The controversial Ashlu Creek independent power project (IPP) is now moving ahead, but the Sea to Sky Coalition of Rivers is vowing to fight it along with Bill 30, while the two sides debate how the proposed project will affect kayaking and the community at large.
Approximately 60 people met at the Adventure Centre on Sunday (June 4) to discuss the impact of the run-of-river power project on the Ashlu Creek and ways to support the local government in their fight against the controversial Bill 30.
"We just had a bill rammed down our throats and we barely know what is about," said Tom Rankin, who spoke at the meeting. "The key now is to support local governments."
Bill 30 allows the provincial government to make decisions concerning crown land without consulting the local municipalities. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, through the Union of British Columbia of Municipalities, has stated their opposition to the bill in writing to the provincial government.
Stuart Smith, river projects coordinator for the White Water Kayaking Association of B.C. and a Squamish resident, said Bill 30 allows for companies to move forward with IPP projects without obtaining valuable information from the local community. He said the Ashlu river project was an example of this happening.
"It is really disturbing that days after the bill is passed you see the Ashlu project go ahead. There are better places than the Ashlu for this to go," he said. "The lower Cheakamus, for example, has the same power, no grizzly bears, no kayakers. Decisions are being made by whim and chance with no planning. It is not just about the Ashlu this is happening all over B.C. We need to have some say as to where these projects will go."
Although Stuart believes the passing of Bill 30 is not a local issue, he said the impact of the proposed IPP project on the Ashlu River would have detrimental affects on the areas kayaking and wildlife.
"The district is calling Squamish the adventure capital of Canada while at the same you look around and see our trails disappearing and our rivers dammed," he said. "The IPP project will make the kayaking season tremendously shorter and physically you have less of what we call 'powder' days. The quality and the quantity of the river is less and you don't get the big fluffy days where it is fun."
On the flip side of this debate, the Ledcor Group, the engineering company chosen by Squamish Nation to spearhead the project, said a little help from an IPP dam would in fact improve kayaking in the area.
"The upper 24 kilometres of the river will remain free flowing. For the last five kilometres we will be introducing flow releases every weekend in May, August, and September when water levels are slightly lower," said Kelly Boychuk, project manager for Ledcor. "We will also be taking half of the flow out of the river during June and July when the water is high, creating a more desirable levels for kayaking.
"Essentially we can have a power project and whitewater kayaking at the same time."
Boychuk also said the group would be building fish habitats at the base Ashlu Creek to improve the spawning of salmon and steelhead populations.
He said their administration office had been moved to accommodate the bear population and a wide buffering zone between construction and the river would be left for bears foraging for salmon in the fall.
