Howe Sound is being used as a “garbage can,” David Suzuki told media on a recent visit to the area.
“We’re using it as a garbage can, and the consequences for whatever is in the oceans is catastrophic,” the renowned environmentalist said at an event held at Porteau Cove in early November.
However, his Sept. 8 post on the David Suzuki Facebook page was more positive: “Did you know that Howe Sound was once declared a ‘dead zone’ because of industrial pollution? Now we’re seeing returning salmon, dolphins, seals and even humpback whales.”
During his visit, Suzuki received a warm welcome from local First Nations and community groups, which he attended in conjunction with the Blue Dot Tour, a series of speeches and appointments across Canada encouraging environmental action by Canadian residents.
The tour, organized by the David Suzuki Foundation, started in Halifax on Sept. 24 and finished in Vancouver on Sunday, Nov. 9. The aim was to encourage citizens to recognize and advocate for the rights of breathing fresh air, drinking clean water and eating healthy food — which First Nations groups around the world have prioritized for centuries, Suzuki said in his speech at Porteau Cove. He spoke alongside members of the Squamish Nation and other Coast Salish representatives to spectators on the pier.
“Our ultimate goal is to have the right to a healthy environment recognized in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
The Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights (Bill C-634) is currently being discussed in the House of Commons and, if passed, would make protecting Canada’s environment a more substantial legal obligation.
Scuba divers from the Marine Life Sanctuary Society put on a display of animals from the waters in Porteau Cove. Society members set up several tanks containing a glass sponge, smaller fish and invertebrates such as anemones and sea peaches at an information booth to educate people about life beneath the surface of the ocean.