November 2007

SurgeNarrowsOverTonesRAG

S.N.C.A. * Volume 1 * Issue 10 * November 2007

SNCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM was a happy gathering that finished with the following set of Directors. Continuing their two year term: Rob Wood, Claudia Lake, Rieko Sevigney. Re-elected: Judith Wright. Newly elected: Sally Davies. The financial statements were presented and Rob gave a report on the year’s activities and accomplishments, with special reference to the successful application of the Community Involvement Policy. After the official meeting, we passed the talking stick. Useful information was exchanged, community concerns expressed and ideas presented. We then moved to the bunkhouse for a delicious and beautifully presented lunch, (catered by Irene and Brian), lots of social chat and a brief meeting of the new directors. Thanks to all the members who attended and ensured the continuance of the Surge Narrows Community Association. Many thanks to Bruce for preparing and heating the building.

SINGING WITH TINA ERIKSON
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19

11:15am. At the bunkhouse.
We’re expecting a crowd with some new voices, so come and add yours!
Cost: Donations accepted to cover expenses. Also $1.00/person Building Use Fee
Lunch will be available (also by donation) at the “Café Bunko” following the sing.




SWEET UNICEF HAUL

The sprites and goblins of Surge Narrows collected $66.18 for UNICEF this Halloween.
Well done kids and donors!


ENHANCE IT AND THEY WILL STAY

Celebrating nearly two decades of successful community salmon enhancement projects on Read Island

By Sheila Hollanders & Eve Flager


In August we came home from our city lives to help with two days of intensive stream cleaning on Bird Cove Creek. As kids we sometimes viewed stream cleaning as a chore but these days it serves as the perfect excuse to spend time at home and participate in a meaningful project. This article aims to outline a short history of enhancement projects to date and seeks to highlight how they have contributed to salmon and to community health. We hope that we can encourage Discovery Islanders to support future salmon enhancement projects. More importantly, we hope that the success of the projects will inspire others to get involved with similar positive community projects in the coming years.
The history of salmon enhancement on Read Island dates back to 1989 when salmon stocks were plummeting. Then commercial fishers, Ken Flager and Marci Simpson, mobilized a group of local islanders to build an upwelling brood box next to the White Rock Creek where Chum and Coho juveniles could be raised and released. They had difficulty finding enough eggs or suitable spawning gravel areas so the group shifted their enhancement efforts to the Bird Cove Creek, where 300 Chum and 50 Coho were counted during that year. Unlike the White Rock Creek, Bird Cove Creek has a high portion of suitable spawning habitat and could be more easily accessed. This is important, particularly in winter months when the box should be checked daily to ensure that freezing hasn't stopped water flow through it. Both the Bird Cove Creek and White Rock Creek boxes were run for six years, from 1990 to 1996. In 1993, at the end of the first four-year spawning cycle after the beginning of enhancement, the counts reached an all time high of 650 Chum and 110 Coho. These numbers showed that the enhancement project was successful in doubling salmon stocks!

In the same year, the community joined forces to raise $50,000 so the Surge Narrows Community Association could purchase the 20 acre parcel of land which borders the Coho tributary. Now marked by the beautiful “Surge Narrows Fish and Wildlife Reserve” signs along the public road, the reserve prevents the land around the creek from being logged and will preserve the creek ecosystem in the future
. Taking milt from male fish
Although active enhancement with the brood boxes definitely increased return numbers, the key to the stream's success was the annual debris removal that occurred from 1989 to 2000. During this time blockages in the stream were removed to prevent erosion and infill of spawning beds, and to minimize obstruction to salmon migration upstream. No debris removal occurred from 2001 to 2005, during which time significant drops in return numbers were observed. In 2006 another annual debris removal project began and was repeated in 2007. Presently, average counts are between 200-300 Chum and less than 10 Coho.

The participation of island youth (some as young as eight years old!) in recent stream cleaning projects is particularly heart warming. In part it is their limitless energy that helps clear debris from the stream, but more importantly it is the youths' honest interest and (com)passion for salmon and their natural ecosystems which offers hope: hope that in the future more holistic environmental/resource management strategies will value ecosystem health over economic health; hope that salmon stream enhancement projects will continue in the future.
Stream Cleaning Crew
Over the years we think every resident has contributed to the creek either in active enhancement and debris removal activities, funding, or simply as a voice for the wellbeing of the streams. The projects have involved individuals with varying backgrounds, ages and abilities. Enhancement efforts have been a successful and sustained effort for 18 years which shows that local community members strongly value salmon streams and support salmon enhancement projects. Community support was first shown in 1990 when the community (through SNCA) bought Lot 309. More recently, angry islanders raised their voices and succeeded in stopping Island Timberlands from logging the land bordering the main stream of Bird Cove Creek.

