Oct. 3 meeting to protect last remaining natural foreshore in Vancouver

We just received this notice and pass it on to CityHallWatch readers.

Urgent public meeting to protect the last remaining natural foreshore in Vancouver
Wed. Oct. 3, 2012, start 7:30 pm
Kitsilano Sailing Club (just west of Kits Showboat on path)
(Corrected venue: Not the Jericho Sailing Club.)
Organizer: Point Grey Natural Foreshore Protective Society
You are welcome to visit Facebook page to indicate you’ll attend:
http://www.facebook.com/events/247214235401412/

Keep the most vital remaining natural foreshore in Vancouver wild.

It is being proposed by some that we extend the seawall over the most important remaining natural foreshore in the city of Vancouver – the area between Kitsilano and Jericho Beaches. This seawall proposal is a particularly bad idea – both for mother earth and for people.  We are talking about a very fragile ecosystem here.

A geologist,  marine biologist, birder and engineer will explain the natural and historic wonders of this special place and also tell us about the impacts of an invasive built structure on the foreshore.  They will remind us that there is an entire interconnecting ecosystem here starting from the micro-organisms that form the bases of the food-web and working the way up through the kelps and seaweeds, to the sand fleas and crabs that feed the smelts, the herring, the salmon and ultimately we hope, sufficient food to ensure a return of the whales to Burrard Inlet.  They will tell us tales of the mighty sandstone and shale cliffs –how they incubate and harbour life such as grasses and seaweeds through their freshwater seepage of nutrients from land to sea.

Experts have stated that this area is an important haven of significant geological features and a repository for marine, botanical and bird life.  They have concluded that this is a very fragile ecosystem that would not do well with any type of seawall or walkway.  The impact on the living foreshore organisms would be too great.   The impact of damage to one part of the foreshore would ripple all the way through the food-web throughout the whole area.

In addition to preserving this fragile and important ecosystem, it’s also about having a wilderness experience in the heart of a big city. A place where people can go to be in a quiet, reflective space that parallels being hundreds of miles away in a remote ocean location.  We cannot stress too strongly how important it is to have diversity within the foreshore in our city.  Kits Beach and Jericho Beach are very high impact use areas.  We also need to have a low impact area to ensure that we can have a rural experience in the heart of a big city.

We have 22 kilometres of seawall in Vancouver where people can walk along a seawall.  It’s crucial to save the remaining mile as a quiet, calm and reflective natural area.

 PLEASE COME TO THIS IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING TO BOTH LEARN AND TO GIVE SUPPORT.  BRING YOUR FRIENDS!!

For further information please contact:
Mel Lehan: mel.lehan22 [at] gmail.com or
Doug Hawrish: douglas.hawrish [at] yahoo.com

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