4 ~ Friday, September 10, 1999 — North Shore News “(On the North Shore) we five in the watershed,” Carolan said. “We sce the rain come down into the streams and the creeks. Peoole in places like Surrey or New Westminster, they think water just comes out of the tap. They’re happy to go along with whatever’s recom- mended. But we're all tree- huggers if we like clean water.” Carolan is suspicicus of the conclusions reached by the GVRD as a result of sci- entific studics which appear to suggest that watershed logging has no impact on water quality. “We've all seen From paac 1 Van the mud in the tap.” North Vancouver District currently opposes in principal all logging in’ watershed areas. Carolan said it’s “one of the few occasions where district councillors are in sol- idaritv — it’s about the municipalities convincing the GVRD to cancel the agree- menr. Ft’s only 3 few passages in a long, arcane document.” The City of Coquitlam has also requested the deactiva- tion of logging roads, in order to prevent further ero- sion of the landscape. Other municipalities, like North Vancouver City, share the GVRD's view that some watershed fogging is neees- sary to remove pests and fire hazards. “They say it’s about insect infestations,” said = Kean doubriully, “They never say they vanted to start a pro- gram of logging for profit.” Section 3 of the agree- ment states that any sales of wood from watershed sites by the provincial government does not contravene the orig- inal lzasing agreement. The last discussion by water committee members on this issue was held in-camera on July 18. Pending ecological inven- tories of all three Lower Mainland watersheds and the implementation of a water- shed management plan, the committee has so far held off pid made for migrant ships Bob Mackin News Reporter SINK the Chinese refugee ships — that’s what Jay Seraith says. However, the North Vancouver lawyer and diving enthusiast doesn’t want t put the rick- ety vessels on the ocean floor with people aboard. Straith’s Artificial Reef Society of B.C. is lobbying the federal government to acquire one or all three of the dilapidated freighters that have brought hundreds of migrant Chinese from Fujian province to B.C. this summer, ; The society wants to sink the ships to form aquatic playgrounds for scuba divers in Howe Sound and Indian Arm. . “We're quite serious about this,” Straith said. “There’s been a number of people that have asked'us over the years to do something rarticularly around Vancouver.” The ships are moored at the Esquimalt ; naval base in suburban Victoria while the fed- eral government decides their fate. “Pm kind of expecting three for a buck, volume discounts,” Strait joked. The ships are rusted and may need intensive work to clean up any sewage or fuel feaks. Beyond that, sinking the ships would nor place undue stress on the environment, Straith said. Environment Canada would have to deem them safe and hydrocarbon-free. The society has sunk four Canadian navy ships since 1991 (HMCS G.B, Church, HMCS Chaudier, HMCS MacKenzie and HMCS Columbia) for use by divers who seek a peck at the rich marine life on the ocean floor. The destroyer HMCS Yukon, the last one built in North Vancouver, is waiting for the society to sink it in American waters. fhe 36- year-old vessel was decommissioned almost six years ago after covering 792,181 nautical miles. It was built for almost $10 million. Straith said he hopes to have at least one of the refugee ships ready for sinking by next spring. 50% OFF ALL ‘TEAK GARDEN FURNITURE - «35% off Glass Mosaic ¢ 15% off everything on any decision to cancel the agreement. The GVRD has been re- assessing local watersheds for the last seven years, said Ken Cameron, GVRD manager of policy and planning, because of the “changing values of the board and the communi- ty.” Cameron = said there’s “always a possibility” the committee will look at removing the indenture agreement. According to clause 25 of the agreement, the GVRD are eatitled to cancel the amending indenture and con- tinue to hold the 60,000 hectare watershed lands for the 1927 contracted lease rate of one dollar per year, Section 25 states that the Greater Vancouver Water District or the province may terminate the amending indenture with 24 months’ written notice. Koop will be presenting his own report on the matter to the water committee in October. He calls the original 1927 watershed leases “the most powerful! legislation to remove administration from a provincial agency and put it directiy into the hands of a regional government. It’s so powerful we have to compro- mise that act (with the agree- ment).” School Band Parents... There is an affordable atternative! school band Flutes, Trumpets, Clarinets, Trombones Alta Saxophone Tenor Saxophone $260... $95... 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