Another notable aspect about these projects is that they have developed meaningful partnerships with SNCA, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Surge Narrows Elementary School. In addition to the purchase of Lot 309, SNCA has sponsored some stream cleaning efforts. In 2003 the enhancement group worked with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) as part of a directed community involvement program. Bird Cove Creek is a DFO Coho Indicator stream, meaning the health of its Coho run is indicative of the health of the Coho salmon stock for the North Island. The DFO Community Involvement program provided an opportunity for Surge Narrows Elementary children to incubate and rear DFO provided Coho eggs. Once the fry were large enough, the students released the fry into Bird Cove Creek. These projects have presented opportunities for the community to come together in a healthy and positive way.
Lastly, in 2003, Eve Flager and two class mates from Camosun College's Environmental Technology Program-salmon conducted a Reconnaissance Fish and Fish Habitat survey of Bird Cove Creek and its two tributaries. The scientific report assessed the three creeks for their physical, chemical and biological properties in order to determine their overall water and habitat quality for salmonids. The Bird Cove Creek watershed exhibited a wide variety of biodiversity with minimal apparent impacts from human development. The physical attributes such as channel morphology, stream bank stability, and stream bed substrate type were within desired ranges for salmonids. The water chemistry, including pH, temperature, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, were optimal. Biological attributes, such as riparian zone, in-stream vegetation, and benthic invertebrate populations were within desired ranges. The report enables the enhancement group to assess if and how future logging and or other development may be affecting the quality of salmon habitat.
Looking to the future, we have no doubt that the Bird Cove Creek will continue to be valued as an important physical and spiritual place. It is integral to the health of pacific salmon stocks in the region and is a source of artistic and research inspiration to the residents of Read and surrounding Discovery Islands. In the coming years we plan to clean the creek on a regular basis and possibly conduct further enhancement activities. Further research would be helpful in identifying and mitigating the impacts of climate change and logging on salmon habitat. We hope that governments at all levels will work together with the community to protect and enhance this important creek. More importantly, we hope that islanders will continue to support and encourage local efforts to conserve and protect salmon streams and other community resources in the Discovery Islands. Let's continue to speak up and act together when pressures arise that could damage our fragile island ecosystems and our community.

Please contact Eve or Ken Flager if you have further questions or would like to get involved in future projects.
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THE SURGE NARROWS FISH AND WILDLIFE RESERVE
By Judith

In the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, Read Islanders were shocked by Raven Lumber’s massive clearcutting of a 1,000 acre area in the middle of the island. There were many protests and efforts to curtail or modify the logging and the community suffered from the acrimony of the conflict as well as from the environmental impacts. When the plans were announced to cut along the Bird Cove Creek, where it ran along the main Read Island Road, the area’s residents decided to prevent the destruction of the creek and of a beautiful forested road corridor. The only way to achieve this was to purchase the land from Raven Lumber. The first plan was to buy the whole of Lot 309 but the price rose steadily during negotiations and we were finally able to afford only the area of mature trees along the creek and road (about 8.2 ha).

SNCA’s first fund raising act was to approach the Vancouver Foundation, which had received the original lands by donation and then sold them to Raven Lumber. They were using the income from this sale to fund cultural activities in Vancouver, but we argued that the people who had suffered from the logging, which resulted from the creation of the foundation’s capital, should also receive some benefits. The Vancouver Foundation was persuaded and gave us a grant of $20,000.00.
This left only $50,000.00 to find on our own! There were quilt auctions, dances, bake sales and mail out appeals to everyone we knew. Ian Fry donated a beautiful water colour sketch of the area which we used extensively in the campaign. When the results were still inadequate, Richard, Hamish and Mara masterminded
and executed a door to door campaign in Vancouver, selling chocolates and flower seeds. That jumped us much closer to our goal. Meanwhile our lawyer, John F. Grant, was dealing with all the legalities of subdivision and contracts, and was donating his services. With the purchase deadline closing in on us, Raven agreed to finance the shortfall of $9,000.00, interest free for three years. Those three years were tense as SNCA carried the burden of continued fund raising and payments but finally the land was ours!

