Category: Quarterly Newsletter

Land and Water BC – dissolved

In July 2005, the Government announced that its Crown corporation, Land and Water BC was dissolved. We should not consider that the end of LWBC means the end of the project. We still need to be focused on continuing our opposition to this development proposal. We will update our web site with new information as it known.

Development Update

Chairman Barry Reid, calls the TNRD planning office weekly for a status on the rezoning application. No application has been received.

Local Lakekeepers

Thank you Gordon Marshall, Al & Marie Wallewein, Hiedi Ruegg and Ralph Watson, for monitoring the lake quality on Lac des Roches, Little Lac des Roches and Birch Lake.

Lake Stewardship Workshop held

On July 11, we held a workshop at the Bridge Lake School. Evidently, groups that monitor their lakes will be heard when voicing issues related to their lake. We also established a supportive contact with a member of Kamloops Ministry of Environment who has volunteered to lead our executive on a fish habitat survey of the development site this fall.

Administrative Reports

Fees and cash donations total $2612.56 to date. We have 118 members

… worth a thousand words

On a very cold and rainy July 2, members and their guests, huddled for warmth and for the cameras at the Lac des Roches Rest Stop. This photo will be submitted to 100 Mile Free Press and posted on our website.

New Contacts – Charlie Wyse

Since the BC cabinet restructuring, we have updated the contact list for the letter-writing campaign. Please write our newly elected (NDP) South Cariboo MLA with your concerns;

Charlie Wyse
Room 201 Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4
charlie.wyse.mla@leg.bc.ca

2005 Executive

Executive positions will be for a two-year term, as agreed at the 2005 AGM. We have expanded the size of the executive in 2005 to include volunteers wishing to be on the executive and to ensure there will be continuance of executive members when terms are up in August 2006. The 2005 executive and the year their term ends are:

Chairman	Barry Reid	2006
Vice Chairman	Bryson Kerr	2006
Media Relations	Bill Jollymore	2006
Membership	Gordon Marshall	2006
Secretary-Treasurer	Sharron Woloshyn	2006
Members at Large:	Madeline Kerr	2006
	Wendy Marshall	2006
(new)	Lorraine Jollymore	2007
(new)	Al Wallewein	2007
(new)	Marie Wallewein	2007
(new)	Ralph Watson	2007
(new)	Heidi Ruegg	2007

Annual General Meeting

Our annual review report listed our activities as they related to our stated objectives. A copy will be sent to members and posted on our website.

Regional Boundary Change

The executive spent July comparing the Shoreline Guidelines of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) and the Cariboo Regional District (CRD). To sum up our findings, the CRD stated objectives are environmentally focused whereas the TNRD document seems to be developmentfocused. For this reason, the executive is acting on the offer of the CRD to put forth an application to the BC Government to alter the Regional Boundary line from through Lac des Roches. We are asking for property owner input into this idea as the impact extends beyond our membership. By September 14, our CRD representative will have our letter, asking that the CRD include all of Lac des Roches, Birch Lake and Phinetta Lake as these three lakes all share the same sensitive watershed.

Our focus

We have opportunities to become involved in other activities related to the lake, but we have confirmed our commitment to focusing on the development. We appreciate all the input and ideas we receive from our members and we hope they keep coming as we continue our monitoring of the development status. We will not proceed with an acquisition plan at this time, as it is not realistic to expect LWBC to entertain our application when they have a sale under negotiation.

Lakekeepers

The ice is off, and we are monitoring the lake. Temperature, clarity and weather conditions are being taken at four different locations by our members; Rock Island, Little Lac des Roches, Lac des Roches Outlet and Birch Lake. If you would like to volunteer to take weekly readings while you are in the area, contact Gordon Marshall at 593-2327. For our members out of town, we are excited to report that the water level is significantly higher than it has been in the last few years.

Logging …

For the interest of our members, there is considerable logging happening at Cottage Country Estates (above the Rest Stop). This logging is on private land but is scrutinized by the Ministry of Land Water and Air Protection. We are assured that none of the area streams or ponds are inhabited by fish, and since the property is quite far from the lake, there should be no adverse affect on Lac des Roches.

Administrative Reports

Funds generated to date are $900 from memberships and $1,560 from cash donations. Our ongoing administrative expenses are minimal, mostly website maintenance. Currently, we are 111 members strong!

Float-about

5 members braved the cold wind on Sunday, May 22 to tour the Lac des Roches side (and larger portion) of the development proposal. Our findings will be used for our intervention at the rezoning meeting.

Website

We are continually updating our website, and our support person has improved the look of many of the pages. We are posting all of the published articles on our “Articles” page. We will soon have a map on the website as well. We are still expecting submission for the “Around Our Lakes” page from our members. There are some true samples there for your enjoyment.

Media – Petitions

652 names were sent on our petition to the Premier and the Minister of Water Land and Air Protection. We continue to collect signatures through our web site for a future submission.

Publicity

Our message is traveling throughout the province. Bill Jollymore has attended the Kamloops Outdoor Show and the BC Federation of Fly Fishers AGM in Vernon to speak about the development and gain support. We also provided a group interview and received front page coverage in the Kamloops Daily News. See the web site for the article details. We have information pamphlets and novelty web site reminders for the general public near the Rest Stop on Lac des Roches.

All Candidates meeting

Members attended all candidates meetings for the Cariboo and Kamloops areas. We found that most of the questions to the candidates were focused on health care and school spending, however we were able to get some questions in about the development at the Cariboo meeting.

