Hi all,
We invite you to join us to come out to Duck Bay on Savary Island for a Broom Bash! Join our South Coast Conservation Field Crew for a hands-on day in the field removing invasive scotch broom. After the work is done, we\'ll be on the beach roasting smokies and s\'mores over a broom bonfire 🔥🌿
🗓️ Tuesday, December 3, 2024
🕐 12:00 - 3:00 pm
📍 Duck Bay, Savary Island
To attend, please register here:
[https://bit.ly/4fzb2qv](https://bit.ly/4fzb2qv)
Gloves and loppers will be provided, but you are welcome to bring what works for you. Don\'t forget your raingear, water bottle & sturdy footwear. We can\'t wait to see you there! 🌱
For any questions, feel free to comment or email Laura at lholt@naturetrust.bc.ca

Inside this Edition....
1. ASIC Potluck End of Summer Party
2. Traffic Counter Project
3. Savary Island Community Plan
4. IP Boat Ramp Update
1. ASIC Potluck End of Summer Party
Thanks to everyone who attended our end of summer party. We had a lot of fun and good conversation and plan to make this an annual event.

2. Traffic Counter Project
We completed the final data collection of traffic on October 4th and are currently waiting on final results from the City of Powell River.

3. Savary Island Community Plan
The qRD has entered into the Phase 2 Planning stage of updating the Savary Island Community Plan which they hope to have completed by mid 2025. This topic has become front and centre over recent days and has created a stir of emotions amongst property owners on social media platforms, and rightfully so. There has been a very well thought out and researched informational document circulating about the implications of the Tetra Tech Slope Hazard report should it ever be used in a future Land Use Regulation introduced by the Regional District under the Local Government Act. This has been dismissed as \"fake news\". It is not fake and very carefully describes a scenario we could face sometime in the near future.

At heart of the controversy is the Slope Hazard Study completed by Tetra Tech last year and the associated set back recommendations in three defined Hazard Zones around the perimeter of Savary Island. An important thing to note here is that an individual lot setback is also based upon the qRD Coastal Flood Mapping report, prepared by Tetra Tech in 2021. This report forecasts potential future coastal flooding and erosion in the year 2100 and it projects a 1 meter sea level rise around Savary Island. The set back recommendations in the slope hazard study references this \"2100 natural boundary\" as the basis for set back calculations for individual lots in each of the three defined hazard zones around Savary Island. The recommended set backs are as follows:

1) Red Zone - greater of 15 m or 2 x slope height + 2100 natural boundary offset
2) Yellow Zone - greater of 15 m or 1.5 x slope height + 2100 natural boundary offset
3) Green Zone - greater of 15 m or slope height + 2100 natural boundary offset

As an example, a 150 foot lot on the high bank slope of 140 feet, and a Natural Boundary Offset of 130 feet results in the following setback calculation: 130 feet NBO +280 feet (2 x slope height) = 410 feet!

Use the following link to access the full Tetra Tech Slope Hazard study report and determine if your lot falls within one of the hazard zones and what your potential setback could be:

Slope Hazard: https://www.qathet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2023_Savary-Island-Slope-Hazard-Study.pdf

So what does this all mean ? When questioned by ASIC, the qRD has gone on record and stated they are not working on a zoning bylaw and regulations in the current Community Plan review. However , they did state in an October 13th 2023 Planning report , repeated in the Powell River Peak on November 30th of last year , that the qRD board has accepted the Tetra Tech Slope Hazard study as an important background study for the upcoming official community plan review and update process . If they include this report in the OCP update it does pave the way for future Land Use Regulation and bylaws and those regulations would be bound by the contents of the community plan. If this were to happen , many lots around the perimeter of Savary Island and many inland lots close to these perimeter lots would be classified as \"non conforming\". This could potentially severely restrict the use of your property and kill a lot of dreams of owning a home on our beautiful island paradise. We have to ask ourselves about the potential personal financial impacts as well, such as the impact on property value and insurance costs.

We know this may not apply directly to Savary Island, but the BC Government announced in 2014 that all land contracts between government and owners would be phased out and eliminated by June 30th, 2024 and to be replaced by zoning bylaws to govern land use in the province. This is a small excerpt from their website:

\"A local government must not hold a public hearing if a proposed zoning bylaw is consistent with the official community plan (OCP) in effect for the area. Where there is not consistency with the OCP, a local government must hold a public hearing on a proposed zoning bylaw, including amendments to the bylaw.\"

So what our next steps? It feels like we have a bit of a fight on our hands. When looking at public opinion recently , via social media and community discussion, we see a small number of property owners pushing for more restricted land use and a majority , large number of property owners are adamantly against it. Most property owners understand the need to manage erosion issues on Savary, but using an individual\'s private property to achieve it is very wrong. Ultimately, we need to question the validity of the Tetra Tech Slope Hazard report and whether it should be included as part of the OCP review and update.