A condition of the grant from the Vancouver Foundation was that the land be held as parkland in perpetuity. The only way that SNCA could ensure this, (being a sometimes unstable body itself), was to donate the land to the Nature Trust of BC, for perpetual trust holding. We then signed a 99 year lease with them for the land so that we could manage it. By the terms of the lease, SNCA agreed: to preserve all the trees and plants; to pay taxes (which are waived by the Province and CSRD); to be liable for injury or damage, (so we pay for liability insurance); to manage and develop the land as a
site of ecological interest for the use, enjoyment and benefit of the people of British Columbia. If SNCA should fail in its obligations, the lease would be revoked and, as the Nature Trust requires a local manager, the land would probably be sold to fund their land acquisitions elsewhere. The ability to retain control over the Fish and Forest Reserve is a major motivation for keeping SNCA alive and functioning healthily.

Ralph Keller and Ian Kingstone constructed the signs for the Reserve. The Salmon Enhancement Committee has worked its magic in the creek. Otherwise there has been very little development. Because the roads transect the area so well there is no need for trails that would degrade the environment further. An ongoing concern is conventional road maintenance that might be over enthusiastic and could plow down the moss and ferns along the shoulders of the road. So far the road crews have behaved sensitively and locals are invited to clip back any brush that might impinge on the road, so that a mower massacre will not be necessary.

Take a stroll down the road to where the Reserve starts, just past Louis’ driveway. The mossy forest on both sides of the road is in the Reserve and the Maple Triangle is close to the centre of it. Turn left at the Triangle and the next road junction marks the northern corner of the parcel. Turn right at the junction and watch for beaver, ducks and red wing blackbirds in the wetlands on the right. A sign marks the eastern boundary of the parkland. Please, enjoy the beauty of this little enclave and appreciate the fact that it is protected for the benefit of the forest, fish and animals, and that it should stay unchanged by direct human activity for another century, at least.

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THE MARKET AT SURGE NARROWS

By Ginny

To everyone who has participated in our monthly market days this last summer, thank you for coming! It was a pleasure to chat with you over coffee and a muffin or sticky-bun. You’ll be pleased to hear that we’ve raised over $200 for SNCA. In addition, a number of vendors have been selling their own specialty products, such as crystals, garden fruits and vegetables, herbs, jams, pickles, and home baking (yes, those amazing plum-cakes and sticky-buns!).

The high point for me was the Corelair delivery of a freshly made pizza, after which there wasn’t much conversation, only slurpy cheese eating noises and higher bid prices for each pizza slice sold.

Thank you to organizers Judith and Ginny for donating and purveying gourmet coffee and tea, and to donor bakers et al (Sue for bread, Shawnai and Ginny for muffins, Violene and Ginny for cookies and other treats, and George for massages) and the produce vendors who donated some of their proceeds. A special thanks to all the vendors who made the effort to bring their merchandise and join in.

You can be sure we’ll let you know when the market on the dock resumes next summer!

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MARKET Y’S
By Judith

On the surface, the Surge Market looks like a simple exchange of goods but the essence of the activity goes much deeper and it could have profound effects on the community.
The motive of market vendors might be simple profit but this is unlikely as we are all relatively well off and we prefer the easy life to dollar chasing. However, a few dollars in the pocket does pay for the travel expenses of a fun, sociable day. Perhaps we come to display the fruits of our labour and share the bounty with our neighbours. This is a nice mix of pride and altruism with good results: surplus production is not wasted and we can all enjoy the high quality and nutritive value of local foods.
Buyers certainly enjoy the convenience of stocking up locally between town trips. They relish the good flavours of lunch offerings, the decadence of sweet treats and the chance to visit with neighbours over a cup of brew. The quality and freshness of island-grown, organic produce can not be matched in the supermarket.
Beyond these obvious elements of market day, it also provides a small start to a deeper economy that could enrich and strengthen our community, make our lifestyle more sustainable and decrease our impact on the environment. I don’t mean just monetary wealth and enrichment but rather an upgrade in our quality of life and health as improved by excellent food, artistically crafted items that beautify our homes and wardrobe, and services that come with genuine caring. The act of trading strengthens social bonds and builds our appreciation of each other’s skills and talents. Less reliance on the global economy and more dependence on our own resources can increase the security and stability of the community. Every delay made to another town trip, by a local purchase, lessens our use of fossil fuels and decreases our harmful emissions.

