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COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE November 09, 2016 – November 15, 2016
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
1. Letter dated November 07, 2016, from AJ Petula President of Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association, regarding 2017 race dates.
November 14, 2016
Pg. 2
2. Email dated November 09, 2016, from Ralph Meyers, regarding the location of the Sechelt Farmers Market.
November 09, 2016
Pg. 3
3. Emailed dated November 11, 2016, from Roger Lagasse, regarding request for a moratorium of future logging by community forests.
November 11, 2016
Pg. 4 - 5
4. Email dated November 13, 2016, from Ross Muirhead, regarding Wilson Watershed in pictures.
November, 13, 2016
Pg. 6 - 9
5. Email dated November 14, 2015, from Anthea Penne, regarding night noise.
November 14, 2016
Pg. 10 - 16
IkSVNSHINE COAST
November 7, 2016
Subject: 2017 SunshIne Coast Drag Racing Association Race Dates
Mayor and council,
The Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association (SCDRA) is planning the 2017 drag racing season and would like to make apresentation to the Sechelt Council.
The SCORA, a registered non-profit society with 75÷ members held their first drag race event on the Sechelt Airport in
1999. Allowing the SCDRA to use of the airport facility has proven very beneficial to our members and the citizens of theSunshine Coast.
We’re asking for your approval to use the Sechelt Airport for drag racing on the following dates in 2017:
• Sunday, April 9—test and tune drag racing for members only (lpm-Spm)
• Saturday, May 27 — test and tune drag racing for members only (lpm-5pm)
• Sunday, May 28 — drag racing for members and public (7am-Spm)
• Saturday, June 24— test and tune drag racing for members only (5pm-9pm / May 29 rain date (7am-5pm)
• Saturday, July 15— test and tune drag racing for members only (5pm-9pm)
• Sunday, August 13— drag racing for members and public (7am-5pm)
• Sunday, September 10 — test and tune drag racing for members only (lpm-Spm) / August 7 rain date (7am-Spm)
We’re also planning on several work events with members to prepare and conduct ground maintenance at the Sechelt
Airport for the 2017 events. The work events are held prior to each test n tune..
Sunshine Coast Drag Racing AssociationDistrict of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 2
From: Ralph and June Meyer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 3:46 PM
To: Information Request
Subject: LOCATION OF FARMERS MARKET
To: The Mayor and Council
Municipality of Sechelt 8 November 2016
Gentlemen & Ladies,
I have been watching with interest, and some serious concerns, the situations created by moving the
Sechelt Farmers Market to its present location.
Surely the Municipal Planners could have come up with a more sensible solution to the “supposed”
problem of it being located outside the movie theatre. What was wrong with that site? There is ample
parking behind and around the theatre, that is totally vacant on Saturday mornings and pedestrian
traffic to and from vehicles would not be intruding on a main thoroughfare.
Apart from the sheer inconvenience of having one of the main streets closed to traffic for a critical
period in the day, it encourages people to park along the main highway and take up spaces at the
Library and Claytons Mall parking lot, to the detriment of regular users of these amenities.
Many of the “sellers” at the Market would be appalled if they had to suffer “illegal parking” in front of
and around their premises, if they should own any in Sechelt. How many of them are in fact Sechelt
residents paying taxes for the use of this “public road”?
Traffic flow is bad enough on a Saturday, for those 7 or 8 hours of closure, to be of concern with regard
to accidents and pedestrians being put at risk. What is going to happen when the new development
takes place adjacent to that location? What other hindrances can be planned to accommodate a Market
that should be located in a more sensible, non-interfering position, where ample parking can be one of
the main criteria for re-locating.
Trusting that similar concerns are already being considered by your staff.
Sincerely,
Ralph Meyer,
5434 Kensington Road
Sechelt
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 3
From: Roger [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2016 9:00 PM To: Information Request
Subject: Letter for Mayor Bruce Milne
Dear Mayor Milne,
I would like to request a moratorium of future logging by 'Community Forests' so an updated public assessment can take place on its future. Please examine the information below and take action to prevent further damage to our watershed.
