April Meeting and Elections

Posted April 2001

The spring potluck and Annual General Meeting started at 6:30pm on Wednesday April 18th, 2001, at the Peachland Community Hall. The PSA directors for 2001 are:

The reign of terror will begin immediately.

Eneas Lake

Posted April 2001

The report for Eneas Lake is complete, and has been submitted to the club. A PDF copy of the complete report is now available (860kb download). We have applied for funding and will soon be starting the permitting process to go ahead with the in-stream works this summer, and improve the fish passage between Eneas Lake and Findlay Creek.

If anyone has their eye on another area that could use a habitat improvement project, and has some time available to help out on setting it up, let the PSA executive know at the next monthly meeting.

PSA Constitution

Posted April 2001

The PSA Constitution is now available on-line as a PDF file, on your right (near the top of the index page). It is approx 120 kb in size, and preserves the original layout and formatting. A typo or two was also maintained intact. Most browsers will allow you to save the file to your hard drive by right-clicking and selecting "Save as".

Brenda Mines

Posted April 2001

A meeting of the Brenda Mines Surveillance committee took place on Tuesday April 3. The meeting covered a number of issues, including sludge disposal from the water treatment plant, and the proposed treatment plant operations plan for 2001.

The key issue for the PSA is autumn flows during the Kokanee run. The permit for the water treatment plant is based on drinking water, with no provision for the fishery. In addition, due to low flows in Trepanier Creek during September and October, the discharge from the water treatment plant will impact the aesthetics of the drinking water, by increasing hardness and manganese concentrations. Noranda, the Town, and BC Environment need to balance the needs of the water users, the fish, and economic reality.

The club needs to work throughout the summer on this issue. There are several strategies which could improve autumn flows during the critical period, including:

Each of these has a financial and social cost. Doing nothing has a potentially significant environmental cost.

The surveillance committee will also be working to formalize their membership process. While the existing mix of residents, concerned organizations, provincial government agencies, and local government will be maintained, there is currently no formal definition of membership. This matters in cases where a vote by the committee is required.

March Meeting

Posted March 2001

The March meeting of the PSA took place at 7:30pm on Wednesday, March 21. The March Newsletter is also available on-line (on your right), and if anyone has a submission for the next newsletter, call or e-mail Gord Wilson.

Conservation Officer Greg Hoyer attended our March meeting, for an informal question and answer talk. A summary will be posted at a later date.

Archery season started up again a few months ago. Larry Sundstrom has the range open on Thursday and Sunday evenings, so grab your bow, and head on down for some indoor target shooting.

BCWF Convention and Fundraiser

Posted ~ March 2001

This years BCWF convention will be held at the Capri Hotel in Kelowna. Our club will be sending two members to represent us at the convention: Al Springer will be our delegate, and Judie Vergnano will be the alternate delegate. Meetings will take place all day on Friday and Saturday, and both of them have a lot of preparation and research to complete regarding the various resolutions which will be voted on at the meeting.

The BCWF fundraiser also takes place during the event, on Friday, April 21. The admission costs $15, which includes beef on a bun. The variety and quality of the prizes is reported to be amazing, and we will not see an event like this in the Okanagan for several years to come. Unfortunately, the BCWF site does not have any information up yet, but you can contact Al Springer for tickets.

Grizzly Hunt

Posted ~Feb 20 2001

I imagine everyone has heard about the cancellation of the grizzly hunt by now. It is sad to see a government caving in over a few billboards in London, and associated fears about lost tourism revenues because of pressure tactics by groups like the Raincoast Coalition. Many pundits have wondered what will be the next to go - pressure groups exist who are actively working to ban all hunting and fishing, pet ownership, animal husbandry, and meat consumption. Will the BC Government bend over for these other groups as easily as they did for those working to ban the grizzly hunt?

While it may be a sound strategy to play dead during a grizzly attack, these groups will not lose interest and go away. Victory on one issue will just smooth the road for their next fight. And there will be a next fight, because as long as we continue to enjoy any of our traditional freedoms, someone else will be trying to take them away.

There will be a provincial election sometime this spring. Make sure we have a strong sportsman's presence at the all-candidates forums. Ask all candidates questions about issues like the grizzly hunt, and vote accordingly based on their replies, their party platforms, and their past performance. No matter who is elected, it is our job to keep the coals to their feet until the scientists in our wildlife branch get to decide whether a hunt is sustainable in our province.