If more of us were to embrace this market concept we would have to push ourselves to create special products or works of art, to grow an unusual crop or to increase the scale of our gardens, or to learn a skill that is lacking on the islands. The challenge and the knowledge gained would be a benefit to the creators as well as to the consumers. Knowledge and skills that are being lost in the larger technological society might be retained here.

Establishing a self sufficient food supply will take time and we would need to start now planting long term crops like fruit and nut trees, building flocks and herds of livestock, breaking and improving ground, and learning horticultural and food storage techniques. Many island women have already embarked on this journey in their own households as they explore traditional foods from extreme scratch: flour and bread from the grain kernels, wine and preserves from fruit, lactic pickles and sourdough leavening, cheese making, gathering all kinds of wild foods, butchering and preserving their own wild or homegrown meat. We can help each other by sharing this knowledge.

Market day can open our eyes to the possibilities and to the resources of our neighbours.

Some excellent reading about these concepts is circulating in the community. Watch for The Hundred Mile Diet by A. Smith & J.B. MacKinnon, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

If you would like to see the market continue through the winter, let me know and we’ll make some plans. Meanwhile, please consider what you could contribute to increasing our combined true wealth in the coming seasons


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THURSDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE SERIES

Please join us for the following Sierra Club recommended movies on the "big screen" at the Bunkhouse at Surge Narrows:

Thursday Nov 8th, 2:30 PM
The Great Bear Rainforest
This visually spectacular rainforest documentary will give you insight into an ancient harmonious ecosystem in balance. Highly recommended.

Thursday Nov 22nd, 2:30 PM
Shining Mountains - On the edge
Are we loving our mountains to death? A documentary exploring human encroachment in the Rocky Mountains.

Thursday Nov 29th, 2:30 PM
Shining Mountains - The once and future wild
A search for solutions for the grizzly, wolf, and cariboo to remain at home on the range, including details of the Y2Y Yellowstone to Yukon initiative begun by Karsten Hueur, and a native boy heading out on his first moose hunt.

Each movie is approximately an hour in length and has been selected to appeal to all ages. Complimentary tea, coffee, and treats will be served. Stay posted for future listings.

Did you miss our first movie?
On Monday October 29th, all of the students at Surge School and several adult members of the community gathered in the Bunkhouse to watch "The Power of Community", an inspiring Sierra Club recommended film about how Cuba solved their oil shortage crisis with innovative yet simple solutions that involved the whole community.
This was well received by the audience, stimulating discussion afterwards, and a social time with complimentary treats and nibbles.



CHRISTMAS CONCERT

is planned for Tuesday, December 18th.
This is the social event of the year, so mark your calendars!



News items, announcements, opinions, stories, photos and art work are needed for the Rag! The goal is to stimulate communication within the community and to encourage participation in events and programs. Deadline for submissions is the first of each month. Articles and letters may be edited for brevity and clarity. Submit your contribution by e-mail (best method) to judithwright_@hotmail.com (note the underscore before @), OR mail a paper copy to Box 4, V0P 1W0. For short items and notices you may also phone Judith at 250 830 8583.

The Snot Rag is published, usually monthly, by the Surge Narrows Community Association, as a communication tool for the community. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SNCA

Directors of SNCA: Rob Wood, Claudia Lake, Judith Wright,
Rieko Sevigny, Sally Davies.

The 25 paid-up members (counting the directors) of SNCA for the year October 2007 to October2008 are:
David Cox, Bruce Davies, Brenda Dempsey, Ross Campbell, Ken Flager, Richard Gillmore, Sheila Hollanders, Cameron Humphreys, Lannie Keller, Ralph Keller, Fern Kornelson, Jorge Little, Mary Anne Moss, Max Primgaard, John Robilliard , Carolyn Robbins, Eileen Sowerby, Tina Thomson, David Turpin, Laurie Wood

SNCA membership is $10.00 annually, payable to the Surge Narrows Community Association, P.O. Box 52, V0P 1W0.