Sincerely,
Roger Lagassé
BA, Bed, Med
'Community Forests' a Trojan Horse set up to gain access to the public's drinking watershed.
What's the true nature of this 'Community Forests' that's owned by the District of Sechelt? One of the truths is that during its 2004 application for its tenure (cutting area on Crown land) it was rejected by the Community Forest Board. Why? Because the application required sign on by the surrounding elected bodies, which included Sechelt Indian Band, Sunshine Coast Regional District and Town of Gibsons.
When these Councils met did they support Sechelt's application to begin this logging company? NO THEY DIDN'T. Why not?
Because Sechelt's application included logging in the Chapman and Gray Creek Drinking Watersheds. These 3 Councils were fed up with logging in these watersheds by Jackson Bros., CanFor, Western Forest Products, AJB Investments, and seeing the people's drinking watersheds ravaged by landslides from roadbuiding across steep slopes.
Even though their application was rejected the first time, they pursed it and finally through political channels received a 'direct award' by then Liberal Forest Minister, Ric Coleman.
The other tenure areas included the already heavily logged out Halfmoon Bay, Porpoise Bay, Wilson Creek and the Roberts Creek areas. Basically, the Province
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 4
wanted continued logging revenues out of these threads of forests left behind by historic industrial scale logging, and granting a 'community forest' licence was the best way to achieve their ends as it works as a PR campaign making it seem that its a community-back venture while taking out the last vestiges of natural forests.
An excellent account of this history is summed in a book called 'The Community Forest Trojan Horse', by Vancouver researcher Will Koop. Hard copies can be ordered from ELF at $15 a copy. [email protected]
http://www.bctwa.org/TrojanHorse-TextOnly-May20-08.pdf
The Trojan Horse metaphor is used here to describe the under-handed way (granting of a community forest license) of entering the watersheds to log someday in the not too distant future.
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 5
From: Elphinstone Logging Focus [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2016 3:52 PM To: Bruce Milne; Noel Muller; Darren Inkster
Cc: Information Request Subject: Wilson Watershed in pictures
Dear Mayor Milne and Council,
Further to our October 31st letter outlining concerns of (proposed) logging in the Wilson
Creek Watershed, please see attached 3 Goggle Earth images showing the Chanterelle and
Wilson Refuge Forest in relation to the larger area. Some of the landscape overlaps with
the Chapman to the west and the Elphinstone Forests to the east.
As the saying goes: "A picture is worth a 1,000 words".
When I look down down over this area, the landscapes conveys a message on a personal
level from "Holy Smokes this area has been nuked.", to: "The rest of these forests I'm
looking down at should be preserved."
What kind of "scape" are we creating on this lower Coast? A landscape balanced between
sustainable logging, habitat needs, recreation pursuits, First Nation respect of traditional
lands, wildcrafting for the long-term OR, cutting out the "cuts & feathers" of a valley
leading to a "clearcut landscape".
It would be a shame for this Council to support and uphold the logging out of the
Chanterelle and Refuge Forests.
Lets do the right thing for these areas that we share in this SCRD.
We look forward to you point of view.
