Matt Treit, the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s manager of protective services, who is responsible for overseeing the emergency program, the SCRD fire departments and bylaw enforcement, spoke to the Elphinstone Community Association meeting about fire protection. Matt is relatively new to the Coast, arriving here last summer after working as the fire chief in Tumbler Ridge, followed by a stint as protective services coordinator in Coldstream. He explained that the SCRD has applied for a grant to develop a community wildfire protection plan; we are one of the last communities to get such a plan due to our maritime climate, but in this age of climate change, things are changing quickly. Treit showed a map of the community indicating the fire risk areas – the northern part of the Coast has some particularly dry areas that are in the red zone. He encourages residents to go online to learn about reducing danger from wildfires, at firesmartbc.ca.
With the recent collapse of a section of Lower Road and the debris from stream runoff landing on the beach at the end of the esplanade, the problems of collapsing infrastructure after excessive rain was a hot topic at the meeting. This is exacerbated by lack of proper mapping of streams, so there is not accurate information about where the many streams running from Mount Elphinstone flow and how they have been modified. Following up on a meeting with MLA Nicholas Simons about the Reed Road Forest, a motion was made and passed for the ECA to send a letter to Forests Minister Doug Donaldson about the community’s wish to preserve this heritage forest (DL 1313) for its many values, including being a buffer against flooding and erosion.
ECA chair Ron Neilson attended the reopening of historic Granthams Hall last week and got to ride a shuttle bus from Shirley Macy Park to the hall, where parking is limited. He learned that it was built by volunteers in 1931 as a church, and became a community hall in 1943. Shut down since 2015, the community embarked upon a fundraising campaign to restore their beloved hall.
Interested in eelgrass and its important role in the marine eco-system? Check out the report by Fiona Beaty and Dianne Sanford at gibsons.civicweb.net/document/74728/
The second annual Lantern Festival will be held at Cedar Grove Elementary on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. With a space theme, this year’s festival is called Galactic Glow and there will be live music by Alien Abduction – of course! Along with games, UFO-themed lanterns and even a laser maze, there will be another enchanting illuminated forest walk, tasty food available for purchase from a Mexican food truck and desserts by Alder Leaf Cakes – yum! Everyone is welcome and admission is free, so come out for some fun and support our local school.
Pass along your community news: elphin@coastreporter.net
