Recruiting drive
Gibsons fire Chief Rob Michael had some good news for council at the April 19 meeting.
In his first quarterly report for 2016, Michael said a recent recruiting drive seems to have paid off. The Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department lost about 10 members last year, many leaving as a result of layoffs at Howe Sound Pulp and Paper. Michael’s report said the department now has 31 active volunteers, and 10 recruits in training.
It also said the first three months of the year were busy, with 57 calls – mainly for road accidents, downed power lines and burning complaints.
Michael also briefed council on some equipment purchases the department has in the works, including new “turnout gear” (the equipment firefighters need when responding to a call) and a new ladder truck.
The current truck is due for replacement in 2017, at an estimated cost of around $800,000. He said a report on the truck replacement will be coming forward later this year.
Zero Waste
Gibsons councillors voted April 19 to adopt the first recommendation from their new Zero Waste committee.
The committee wanted council to formally endorse the Zero Waste International Alliance definition of Zero Waste:
“Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”
There was some concern about setting a precedent of piecemeal adoption of the committee’s recommendations instead of waiting for an interim report expected in July.
“When I think back to the days of Gospel Rock,” said Mayor Wayne Rowe, “a committee would go off, and they’d have a meeting, and we’d end up with a recommendation that would go to council. Then three months later there’d be something else that came forward, and it really got messed up.”
Coun. Charlene SanJenko pointed out that the recommendation on defining Zero Waste was different. “It is foundational, and it also shows the intention of council and why this committee was set up,” she said, adding that endorsing the recommendation would help get the word out about the committee’s work.
Rowe, in the end, joined the unanimous vote in favour of adopting the definition.
The Zero Waste committee’s meetings are public. The next one is set for 10:30 a.m. May 9 at Town Hall.