Best Regards,
Ross Muirhead
Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF)
P.S. See link to Vancouver Sun article that encourages elected bodies to find solutions to
logging protest stand offs:
http://vancouversun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-victoria-must-intervene-in-renewed-war-
in-the-woods
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 6
www.loggingfocus.org
October 31, 2016 Dear Mayor Milne and Council, We are writing regarding the logging plans of the Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) in the Wilson Creek watershed. As sole owners of SCCF, the District of Sechelt has a responsibility to the larger Sunshine Coast for the potential impact of SCCF’s clearcut logging activities that would undermine the last hope of retaining any bio-diversity, and hydrological integrity in this watershed. Currently, to the best of our knowledge, there are 5 SCCF’s cutblocks planned in the Wilson Creek Watershed. We find this unacceptable for the following reasons: · The proposed cut blocks are located in the Roberts Creek planning area, and the Roberts Creek Official Community Plan (adopted by the SCRD as Bylaw 641) calls for much of this area to be included in the proposed Mt. Elphinstone Park expansion area. Both the SCRD and the Shishalh First Nation have officially opposed further logging within the proposed Park (protected) area. · A 2015 study of this area by Wayne McCrory, RPBio (one of Canada’s leading conservation biologists) concludes that “further clearcut logging and associated roading is the greatest threat to the rich biodiversity of the Elphinstone study area and should not be allowed to continue”. · The Chanterelle Forest (EW 028) and these other blocks are some of the most productive mushroom growing and harvesting areas remaining on the Coast, and therefore contribute annually and sustainably to our local economy. · Wilson Creek has a productive wild salmon run, and the watershed has been extensively logged in the past, with less than 10% of the natural forest cover remaining which affects downstream water flows by creating a deadly combination of flash floods, or contributing to low water flows. The remaining natural forests in the Wilson Creek watershed are an irreplaceable natural and economic asset for the entire Sunshine Coast and need to be protected. For good reason, we’re requesting the District of Sechelt take the ethical and environmentally responsible action and permanently remove these blocks from SCCF’s future cutblock planning. Standing by to hear from you next on this important subject. Yours truly, Ross Muirhead Hans Penner
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 7
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 8
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 9
From: Aspenne [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2016 9:48 PM To: Bruce Milne
Cc: Kuppers, Haley Mem:Ex; nicholas simons; [email protected]; Council; Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN; Douglas Smith; Nina Haedrich; Greg Horning
Subject: Re: Night noise, again
Bruce, we appreciate the detailed reply.
I truly hope this will be the answer to the long and delayed investigation into the disruptive noise
problem, especially at night.
We are also going to test for the sound levels in some of the various homes particularly bothered
by the night noise. It will be interesting to compare our results with the "sound engineer's."
That being said, the noise continued throughout the day today. I went out at 4:00 PM and was
glad to get away from it. It remains true that the noise inside the homes is worse than outside, so
obviously it is being transmitted through the ground.
Look forward to more -
Anthea
On Nov 14, 2016, at 9:34 PM, Bruce Milne <[email protected]> wrote:
Anthea, I am sorry I was unable to respond to your first e-mail of Friday afternoon (Penne – Milne, Kuppers 11/11/2016 1:25 PM). However, I am now back on line and in ‘normal’ response mode. I was able to monitor subsequent exchanges on Saturday and Sunday and, like Scott, was out on Sunday afternoon for a real time check of noise in Sechelt. On Sunday afternoon I was able to visit two beach access points on Marmot Drive, a number of sites close to the perimeter of the mine site and locations across the bay. I noted the hydro work near the entrance gate to the mine site and, must say, that the sound of the truck obscured any other sounds arising from the site. Similarly, at other observation points, the sound of wind in cedars, rain, or the seaplanes were all at a decibel level to make listening for any other sounds in the background near impossible. Having said that, there were a few moments when the various pulsating patterns that are causing the most concern could be discerned. As you all know, I have been trying to keep an open mind in terms of the source of any noise as the evidence repeatedly demonstrates that the mine site is very unlikely to be ‘ground zero.’ In that context, the more recent references to ‘infrasonic’ vibrations are very useful and draw our attention to other potential sources of the noise – electric substations; the pulp mill at Cedar/Duke Point; perhaps, even the nuclear zone in Nanoose Bay. Infrasonic waves can be heard over very great distances. As they travel through different media (water, gravel, rock, etc.) they distort and may well create more ‘edge’ than at the source. That is, they may start as a very pure wave and as they travel and distort the sound
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 10
will become more complex. The same infrasonic wave may thus sound ‘different’ at various points and places, although the pattern will remain similar. I actually have one other very interesting lead. Working on another noise file, the District of Sechelt Bylaw Officer has met an individual with significant experience with sound. He was described as a ‘sound engineer’ but I have not actually met or reviewed his qualifications at this point. He has sufficiently sensitive equipment in his home to have recorded a number of ambient noises, including the low frequency pulsating pattern most often described by others. His equipment can isolate the frequency under review and play it back thus helping in verification. Early thinking is that this sound is, in fact, harmonics generated by 60/120/240 electricity from an industrial site in Sechelt. Our Bylaw Officer will continue working with him to identify and locate the source of sounds recorded by his equipment. This will take some time. However, I will keep you posted if any specific details become available. Of course, once a suitable relationship is established, we will ask the individual to consider expanding his work to assist others. Take care, Bruce From: Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: November-13-16 4:18 PM To: as penne
Cc: Bruce Milne; Kuppers, Haley Mem:Ex; nicholas simons; [email protected]; Council
Subject: Re: Night noise, again
Then this is a great trial because the only 'underground' things we might have are well pumps.
