Boaters and Paddlers Rally to Save Howe Sound
Nearly 200 boats, kayaks and stand-up paddlers gathered in the waters off Howe Sound’s McNab Creek June 30 to oppose an open-pit gravel mine proposed for the creek watershed and to press governments to coordinate plans for future development in the sound. The Save Our Sound Rendezvous was staged by the Future of Howe Sound Society to bring attention to the potential impact of the mine, on the west side of Howe Sound, as well as other proposed industrial and residential developments that could affect the sound’s future as a boating, tourism and recreational destination on Vancouver’s doorstep, said Ruth Simons, the society’s executive director.
“Our goals were to get people to this part of Howe Sound, to see that McNab Creek is an amazing place; to bring attention to the potential impact of the mine; and to learn about all the other projects that could compromise the sound’s recovery and the need for a plan to protect what we’ve got here,” said Simons.
Organizers were impressed with the rendezvous turnout, which included local boaters, representatives of the eight yacht clubs which maintain marinas or outstations in the sound, as well as First Nations and members of local communities who may not be aware of the area’s beauty and diversity.
“We’ve received nothing but support from the communities around Howe Sound, and the turnout at the rendezvous met or exceeded our expectations,” said organizer Lea Bancroft, a past commodore of Burrard Yacht Club, whose Ekins Point outstation lies across Thornborough Channel from the proposed pit site. “We had a ball.”
The rendezvous featured music by local band Bylaw 283, a traditional welcome from the Squamish First Nation, and speakers including Mayor Brenda Houghton of nearby Lions Bay, Simons and other stakeholder groups.Simons and Bancroft say a key issue for the society is that Howe Sound is only now recovering from the effects of decades of industrial use such as the Britannia copper mine and the pulp mills at Woodfibre and Port Mellon. This creates new opportunities for sustainable uses such as tourism, recreation, fishing and film production, while multiple development proposals and a lack of coordinated planning threaten the sound’s recovery.
“You can go hundreds of miles up the coast and not get the kind of natural wilderness experience you can get here in Howe Sound,” said Bancroft. “I grew up boating on Howe Sound and in 50 years I saw my first pod of killer whales here three weeks ago. That’s a remarkable recovery.”
Simons said the rendezvous generated a significant community and media response, and next steps include asking local MLAs and the provincial government to establish a mandate for a comprehensive management plan. A fall meeting of local stakeholders is also planned.
