Mayor's Report - August 1998

On July 8th I attended a meeting hosted by the City of Vancouver which was convened to discuss the designation of False Creek and English Bay under the federal Pleasure Craft Sewage Regulations. The meeting was attended by personnel from VPC, GVRD, the BC Ministry of Environment, DFO (Coast Guard) and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board.

At that meeting I suggested that Indian Arm should be included on the list of designated recreational water bodies. After considerable discussion the concensus of the meeting was that the GVRD should request the BC Ministry of Environment, Lands & Parks (MELP) to pursue federal designation of Indian Arm. On July 31st the GVRD Board of Directors unanimously endorsed the recommendation, and in early August the MELP regional office also added its endorsement.

The hope is that MELP headquarters in Victoria will forward the request to Ottawa in time to be included on the “official list” of designated water bodies to be published in the Canada Gazette this fall. If Indian Arm does get included on the list this fall, then it would likely become part of the Pleasure Craft Sewage Regulations by January 1999. A significant accomplishment in an incredibly short time-frame!

This is but a first step. . . A campaign to educate boaters would be the next step, along with establishment of pump-out facilities at locations such as Deep Cove and Reed Point. These things do not happen over-night, but we have to start now if we want to protect Indian Arm for future generations!

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