It appears that a mammoth conglomerate and the BC provincial government are conspiring to fulfill Captain George Vancouver’s dismal observation when he wrongly named Desolation Sound: “There was not a single prospect that was pleasing to the eye.”
Lehigh Hanson Materials (LHM) has submitted a preliminary application to investigate creating a large gravel mining operation [“Campaign mounts against quarry near Desolation Sound,” June 29] in the area of Lloyd Creek in Homfray Channel.
The site is just north of Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park and Prideaux Haven. If the exploration is positive, LHM would seek to mine 50- to 70-million tonnes of gravel over several years.
The initial investigation will “only” involve drilling approximately 15 holes, but the proposal also includes construction of access roads, trails, helipads, airstrips and boat ramps. All of this infrastructure is said to be temporary and some actions, such as felling of trees and building trails and roads, will require additional licensing.
Desolation Sound is a place of spectacular fjords, mountains, forests, and diverse wildlife. It is, by any standard, a world treasure. It is one of the supreme destinations for boaters, ecotourists and all who appreciate nature because of its natural beauty and the warmest water north of Mexico.
It has been a place of habitation for likely tens of thousands of years and plays an important role in first nations’ culture. Whether one has roots that go back countless generations or is a newcomer or a visitor, Desolation Sound inspires awe and respect.
The overriding question raised by the LHM application is not whether LHM is a good corporate citizen. The main question is whether the type and scale of industrial activity anticipated is appropriate in Desolation Sound.
BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) has answered that question, for now, by making a positive response to LHM’s proposal in the form of an “offer” of acceptance. FLNRO is thus saying that Desolation Sound is not off limits to major industrial activity.
If LHM eventually makes a full application, FLNRO will assess whether the large-scale mining operation is on balance a public benefit. This will take into consideration the economic, social and environmental values of British Columbians.
While it may in principle be possible to compare, for example, the economic components of tourism versus mining royalties, it is difficult to quantify the social and cultural values of all of us, including those of first nations people.
FLNRO advertised LHM’s application in the Peak on October 14 and 23, 2015. Many of us were asleep at the switch.
We are awake now, but we all need to let government agencies know that, contrary to Captain Vancouver, every prospect in Desolation Sound is pleasing to the eye. Its integrity is vital to the cultural, environmental and economic values of British Columbians.
Desolation Sound deserves to be preserved and protected, not disembowelled.
Ed Levy is a Lund resident who supports Save Desolation Sound Society, but is not a spokesperson.
