Editor:
On the Easter long weekend, there was a wildfire on Egmont Forest Service Road that had to be controlled by the local fire department because a logging slash pile being burned was left unattended. How big does a wildfire have to get before the shíshálh Nation or the province will finally fulfill their promises to the residents around North Lake in Egmont?
The North Lake Neighbours Association is a community group that represents the interests of residents on our small lake near Egmont.
Four years ago we participated in a community engagement process with BC Timber Sales and the shíshálh Nation regarding the cutting of 60,000 cubic metres (thousands of trees) around North and Klein Lakes.
We were concerned at that time that this was a massive amount of logging in a small area that was to take place over a short year and one half period. Despite our concerns about the level of logging and the impact on our water system and the local environment, our community participated in the development of the 21 cutblock plan.
We contributed many hours helping to identify sensitive environmental areas that needed to be preserved. We have for over 30 years tested the water quality of North Lake at our own expense. We have been and continue to be the local stewards of the area. We know the area better than anyone who does not live on the lake.
The shíshálh Nation agreed to a logging monitoring process paid by them that we did with a certified expert. We thank them for this as it helped us to view the impact of the logging and identify concerns to be addressed.
One of the bigger concerns that we had was the removal of hundreds of large burn piles created by the logging. We were promised by both BCTS and the shíshálh Nation that the burn piles would be dealt with after the logging ended.
It is now two years later and the burn piles have not been removed. The logging contractor set fire to some of them but there are scores of piles that were not touched or only partially burned.
The logging contractor is not willing to finish the job. The shíshálh Nation is telling us that it is not their responsibility even though they benefited financially. BCTS says that they are limited in what they can do and we have to now deal with BC Wildfire service.
We have already had one wild fire caused by carelessness with the burn piles. The piles are easily accessible from the Suncoaster trail and many of them are within sight distance of North Lake residences and the campsites at Klein Lake.
Promises to us were made by BCTS and the shíshálh Nation. We endured over a year and one half of logging noise and trucks. As local residents we received no benefits.
We are now asking BCTS and the shíshálh Nation to honour their promise to us and remove the wildfire risk that we have because of their actions. A failure to do this will mean that their promise was meaningless and that we will bear the wildfire risk that they have created for us. This will be a serious breach of trust and call into question whether communities like ours can trust in these types of processes going forward.
What is happening should never have happened. We need it to be dealt with before our piece of sunshine coast paradise experiences what could be devastating wildfires and we lose what we have
Sincerely,
Rick Craig on behalf of Miriam Palacios, Brian Riedlinger, Donna Riedlinger, David Gray, Gordon Cherry, Joyce Cherry, Ray Johnston, Kelly Johnston, Jim Close, Margo Harrison, Elynn Lorimer, Brent Peppiatt, Kelly Slade Kerr, Gavin Slade-Kerr, Susan Wells, Jennifer Eberts, Harvey Mackinnon, Marcia Thomson, Lynne Young, Jerry Young, Jocelyn Johnston, Patricia Formosa, Paul Formosa, Tara Coen, Darren Coen, Marla Poirier, Gary Poirier, Patty Moore, Bill Poirier, Kevin Manning, Stefania Shortt, Andrew Rainsley, Diana Ray, David Atkinson, Suzy Casilio, Joanne Peppiatt, Wes Goll, Donna Boiselle
