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MAY 31, 2000

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in today’s paper

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The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 pe eee FAEE

| West Van
| creeks
| polluted

Salmon revitalization takes a hit

Vashii Singh
Contributing Writer

ONGOING pollution of West Vancouver creeks
is jeopardizing attempts to return more salmon
to the North Shore.

This spring local stream keepers stocked about 14 streams in West
Vancouver, placing 10,000 to 30,000 coho salmon in cach stream. At
feast nine of the streams haven't had fish in them for 40 years, accord-
ing to Rob Bell-Irving, community advisor for Fisheries and Oceans
Canada.
Pound Creck has been polluted by spills of paint and cement parti-
cles over the past two months, most recently on May 17 and 18.
The day after West Vancouver secondary student volusteers had
removed garbage from an area near the creek, paint was found dumped
into the water. On the following day municipal employees called the
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP) saying that there
had been another paint spill into the same stream.
Inascparate incident May 18, West Vancouver resident Hilary Clark,
spotted a green substance in Pipe Creek near her home.
Clark, who had noticed fish this spring in Pipe Creek for the first
time in years, said she hasn't seen a single fish since.
The nature of the substance found in Pipe Creek remains unknown,
however samples collected by Clark have been given to West Vancouver
District to be analyzed.
Hugh Hamilton, a member of the North Shore Streamkcepers,
believes the spill isn’t toxic and will not harm the fish, Sut commends
Clark for collecting samples and taking phocographs of the creck.
“This is not an important spill, but we always have to be on the
watchout,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton believes what Clark observed was a non-toxic green dye
used by the municipality, construction companies and environmental
groups to measure flow.
Rell-Irving, believes the spifl was likely paint or anti-freeze.
West Vancouver Coun. John Clark is troubled by the recent spills.
He suspects automotive fluid is the culprit for the spill in Pipe Creek.
Clark said the spill was “something quite toxic.”
Clark sees a need for a greater awareness about fish in streams.
“What can you do besides keep pounding the message across? It’s :
like litter, you just have to keep hammering, away at it,” he said. : : _ . : . : E
Provincial Crown corporation Fisheries Renewal BC is spending NEWS photo Cindy Goodman
$14.7 million through four programs in 1999-2000. . 4
The Salmonid Renewal Program is the largest of the lot at $10 mil- Ba | moral Wi ns final
lion, including a $2 million contribution from BC Hydro.
The program is being delivered through a network of about 20 part- SEAN Regan of North Vancouver’s Balmoral junior secondary scrambles to elude capture by a
. Semiamhoo player during the provincial boys rugby final on Friday at Kiahanie Park. Balmoral
See Salmon page 3 won, thumping the visitors 31-5. For more on the game and other loca! rugby action, see page 32.

- 986-3487

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