FortisBC hits gas
Spit Road in the Squamish Estuary remains temporarily closed after workers for FortisBC hit a naturally occurring “gas pocket” 110 metres below the surface on Saturday.
The workers were drilling test holes for geotechnical information to inform the proposed route of the Eagle Mountain to Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project.
“We detected minute amounts of hydrogen sulfide below the soil surface and so - since safety is our top priority - have stopped work,” read an emailed alert from FortisBC that also said such incidents were not unusual in an estuarine area.
Though the investigative work at the site has stopped, it will take a few days to completely close it and remove the equipment, according to FortisBC.
This drill site will be closed permanently by the end of this week, according to the company. Enough information was gathered that the site is no longer needed so won’t be reopened or moved. Spit Road will be re-opened when the investigative site is officially closed.
New fire chief
Chief Steve Virgint of the Britannia Beach Volunteer Fire Department has stepped down after eight years as chief and almost 40 as a firefighter. He announced his retirement would be effective Nov. 1. According to announcement from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, the department has grown and expanded service in Britannia Beach and Furry Creek under Virgint’s stewardship. Assistant Chief Dave Rittberg is taking over as the new chief after being promoted through an internal competition.
New school
Squamish Montessori Elementary School has officially entered into an agreement to build a new school within the Skyridge Development located in the northeast end of Squamish.
The agreement between the school, Skyridge and Diamond Head Development is to obtain a parcel of land to design and build a new school.
Diamond Head has appointed Whistler’s Murdoch & Company Architecture & Planning to design the new building, the release stated.
MP invite to Squamish
Council voted to officially invite Sea to Sky Member of Parliament Pamela Goldsmith-Jones and Minister of Transport Marc Garneau to Squamish to discuss community concerns around carrier traffic in Howe Sound and coast guard responses to potential accidents in navigable waters. The visit would also be an opportunity to showcase what Squamish has done in the Mamquam Blind Channel to deal with derelict vessels, Mayor Patricia Heintzman said.
Cheekye Fan blows forward
Council passed second reading of the rezoning of about 80 hectares for the Cheekye Fan housing community planned for Brackendale at its meeting Tuesday night. A public hearing on the complex proposal is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2017.
Sqomish Sea to Sky Developments, a partnership between the Squamish Nation, Squamish’s Bethel and Mathews Southwest, first proposed at council in January of 2015. The proposal has changed over time and now includes 1,215 units in various housing forms. The project will also have commercial and parking space.
The proposal includes a debris flow barrier that will protect Brackendale from a landslide.
Council recently learned from provincial government representatives that the District of Squamish will have to be the diking authority, and thus responsible for the barrier. Mayor Patricia Heintzman said Tuesday night an arms length, standalone authority – similar to a harbour authority – may need to be created.
The project arose out of the 2011 government-to-government Squamish Intergovernmental Cooperation Accord between the Squamish Nation and the District of Squamish.
Squamish Nation Coun. Chris Lewis asked council to open up government-to-government dialogue on the accord to ensure both governments were on the same page in terms of what is being agreed to prior to the public hearing. Meetings will be scheduled, Heintzman said.
Stone quarry exploration
A new mining project in Squamish?
The Ministry of Energy and Mines referred an application for a permit for exploration on Crown land adjacent to Watts Point eight kilometres south of downtown to District of Squamish council, district staff said at the community development committee on Tuesday.
The exploration would determine the suitability of the site for a Bellarock stone quarry, a district staff report to council states.
About 45 square metres of second-growth forest will be cut on the site for the exploration.
The land already has an existing Mines Act Permit on it, the report states.
Council told district staff the exploration could go ahead with exploration if the company sought a site alteration permit.
Rezoning of the land would be required should the company want to move forward with the quarry.
Cancelled open house
The District of Squamish has postponed the scheduled public hearing on Nov. 8 for the rental townhome proposal Hudson Station Townhomes, proposed by Target Homes.
Not enough required information has been received, according to district staff.
The public hearing will be rescheduled at a later date.