Announcement

It is with sadness that we mention the passing of Wayne Suggitt, a member of “Friends” and a resident of Lac des Roches. Wendy Suggitt has served on our executive since conception, but has resigned her position as she may be leaving the Cariboo. We wish to thank Wendy for her assistance and send our best wishes!

Petition Repetition

Have you signed a petition yet? If not, we need your signature. Better still, why not go to the website and print off a copy of our petition. You and 19 of your friends and family (age of majority) will fill one page of the petition. We need these by mid April for delivery to the premier’s office prior to the May election. We are asking for our member’s help to set up and man petition signing tables at central locations between Birch Lake and 100 Mile House. If you can spare a few hours in February or March please contact Bill at 250-593-9305.

No rezoning meeting yet …

No news or date on a rezoning meeting yet. We are collecting data and following up on any suggestions provided from the membership that may help our position.

Administrative Reports

Funds generated to date are $880 from memberships and $1,540 from cash donations. Currently, we are 108 members strong!

Water ‘n Wildlife

The lakekeepers program was developed by the BC Lake Stewardship Society. This group is dedicated to keeping data to maintain and preserve lakes in BC. We will become a group member of this society to gain their support in collecting data on Birch Lake and Lac des Roches. We are asking members for their assistance in the collection of data. Most of the data is related to water temperature, levels, turbidity and pH and will require a boat ride out on the lake and using special instruments. If you can take readings, please contact Barry at 250-593-4964.

We also wish to keep track of other significant events, such as wildlife sightings. We need members to send us details to our contact email on the website. The contents of your emails will be recorded and posted as data to be shared with other members.

Talk About a Walkabout.

We will be hosting a nature walkabout of the crown land in the development proposal this spring for the purpose of collecting environmental data of the area. Dick Cannings, well-known bird expert will be making his annual trip to Lac des Roches and will add his knowledge to our environmental inventory. The day will also include an outdoor bbq and group photograph. Although the date is not set, be ready to join us, probably on a Saturday, possibly the first one in June

Parking Lot or Park

Our research into making application on the subject crown land for an alternative purpose such as a wildlife reserve or park has resulted in an unexpected roadblock. Societies must be incorporated, and the related expense of this would exceed $750 annually for registering, audit review and insurance. In addition, the application fee for community land (such as a park) costs $250. Subsequent advertising would exceed $100. Since our application for the crown land must go to the same office that has originated the development proposal, we feel that this may put us in an adversarial position with LWBC. The executive feels that at this time, we should not pursue an application for the crown land on behalf of the society, reserving our funds for longer term needs. How do the members feel about this position? Should we proceed with the application. ? ? ?

Happy Fish & Fishing

Luca and Laura Lanzoni of the Lac des Roches Resort are planning on developing a spawning channel on their land. Although many of our members and area residents will personally support this initiative, your executive would like feedback from the membership on the likelihood of our organization supporting this initiative. Please let us know your thoughts. ? ? ?

Welcome!

Thank you to all of our new members for joining our organization. Your membership fees will be used to fund our identified initiatives such as mail-outs, banners, and our informational web site. Receipts for membership fees and cash donations are available on request from our Treasurer. Monthly meetings for the general membership are held at the Bridge Lake School at 7 pm, on the last Wednesday of every month (except this December). These are working meetings as well as information exchange opportunities. If you are unable to attend the general meeting, contact an executive member or send your correspondence to the organization at the address below.

Financial Report

As of our November meeting, we have collected $610 in membership fees and received $840 in donations. Our expenses to date have been minimal. Any expenditure requirements greater than $250 will be brought to a general meeting for approval.

But what can I do?

Members and non-members can get involved in the opposition to the proposed development;

• write letters of opposition
• add your name to our petition
• voice your opposition to others

Members can lead the direction of our group, through their vote, in our organized methods of opposition as an official intervener.

www.lacdesroches.org

Thanks to the efforts of our chairman, Barry Reid and the technical expertise of a local grade 12 student Melanie Endel, we have our web site. This site is intended to provide members and non-members with ongoing information. If you have ideas or input for the content, please let us know.

Best Friends

Special thanks to our many “Friends” who have contributed cash donations, merchandise and personal services to our cause. Thanks also to the Bridge Lake Community School for providing our meeting space in the library.

In the Zone

Apparently, since this proposed development is by a provincial ministry (Lands & Water BC), the entire rezoning process can be circumvented. A letter received in November from LWBC indicates that all those who signed into one of the public meetings, and our organization, will be notified of any LWBC hosted meetings regarding this development – expected to be held in Kamloops.

Sign on the dotted line

The petitions are out there for your signature. Located around the area, in 100 Mile House and Kamloops. Your signature on a petition will provide another valuable tool for our voice to be heard as an intervener. Bridge Lake Store, Sheridan Lake Store, and Lac des Roches Resort are some of the nearest locations. There will also be a manned booth, at times, at the Lac des Roches rest stop – this is the first year it is being cleared of snow

Information Overload

In order to raise awareness of this proposed development, Bill Jollymore, media director, has sent press releases to area and provincial media personnel (radio and print). Bill also provided an interview on a Kamloops radio show. Barry Reid, our chairman, submitted an article that was published in a Clearwater newspaper. We may use ideas from member’s letters for future press releases so we would appreciate copies of your correspondence.