The Gower Point Beach cleanup organized by local resident Gord Bishop is coming along swimmingly. He’s been in touch with individuals and organizations, many of whom have stepped up to help. Gord has acquired large, heavy-duty white bags that he has placed at intervals along the beach between Chaster House and Secret Beach – he says it’s about a kilometre of beach.
People have already been putting garbage into them. Styrofoam is particularly problematic as it lasts pretty much forever and breaks into smaller and smaller bits, which are ingested by fish and birds. You can go anytime on your own schedule to pick up Styrofoam and other litter to deposit into these bags (a blue ribbon marks the spot for each) until Feb. 17. Gord has made arrangements with Dolphin Marine to get the bags collected after then. Contact him at [email protected] (778-233-8250) for details. People are being encouraged to email photos of themselves picking up garbage to [email protected] for the record.
Please note that seaweed must not be disturbed from now until late spring as critical small fish species (base of the food chain) are beginning to lay their eggs; please confine cleanup to the high tide area of the beach. Wear good walking shoes as the beach is rocky, bring a bucket, bags and gloves. Simply deposit the garbage you collect into one of the conveniently located, heavy-duty bags – between Chaster House and Secret Beach. Check out the Elphinstone Community Association Facebook Page for photos and updated information: www.facebook.com/groups/132124777336648
Can’t get to the beach but want to help out? Write to government at every level to ban the use of Styrofoam in docks and floats and urge them to develop plans to have existing Styrofoam removed – this stuff inevitably ends up in our ocean and in the food chain.
On Friday, Feb. 1, fire risk expert Al Beaver gives a talk called Wildfires: Disasters Don’t Just Happen. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons, admission by donation. Beaver was awarded the International Association of Wildland Fires Safety Achievement Award for his work promoting firefighter and public safety. He’s applied his risk management approach across North America, Australia, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, South Africa and Argentina.
The February meeting of the Elphinstone Community Association will be held Wed. Feb. 13 at the Frank West Hall at 7 p.m. Area Director Donna McMahon will report on SCRD activities. Hope to see you there.
Elphinstone news to share? Contact me at [email protected]
