The Ongoing News Swirl from Maple Pool

I am responding to recent media reports concerning Maple Pool Campsite which is located at 4685 Headquarters Road in Courtenay.

Controversy has been brewing since the devastating flood that peaked on November 16, 2009. News reports from various sources that day (Nov.16.09) included the following:

" A state of emergency was declared in Courtenay. Courtenay Mayor Greg Phelps issued the warning because of high water levels in the Puntledge, Courtenay, Tsolum and Browns Rivers. The Courtenay Engineering Department evacuated 54 people around Maple Pool Campsite and surrounding homes on Headquarters Road. More residences were on evacuation alert.  A major frontal weather system moving through B.C.'s south coast caused multiple power outages and floods. Some parts of the Island recorded a couple hundred millimeters of rain over the past day and a half." 

'Meanwhile, BC Hydro is closely monitoring the situation at its Comox Lake dam and controlling flows into the Puntledge River system. The Hydro reservoir rose by 1 metre over 18 hours yesterday. Since yesterday, the inflows in the Comox Lake Reservoir have been around 400 cubic metres per second. BC Hydro had been spilling water all weekend and as of last night, has been spilling 200 m3/s from the dam - the full capacity of the two spillway gates. We have been backing off a bit with ocean high tides. "

 The day following the above reports, I visited the campsite to see for myself the damage (I knew someone who lived there). What I saw were several trailers/motor homes that had water at least 3 feet above the top step leading into them. Also, at slighter higher ground elevation levels I could see the high water marks along the bottom portions of many trailers and these are trailers that are, by and large, still on their current pad locations today.  Later I found out that several trailers/motor homes were basically totally destroyed or uninhabitable (i.e., contaminated with mould and so forth).

For the “Friends of Maple Pool” to support statements that it was entirely the fault of BC Hydro or that it was just inconvenient and messy is not consistent with the news reports or my own observations. 

Altitude.nu  or “Google maps find altitude” are two of several websites which will provide elevation levels.  According to these websites, 5-10 feet of leeway stands between winter Tsolum River water levels and the nearest trailer ground elevations. 

The campsite is designated a flood zone for good reason.  As one looks at weather conditions in recent years in various parts of North America, it is no longer reasonable to conclude that the 2009 flood is a once- in-100-years event.  High water levels in the Maple Pool Campsite area also occurred in January 2010 and again in 2011.

I believe it is incumbent for parties on both sides of this debate and dispute to use common sense (which isn't necessarily that common).  The issue is that residents of Maple Pool campsite are at-risk. The campground owners (along with their "Friends") need to see what it takes to comply with City bylaw requirements and the City needs to provide the needed information (if that is the case).

However, a barrier or protective wall around the at-risk portion of the campsite may need to be as high as 10 feet and one that will withstand strong and fast moving waters-- no doubt an expensive undertaking and one that needs to be properly done (meeting engineering specs).

As things now stand, each side seems to have given up on the idea of seeing the other's point of view.  Fighting using lawyers in a court forum is one that reasonable people normally view as a last resort. If this last resort continues, then the money that could have been used to rectify the situation will be lining the pockets of lawyers.  It seems to me that both sides are not willing to move enough to consider what might be in the best interests of the residents of Maple Pool Campsite. If the City "wins" these residents may end up being evicted.

Save the BC Ferries: Cut Employee Costs

Dear editor,

It was probably no surprise to most people that B.C. Transportation Minister Stone announced that the service cuts would go ahead for BC Ferries, totally ignoring passenger and resident concerns.

Making seniors pay half of the passenger fare will not save as much as they forecast because some seniors will cut back on how often they travel.

Talking about seniors, will these fare increases and service cuts reduce seniors from the Prairies who may have been planning to retire on Vancouver Island or the nearby smaller islands?

Of course there are obvious solutions.

Having over 600 hundred mangers (including 12 vice-presidents) and administrative staff is excessive, very inefficient and unnecessary, particularly when compared to Washington State ferries.

Washington ferries have one manager for every 40 workers. B.C. has one manager for every eight workers.

In 2010, about half of BC Ferries’ 4,200 workers earned over $75,000. (More recent figures are hard to come by).

Eliminating half of those managers/admin staff could produce $30 million in savings. Also, eliminating free employee and retiree passes — another $9 million.

What about the union workers with a 100-per-cent fully funded benefits plan? A gift shop cashier earns $24.49 per hour, ticket attendant at boarding booth, $24.85 per hour, coffee shop attendant, $23.35 per hour, and a third cook $27.51 per hour, with pay raises coming April 1, 2014, and April 1, 2015.

No doubt with so many employees, a number of union positions could be cut as well.

BC Ferries has lost ridership of some one million passengers and half a million vehicles, compared to about three years ago, in a period when the economy and population has been recovering and growing.

Properly managing employee costs would result in reduced future fare increases and reinstating some of the service cuts recently announced and reverse the decline in ridership.

Ed Zirkwitz,

• posted Feb 26, 2014 at 10:00 AM - Comox Valley Record
http://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/opinion/letters/247292511.html