An all-candidates' forum Monday (Nov. 7) for Squamish's municipal elections triggered an unexpected debate over the state of the local dike system.
Mayor Ian Sutherland said he believes the dikes are stable while others argue the system has volatile weak spots.Long-time resident John Jellis started the debate by accusing the current District of Squamish Council of failing to address drainage and potential flooding issues.
Mayor Ian Sutherland said the dredging work needs to be done in Squamish, adding that dredging is a federal issue."We are doing the best we can to get the federal government on side," he said.
A few minutes later, Carl Halverson said he is worried about the state of the local dikes and claimed a deputy inspector of dikes is concerned about the dikes in Squamish. Halverson specifically expressed concern over the vegetation growing on the dikes and failure to replace rocks that have sloughed off the dikes.
Halverson is the property manager at the North Vancouver Outdoor School. A dike between the school and the Cheakamus River protects the outdoor school property from floodwaters.
"More money is being on dikes," said Sutherland. "The deputy inspector of dikes hasn't said anything is a concern with the dikes."
Sutherland's mayoral opponent, Terrill Patterson, said if he is elected he will spend whatever it takes to deal with the situation.
Neil Peters, the provincial government's inspector of dikes, said on Thursday (Nov. 10) that Squamish owns and operates the diking system in Squamish.
"They commissioned Kerr Wood Leidel to do a full review," Peters said. "We are currently waiting for that report. The best information on the dikes is in that report."
Sutherland said he too is awaiting the report from the engineering firm.
"Our dikes can always use more work," said Sutherland. "That's been the case for 10 years. However, we are investing constantly to improve our diking system. There is no report anywhere that talks about a "grave danger"."
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale doesn't agree with Sutherland. Lonsdale said people who know about dike integrity indicated to her that they are concerned about on particular spot in the Squamish River Estuary where the large riprap at the base of the dike is gone and the river is eroding the dike.
Lonsdale said people in the community who have knowledge of how dikes work are concerned that if the small section isn't dealt with the next large flood event could lead to a break in the dike at flood a portion of Downtown and Squamish Terminals.Halverson said he has similar concerns for areas he has identified as weak spots in the Brackendale [email protected]