The qRD has a community survey live until October 31st. Please complete this as soon as you can. The survey is a little vague and does not cover the Slope Hazard report but you can certainly use the comment sections to ask about the underlying impacts. Use this link to access the survey:

qRD Survey: https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=2CA36F04-8B7E-41B5-BC84-FF3781094DF9

We will be asking the qRD another series of questions tomorrow (October 25th) and asking for comments before the survey ends. We will also be working on an official position to be sent to the qRD on behalf of the entire community . The questions are as follows:

1) is the qRD intending to use last years Tetra Tech slope hazard study and the associated set back recommendations in the Savary Island Community Plan?

2) if this Study is included and adopted into the community plan, would any future And Use Regulation be bound by the community plan ?

3) will the qRD be referencing the Thurber Report which was a large part of the 2006 OCP?

4) would the qRD be willing to explain potential impacts to property owners in each of the three hazard zones if and before its included in the community plan ?

5) is the qRD considering a Land Use Regulation after the community plan review and update is finalized and adopted?

We really need to make our voice heard and heard loud as we go through the next phases of the OCP review and update. If these recommendations go forward , many property owners will face a lot of risk to their properties becoming useless and worthless.

Send Comments to: asic@savaryisland.ca


4. IP Boat Ramp Replacement

Repairs to the IP Boat Ramp are now complete.

Work on the IP Boat ramp took place on October 1 and 2. Patrick Devereaux, the qRD Manager of Operational Services, reported that costs of removing and disposing of the old ramp were going to be enormous. They were also going to be required to do an archaeological assessment/supervision contract and and environmental monitoring and permitting required by DFO. The existing ramp, while ugly in parts was still solid and useful as a supporting base for the top up. The Management Plan for the lease required the RD to maintain the current footprint.

The costs is yet to be determined as some of the work in the estimated did not occur due the changes noted above.


Your ASIC Directors,
Bud, Doug, Joan, Catherine, Jennifer, and Wayne

Please send comments or questions to asic@savaryisland.ca

Website: http://www.savaryisland.ca/asic


Our mailing address is:
Association of the Savary Island Committee
PO Box 222
Savary Island, BC V0N 2G0
Canada

From Noon Tomorrow, Thursday 10 October

\"BURN PILES\" ALLOWED

Tree Faller available on Savary Island
Kim - 250- 703 -3076

Savary Island

Reminder
No Campfires or Barkyard Burns are allowed.
Starting October 1st Campfires will be allowed.

Savary

A famous person once said, \"let\'s move to the forest and cut down some trees\". Another said, \"maybe the tree is the view\". Consider your neighbour, consider the tree. Think before you cut.

Savary

Stolen motor and paint
Wed. Sept 25 at 10 AM I .Left a 3 HP upright Honda Pump motor and a gallon of white paint in the shed at the end of the dock. I returned at 1 PM to get the 130 water taxi. The motor and paint were gone. After two days I assume these items to be stolen. Replacement cost of the engine is over 1000.00. Is a GX 100 seriel # GCAGK 1007052. Any information that could lead to the recovery of these items would be appreciated.
John Mcintyre 604 319 0277 j.mac@telus.net

New upgrades to Powell River Airport, allow for night flights & larger planes. So would expect more options in next few years.

Chlorination
Saturday Sept 21
This message is for LOWER SYSTEM Property Owners in Savary Shores Improvement District. To determine if your property is in the Lower System, please see the BLUE properties shown on SSID\'s System Map.

Today, September 20, water samples from the Lower System showed background colonies. These are not harmful, but they do indicate an environment in which harmful bacteria could settle, and this is the 3rd time in 2 months that the colonies have been present. Flushing with water worked temporarily, but now the environment must be sterilized with a flush of chlorine, in the form of sodium hypochlorite 12%.

SSID\'s System Operator will do the chlorination tomorrow Saturday September 21 at noon. The procedure will take about 2 hours, and there will be chlorine in the water that will last a few days. The amount of chlorine at your tap will be within the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines.

To clear the chlorine taste, we suggest you run your tap for at least 5 minutes, and leave tap water on the counter in an open carafe for a few hours or until the chlorine smell dissipates. Citric acid neutralizes chlorine so a little squeeze of lemon works as well. As more people use the water, the chlorine will be less.

Alternatively, you may wish to store enough untreated water for drinking, cooking, washing, and brushing teeth for a period of 2 days when the chlorine taste is strongest at the tap.

If you require more information, please contact SSID\'s Administrator at 604-414-8448 or administrator@savaryshoreswater.ca and see our FAQs at savaryshoreswater.ca/chlorine-flush-faqs

Van City seaplanes

We have space leaving Savary Thursday September 12th at 1pm.
Please go to our website to book or give us a call at 604 716 0536
Thanks !