April 6 Meet at Dry Creek Park 1PM - Walkabout to Somass Lands

[Chris Alemany]

Hi Everyone,

On Saturday April 6 (Weather permitting, the forecast looks ok!), we’re going to have a meetup and walkabout all over and around Dry Creek and the Somass Lands! If people would like to meet us for just part of the walk, that’s totally OK. I’ll include the itinerary below and you can choose where you would like to meet the group. Come and go as you please/are able.  I’ve included “Topics to talk about” in the Itinerary to help guide the discussion. This is just a guide to try to focus some of the conversation. I don’t think anyone has any concrete answers (we all have many questions!) but if you know more about these things, please bring both your knowledge and your ears and do share this around if you know anyone interested. It’s open to all. :+)

ITINERARY:

Start: 1PM - Meet at Dry Creek Park (behind the Friendship Centre)

1) (Approx. 1PM - 1:30PM)

We will walk to the large pond that is just inside the trees.

Topics to talk about: 

- Where does this water come from? (Natural, and Human Sources)

- Tire contamination impact on Coho (VIU Study and Tseshaht sampling)

2) (Approx 1:30PM to 2PM)

Walk along Dry Creek toward Railway Yard/Somass Lands.

Topics to talk about: 

- Is it possible to re-naturalize the urban parts of Dry Creek? What does that look like? (The Quadrant, 4th Ave, 3rd Ave)

- What would good Housing Development near Dry Creek look like?

- Where is the Tsunami or Flood Zone?

- Besides Salmon, what animals would frequent this corridor to the harbour?

3) (Approx 2PM to 3:30PM)

Walk around Somass Lands (Harbour Road, Railway Yards, Quay to Quay Path, Tyee Landing)

Topics to talk about: 

- Where is the City at with the Somass Lands and Developer?

- How are First Nations (Tseshaht, Hupacasath and others) involved?

- How does the Quay-to-Quay path work into this?

- Has contamination been addressed?

- What are the current development plans?

- What would this site look like completely re-naturalized? (Ie. What is the ultimate goal/success)

The overall goal of the day is to reconnect and talk about how the situation has changed, and get feelings from the group on planning the June AVTTS event focused on this issue. Who do we invite? What do we talk about or do at the event for what end?

Finally, the AV Nature Club is headed over to Parksville and Englishman River to check out how that estuary was re-naturalized from its industrial past. I may or may not join that group depending on time in the morning and preparation from this walkabout, but I know a few of you will be there so I really look forward to the cross-pollination of ideas and experience.

Thank you everyone for being engaged and if I’ve left anything out or am otherwise missing something, please do let me know!

See you soon!

Cheers

Chris

Christopher Alemany

President - Alberni Valley Transition Town Society

3854 Sixth Ave.

Port Alberni, BC

V9Y4M2

Unceded Traditional Territory of c̓išaaʔath and hupačasatḥ First Nations.

e: avtransi...@gmail.com
w: https://www.avtransitiontown.org