On the heels of an independent power producer again threatening to rig transmission lines through Pinecone Burke Provincial Park to north of Squamish, two opponents to independent power projects (IPP) urged local residents to raise their voices at a presentation on Tuesday (March 31).
While the District of Squamish held its budget meeting across town, about 50 people gathered at the Sea to Sky Hotel to hear Save Our Rivers spokesperson Rafe Mair and Wilderness Committee campaign director Joe Foy breakdown a "plague" that is spreading across the province.
Delta-based Northwest Cascade Power Ltd. is proposing to drill a two-foot-wide underground tunnel so that a transmission line can connect a planned run-of-river IPP from the Upper Pitt River to the Cheekye Fan substation north of Squamish.
One year ago, a similar proposal involving overhead transmission lines was met with strong local opposition, including the District of Squamish, based on concerns the line would damage the wellbeing of the community and surrounding wilderness.
B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner put a stop to the original proposal, and Foy assured the audience the IPP will not gain any more ground this time around.
"To Mr. Penner's credit, he has taken the position that the park goes to the centre of the earth and unless you put you power line through China you're going to have to get a park permit and he's not going to give a park permit," he said to cheers.
Foy gave credit to Squamish for its grassroots efforts in uncovering the problems with run-of-rivers projects when the Ashlu River IPP left communities powerless in 2006 with the help of the provincial government's enactment of Bill 30, which prevented local the Squamish Lillooet Regional District from preventing the project. It was this local resistance to an "undemocratic move" that got the Wilderness Committee engaged in the issue in the first place, he said.
This time around, however, Squamish is not powerless, continued Foy. Representing a charitable organization, he could not take a political stance, but Mair was more than willing to broach the subject of politics.
"I couldn't look my grandchildren in the eyes and say I voted for Gordon Campbell," said Mair, referring to the upcoming provincial election. "I'm not voting against free enterprise, I'm voting against fascism."
The audience again broke out in applause.
Local resident Perry Beckham, who helped organize the presentation, stood up and voiced his concern that IPPs are going to mean the end of healthy local fish populations.
"I see these IPPs as the kiss of death for our salmon, it could be the tipping point," he said.
"Why should we care about this? I think it's good reason to think we live as a community at the bottom of one of the biggest rivers systems in the province. We have an example to set [] I'm going to suggest that our salmon are good reason. We're losing them and it might be a good reason at this upcoming election to say 'not good enough.'"
Foy and Mair are continued to spread their message with presentations in Whistler, Pemberton, Penticton, Merritt, Kelowna and Salmon Arm.