Currently also offline as I mentioned earlier.
I gave you a hint before in this vein, there apparently exists a culvert between your lot and your
neighbours. Seems like a corrugated or concrete pipe that was charged with runoff water and
rocks in an underground location is something you could evaluate too.
Scott Broughton, P.Eng.
Sechelt Mine Manager
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited - Sechelt Mine
5784 Sechelt Inlet Road
Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
tel: (604) 885-7595
cel: (604) 741-5981
email: [email protected]
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the
intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail. Any un-authorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 11
On Nov 13, 2016, at 3:51 PM, as penne <[email protected]> wrote:
Scott, we know this. The noise is from underground, not above ground. So somewhere
something is running that causes reverberation and vibration
Reread the quote from Barry Truax - he explains it well (and Bob Andres). They are saying that
the systems used to keep the operations equipment ready to go are what are likely causing the
infrasonic sounds. A rough translation, maybe, but that’s the gist of it.
Going offline now. More tomorrow. Hoping for a quiet night tonight….!
Anthea
On Nov 13, 2016, at 3:47 PM, Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN
<[email protected]> wrote:
While it is raining pretty hard at times I just toured your neighbourhood, then the park to the
north, then Swansons and stockwells, then Salish soils and back to Lehigh and I cannot relate to
the noise you describe as persistent and annoying. I do hear the occasional floatplane, then
vehicle wheels on wet roads and raging creeks with water. But nothing that compares or
competes with those in the background. As far as I can tell there is very little industrial work
going on (I mentioned the chainsaw on power poles) but when I can hear rain drops on leaves of
trees and almost nothing else I'm not sure how to relate. Further, the power at Lehigh is
completely disconnected while that pole work is ongoing.
3:46p Sunday.
Scott Broughton, P.Eng.
Sechelt Mine Manager
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited - Sechelt Mine
5784 Sechelt Inlet Road
Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
tel: (604) 885-7595
cel: (604) 741-5981
email: [email protected]
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the
intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail. Any un-authorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.
On Nov 13, 2016, at 2:34 PM, as penne <[email protected]> wrote:
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 12
But as per Mr. Andres suggestion (in my last email) there are other systems running on site
24/7. It seems that would be a good place to start looking now.
And we appreciate that you are willing to continue the investigation, Scott. Perhaps it is time to
bring in outside specialists who deal with subversive noise issues since none of us have been able
to change anything?
A.
On Nov 13, 2016, at 2:27 PM, Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN
<[email protected]> wrote:
I have tried to be helpful and will continue, and so will attend if there is a group meeting at your
house. I am more than happy to do that but it doesn't discount the fact that we simply are not
active over the recent period.
Scott Broughton, P.Eng.
Sechelt Mine Manager
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited - Sechelt Mine
5784 Sechelt Inlet Road
Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
tel: (604) 885-7595
cel: (604) 741-5981
email: [email protected]
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the
intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail. Any un-authorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.
On Nov 13, 2016, at 2:23 PM, as penne <[email protected]> wrote:
Scott,
I can hear the noise now, yes, but it’s not as loud as it was last night. It’s more of a background
drone right now.
What do you think about coming over to hear for yourself when it’s really bad some day and/or
night? I would try to do it at a decent time rather than after 10:30 PM but that’s when it tends to
get louder.
