Western Canada Wilderness Committee

Our Coast Canvass

The Sunshine Coast is a unique series of communities on BC's coast - though a long term resource extraction area it has a strong environmental community and a lot of well informed and engaged citizens.

I was up there on the WCWC Canvass trip -- amazing. It is very different to canvass in the country, where folks are so surprised to see a canvasser and really want to know what is going on as well as to give the inside scoop on what's up in their area. And some of those long mountain-topping driveways! It's a good workout, I can tell ya.

The big concern right now for the residents of the Sunshine Coast is a big mining operation headed by Pan Pacific Agregates. They have put a mining claim on all of the Coast from Sechelt to Lund. There has been some pretty significant road development so far, and big impacts on fish-bearing streams. They will be mining 'low grade, high volume' which we could clearly understand by looking at the open pit mining operation that takes up much of the skyline of east Sechelt. Yuk. For more info, see the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association's website.

Also of concern up there is some proposed cutblocks on Mt. Elphinstone, and pesticide spraying by Weyerhauser. One road proposed within the logging plans would cross 7 streams which are depended on by locals for drinking water. Due to a petition voicing citizen concern, an alternate route is now being considered for the road. Nice work, folks!

It all showed me very clearly how important it is to get info out to people about what is happening, and to have ways to engage in community planning. I think what is so interesting about the Coast is how many folks are involved and go to community meetings -- it was inspiring to see so many people talking about their issues and doing the work. Thanks!