January 21 2018: Two derelict boats torn loose from their moorings and blown ashore near Nymph Point Park in Tsehum Harbour

In the storm of January 21, 2018 two derelict boats in Tsehum Harbour broke away from their moorings and came ashore near Nymph Point Park.  Fortunately there was no fuel spilled, but ground-up particles of toxic anti-fouling bottom paint are not good for intertidal creatures and the physical an legal efforts required to remove and deal with the boats are significant. The boats have since been removed.  FOSH believes that local municipal governments can claim the authority to “manage” moored boats along their foreshores. The  municipality of Central Saanich is developing  a mooring plan for Brentwood Bay. Good idea, we think. Such a plan is needed for Tsehum Harbour. Putting one in place  for Tsehum Harbour (part of the 1931 Migratory Bird Sanctuary) is more complicated because the foreshore of  Tsehum Harbour spans two municipalities, Sidney and North Saanich.  FOSH actively encourages the Town of Sidney and the District of North Saanich to develop a joint, integrated management plan for Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Coming together on the issue of moored boats would be a good place to start.

We wrote a letter ( moored boats in Tsehum Harbour  )

Looking north along the shore of Roberts Bay. The trees on the left are the “Heron Trees” at 10383 Allbay Road in Sidney. Blue herons nested here in 2017 and successfully raised two chicks. In the background of the photo is a skyline typical of the foreshore of the Migratory Bird Sanctuary – 100+ year old firs seeded in from the old-growth forest of per settlement times.

A resident of Sidney living on Allbay Road (a road that follows the shoreline of Roberts Bay) alerted us about a possible redevelopment at 10383 Allbay Road, a waterfront property with three foreshore Douglas Fir trees known to shelter Blue Herons (see the September 4, 2017 post, “Heron Nest in Roberts Bay”). Her concern was that careless redevelopment could harm the trees and she quoted legislation protecting herons and their nesting sites.  We shared  the resident’s concern for the abovementioned foreshore trees in particular and more generally for the care and protection of what remains of Sidney’s urban forest ( protecting foreshore trees  ).  Application had indeed been made for the redevelopment of 10383 Allbay Road.  We received a reply from Mr. Tanton, Director of Development Services,…, saying that the “Heron Trees” would be protected from the disturbances of construction on that site by a fence located 7.6m  inshore form the natural boundary (seawall) and that the three trees qualified as “Protected Trees” under Sidney’s Tree Preservation Bylaw.