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 13
I’d have to arrange to see whether Bruce, Doug or Nina could come at the same time so that we
have corroboration. Meanwhile I’m trying to find some high tech equipment to monitor and
document the noise heard at our end.
I’ve been in touch with several researchers at SFU and UBC as well as specialists familiar with
this kind of situation. Everyone we’ve spoken with says the same thing - the problem has to be
dealt with at the source. That is also what the WHO Guidelines made clear in their old study
(now being upgraded). Here are some quotes from correspondence:
Sound below 20 Hz is referred to as (infrasonic) vibration; it is difficult to control (since it passes through all
building materials and the earth) and even more difficult to measure. You can still sense it, particularly if you
lie in bed and 'feel' the vibration because of the physical contact with parts of the house itself. Susceptibility to
such intrusive sound is highly variable, and since it's so common in urban and industrial environments, there's
not a lot that can be done [except] at the source. (B. Truax)
and:
Low frequency noise is best remediated by reducing it at the source.
Here’s my supposition: Although operations are shut down after 11PM, it is likely that pumps must run
continuously – and this is what you are hearing. It appears more prominent when you lie down because it is
coming through the structure of your residence than through the air.
See if you can find out from Lehigh if this is the case – and/or what else could be running. We may be able to
help them ameliorate the condition if we know the source. (R. Andres)
I hope these excerpts from other experts will convince you we still have work to do, Scott.
Anthea
On Nov 13, 2016, at 11:05 AM, Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN
<[email protected]> wrote:
Back to step one then Anthea...
Do you hear the same nuisance noise now? Sunday 11am?
Scott Broughton, P.Eng.
Sechelt Mine Manager
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited - Sechelt Mine
5784 Sechelt Inlet Road
Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
tel: (604) 885-7595
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 14
cel: (604) 741-5981
email: [email protected]
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the
intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail. Any un-authorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.
On Nov 13, 2016, at 10:19 AM, as penne <[email protected]> wrote:
I think we’ve already realized this isn’t noise from production, Scott.
Anthea
On Nov 12, 2016, at 9:06 PM, Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN
<[email protected]> wrote:
I was at the mine at that time also. There was no production, I was in my office.
Scott Broughton, P.Eng.
Sechelt Mine Manager
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited - Sechelt Mine
5784 Sechelt Inlet Road
Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
tel: (604) 885-7595
cel: (604) 741-5981
email: [email protected]
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the
intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail. Any un-authorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.
On Nov 12, 2016, at 9:04 PM, Aspenne <[email protected]> wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply, Scott. I drove past the site today at approximately 1:00 PM when the
noise was very prominent and the gate was open. So presumably someone is there and what we
hear is something to do with a maintenance system.
Back to square one.....
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 15
Anthea
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
On Nov 12, 2016, at 8:57 PM, Broughton, Scott (Sechelt) CAN
<[email protected]> wrote:
We have no production now or at anytime today, or last night or at anytime during
Remembrance Day. You need to look further to resolve your problem.
Scott Broughton, P.Eng.
Sechelt Mine Manager
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited - Sechelt Mine
5784 Sechelt Inlet Road
Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0
tel: (604) 885-7595
cel: (604) 741-5981
email: [email protected]
Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited
This e-mail may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the
intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately
and delete this e-mail. Any un-authorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in
this e-mail is strictly forbidden.
On Nov 12, 2016, at 8:44 PM, Aspenne <[email protected]> wrote:
Scott,
You have indicated in the past that you welcome contact from us when the noise from Lehigh is
a problem. For the past 48 hours the noise has been both aggravating and invasive, since the
Thursday evening before Remembrance Day.
As a reminder, I am writing on behalf of a group of citizens. This problem is not evident only at
my home but at the homes of others in and around Sechelt.
It seems a workable solution to this ongoing problem has still not been found. We are interested
in knowing what might be the next step - could you let us know what you are considering ?
Anthea Penne, for
Concerned Citizens of Sechelt
District of Sechelt
Council Correspondence For the Week of
October 19 - October 25, 2016
Page 16
