Mayor's Report - February 1998

The Lower Mainland of BC is blessed with astoundingly beautiful natural surroundings. One of the most magnificent of these natural attributes is Indian Arm which only two years ago was made a Class ‘A’ Provincial Park.

The only BC business sector which is growing at present is tourism, and the Dinner Cruise component of that industry understands the significance of Indian Arm. We are all familiar with the number of Dinner Cruise boats that frequent the clean pristine waters of this magnificent fjord. The question we must consider is: Can we keep the waters of Indian Arm clean as we enter into the next millennium?

We are frequently confronted with reports of contaminated swimming waters close to home. Last summer Cates Park beach was closed due to elevated coliform bacteria counts. As Ministry of Health personnel searched for an explanation, fingers were pointed at sources such as geese and the freighters anchored in the harbour. These “sources” may well be contributors to the problem. However, there are a number of other ways that the waters of Indian Arm are being degraded:

Cruise Boats - The “dinner cruise” business has grown by “leaps and bounds” in recent years. Like the Alaska Cruise business that has enjoyed double-digit growth for over five years, “dinner cruises” to Indian Arm can be expected to parallel the growth in both population and tourism. While the cruise boats come to enjoy the majestic scenery and pristine waters, few (if any) of these boats have sewage holding tanks. It’s all flushed directly into Indian Arm much to the consternation of the residents affected! It’s time that provincial legislation was enacted requiring sewage holding-tanks on all cruise boats, not just the “large” cruise boats. (The holding-tanks could be pumped-out each evening when the boats return to “home base”.)

Overnight Anchorages - There are many overnight anchorages, particularly in the Gulf Islands, that are suffering the effects of over-use. While one boat over-nighting at an anchorage has only a small impact on receiving waters, repeated use by dozens of boats has a very undesirable effect. Overnight anchorage in Deep Cove was banned for this reason, and such can be the result in Bedwell Bay of Indian Arm. (There have been more than one report of children participating in GVRD’s “Seashore Snoops” coming back with “findings” that have washed-up on Bedwell Bay’s shores!) Designation of high-use anchorage areas, adoption of holding-tank regulations, and provision of associated holding-tank pump-out facilities must accompany increased usage of anchorages.

Recreational Boating - The formula is simple: increased population equals increased recreational boating. The second reality is that people will have to use the toilet while out for the day on a boat. It’s the cumulative effect of all the people, on all the boats, all using the toilet, that creates the undesirable result. Again, adoption of holding-tank regulations and provision of pump-out facilities are the answers. The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club is currently in the process of establishing an “eco-barge” at Wigwam Inn for their members, and marina operators are prepared to install pump-out facilities for their patrons. But the first step is legislation requiring holding tanks on recreational boats which have toilets.

Land-Based Sewage Discharges - The desire to develop waterfront properties that are unable to obtain permits for traditional septic tank fields has resulted in a number of applications to the Ministry of the Environment for permits to discharge sewage effluent directly to Indian Arm, including applications for properties located within the Village of Belcarra. Is it an objective of this community to use Indian Arm as a “sewer” to accommodate land-based development?

With the current Lower Mainland population of 1.8 million people expected to double over the next 20 years, there will be tremendous pressures on Indian Arm from increased recreational use. Like the ancient punishment called “death by a thousand cuts”, will Indian Arm suffer “death by a thousand flushes”?

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