Bruce and Nicole Gibbons, photograph from their Facebook page
Island and BC coastal communities say “ban groundwater licenses”
Representatives of 53 municipalities on Vancouver Island and the British Columbia coast have endorsed a Comox Valley initiative for the province to stop issuing licenses for the bottling and commercial sale of groundwater.
Meeting this week in Powell River, the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities, which includes Comox Valley municipalities, passed the resolution unanimously.
The motion now moves to the Union of BC Municipalities for consideration at its annual meeting during the week of Sept. 23 in Vancouver. If it is supported by a majority of provincial municipalities, the resolution would be sent to the BC government for action.
Bruce Gibbons, of the Merville Water Guardians who originated the initiative, called the AVICC vote “a huge victory.”
“That (the unanimous vote) means that the 53 member communities of the AVICC unanimously support the ask of that resolution, and ultimately the protection of groundwater,” he said.
Gibbons praised Strathcona Regional District Director Brenda Leigh for championing the resolution. The SRD passed a similar motion in February requesting the province cease groundwater exports for commercial water bottling and bulk water sales.
“There are 29 regional districts in British Columbia, and a lot of them have been impacted by corporate extraction of their water supply,” said Leigh. “This is very important because the commodification of water in Canada means that we’re putting our water sources at risk.”
Groundwater extraction and water bottling rose to public attention last year at the Comox Valley Regional District. Merville landowners Scott MacKenzie and his wife, Regula Heynck, obtained a license from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource and Rural Development (FLNRORD) to extract up to 10,000 litres per day or 3.65 million litres per year.
But the CVRD ultimately denied MacKenzie and Heynck an application to rezone their property on Sackville Road to conduct water bottling operations as the principal use of their property.
MacKenzie and Heynck then approached the Strathcona Regional District and were denied again.
The struggle between FLNRORD and the Comox Valley Regional District highlighted the friction between regional districts and the BC government over groundwater extraction for profit. The dispute began when FLNRORD MacKenzie a license without public notification and against the wishes of the CVRD and K’omoks First Nation.
But there was considerable public opposition to the license, and the CVRD denial effectively rendered the license unusable.
Leigh said her motion is rooted in general principle, and not in reaction to the CVRD dispute.
She says changes to the provincial Water Sustainability Act would negate the need for district-level efforts to control commercial water extraction with zoning decisions.
“First things first – we need to get the province on our side, and make sure they’re protecting our water. They have the power to do that.”
Some areas in Leigh’s district, which includes the north Oyster River area, rely totally on groundwater. In recent summers, drought conditions in August have forced the district to tap emergency reservoirs.
She anticipates climate change will exacerbate the problem in the future.
Watershed Sentinel Assistant Editor Gavin McRae contributed to this article
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Comox Valley adds voices to the demand for a federal climate debate
Some 30 rallies held Wednesday across Canada – outside CBC studios, offices and in the streets – aim to pressure the public broadcaster to host a debate between federal party leaders on the climate crisis ahead of the coming election
In Courtenay, a low-carbon solar oasis thrives behind a suburban facade
In Courtenay, Stewart Mcintosh has turned his yard into a low-carbon oasis. He harvests solar energy three ways, forming the linchpin of his low-carbon lifestyle
Watershed Sentinel: Canadian hemp fibre finally poised for market acceptance
Canadian hemp has an ecological footprint of hemp is one-third to a half smaller that U.S. cotton, a factor that is fueling the plant’s comeback on world markets
Comox Valley marches to preserve Island’s remaining old growth forests
Ninety-one-year-old Elke Bibby, with her walker in tow, thought it important enough to come in from Cumberland to join the Day of Action to Save BC Forests
Town of Comox now faces $250,000 Supreme Court lawsuit over pollution
A simple request to defray a homeowner’s expense for creek bank remediation has uncovered a litany of Town of Comox problems and turned into a BC Supreme Court case valued at nearly a quarter-million dollars
A new Courtenay strategy will guide how the city manages its urban forests
Comox Valley residents have just two more days to add their voice to Courtenay’s draft Urban Forest Strategy, which will guide how the city manages trees on private and public lands for the next 30 years
Learn more about Salish Sea whales at Sarah Patton’s Denman Island lecture
Photo courtesy of Ocean Wise By George Le Masurier o you want to learn about the threats facing whales in our waters and what local citizens can do to help to protect them? Comox Valley Nature has invited Sarah Patton to...
Cumberland conference shows importance of wetlands
Wetlands are fast disappearing, but are crucial to biodiversity, flooding and mitigating climate change, say speakers at the Cumberland Wetlands Conference
Test drive electric cars and bikes at Saturday’s Comox Valley show
Thinking about buying an electric car or bike? Several Comox Valley groups have organized an electric car and bike show at 10 am on Saturday, May 18, at the Comox Valley Sports Centre on Vanier Drive
Vancouver Island old growth faces a bleak future, say speakers
A Friday night Comox Valley crowd of 100 listened intently as speakers from Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee illustrated the grim reality of what remains of old growth forest on Vancouver Island
Sincerest best wishes, especially knowing the David vs Goliath battle you’re facing against the corporatist/ capitalist/ fascist ruling elite.
This is great news indeed. I hope the Union of BC Municipalities will pass it in September. As I understand it, there is a water extraction operation happening in the Comox Valley already. Will that have to cease? Do you know who is extracting that water? And does this mean the Nestle operation down-island will have to cease? How many water extraction operations are currently taking place on the Island, and who is operating them?
Local water for local people.
great news, very inspiring to other regions of the country.