-win solution because the view is there and Willingdon Beach south can be left to be transformed into a beautiful park setting.
Also the road behind the museum, Abbotsford Street, could be punched through to the museum/library for patrons, thus easing up traffic congestion around Alberni Street and Marine Avenue.
Nina Whiteside
Harvie Avenue
