Category Archives: Meeting Notes

FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED
MEETING NOTES
2 MARCH, 2016

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.

Present: Michael and Lori Derry, Audrey Barnes, Winona Pugh, Joanne Delage, Pat Carfra, Woody Thomson, Bernie Bowker, Mary Haig-Brown.

Regrets: Sherron MacPherson

1. Adoption of Agenda

2.  Adoption of Meeting Notes of 6 January, 2016

3.  Treasurer’s report:

• Balance as of 1 Jan. $1462.81
  Plus 2 mon. interest .06
  Balance 2 March, 2015 $1462.87

4.  Announcements:

• EDPA discussions are still going on. Committee of the Whole Meeting may be on Wednesday, March 16 at Pearkes Field House.    http://www.saanich.ca/living/natural/planning/edpa.html
• for more EDPA info:  http://protectsaanichenvironment.weebly.com
• Email: protectsaanichenvironment@gmail.com
• Letter of thanks sent to Goldstream Volunteer Enhancement Association for their gift of 4500 coho smots for Tod Creek.  Visit this group at:  http://www.gvsea.com    
• Letter of support for PSS sent to PSF for grant application to fund the completion of last year’s work on Flats and monitoring device for fish counting.
• The Pacific Salmon Foundation can be found here:  https://www.psf.ca
• A letter of thanks was received from Lana Popham, MLA, for our work in getting the creek ready for the coho.  Open link here to read the letter:  http://www.todcreekwatershed.ca/community-partners
• Reminder of the dates for the Broom Bashes with The Green Team. April 3oth for South Prospect Lake Park and May 14th for Maltby Lake. We will have a site visit before each of these events to choose exact areas to be worked on. Mary to send out notice when these dates are set.
• There is to be a work party with Wendy Tyrell of HAT on covenanted property on Goward Road. The date has not yet been set.
• An email from Jenny Eastman re Haliburton Tour and Grass Identificaton Workshop.  The Grass workshop will be good to do before the Goward Road work party.  Workshop details can be found here: http://www.todcreekwatershed.ca/announcements
• Restoration sites in Tod Creek Watershed on public land. The list was sent to Kitty Lloyd of CRD. Sites are: Trevlac Ponds, Eastlake Road, Whitehead Park. Lohr Road, Gowlland Tod Park (Butchart’s Fishway and the beach at the inlet). I should have mentioned South Prospect Lake Park.
• Wetlands Workshop in Parksville, Friday April 22 to Sunday April 24. See www.bcwf.bc.ca for more details and to sign up.  http://www.bcwf.bc.ca
• The Saanich Inlet Protection Society will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Sunday, March 13 from 4:15 pm to 5pm.   Brentwood Bay Community Hall, 7082 Wallace Drive.  Dr. Eoin Flynn B.Sc., PhD, MBA will speak on Liquified Natural Gas Facilities and Tankers in Saanich Inlet from 2:30 to 4pm. The AGM will follow at 4:15 pm.
  Those wishing further information or to join the Board of Directors, please contact: 250-480-9292 or email francespugh48@yahoo.com.

5. Projects:

• Interpretive sign for Tod Flats. The sign is to be 30 inches wide and 50 inches tall. Site is chosen, Saanich to prepare site, provide stand, bike racks, sign printing, create platform with gravel surfacing for a Total of $8,450. I have asked for a price for them to provide concrete etc. for installation. Carmel, Winona and Lori are working on content and design. Michael Derry will do the concrete work if necessary.
•  Tod Flats – PSS has applied to PSF for funds to complete the job started last year and to install fish monitoring equipment. RFCPP has not called for more proposals.
• Whitehead Park – Evergreen has been working on the ivy on the west side. I have asked for more mulch and chips to dress the plants and add to the trails. These should be delivered this week. Everyone is invited to come to Whitehead on Monday, 7 March, at 9:30 to help us develop plans for the next steps. Just tell us what you think needs dong and we will try to make it happen.  http://www.evergreen.ca/about/

6.  Lake Stewardship

• Winona – Plant sampling will take place again in late July. Secchi disc reading will be done at the same time. Plant samples are taken to RBCM for identification and storage in order to build up a picture of change in growth over time.  Please visit:  http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

7.  Maltby Lake

• Woody reports the 6% still needs to be saved. FMLWS are working on this but are still waiting for their Registered Charity Number so they can give tax receipts to donors. For the May 14th event there is lots of ivy as well as broom. We will arrange a site visit in early May to pick site(s) to work on.
• Visit:  http://maltbylake.com

8. Web site and Facebook page

•  Lori is just back from Hawaii and ready to start posting again.

9. Heritage

•  Winona says Mosi’s has Heritage photos which could be rotated. There is some confusion about who owns the photos. Winona and Lori are talking with Mosi’s to sort this out and get the rotating display active again.

10.   Next Meeting May 4th.   Location: Lori and Michael’s.

 

 

FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED
MEETUNG NOTES
6 JANUARY, 2016

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.

Present: Michael Derry, Pat Carfra, Wil Shulba, Winona Pugh, Woody Thomson, Lori James Derry, Audrey Barnes, Carmel Thomson, Mary Haig-Brown

Regrets: Sherron MacPherson, Frances Hunter, Janet Williams, Joanne Delage, Bernie Bowker

Adoption of Agenda

Adoption of Meeting Notes of 4 November, 2015

Treasurer’s report:  Joanne says, “Hopefully we can spend some of it soon.”

Announcements:

EDPA (Environmental Development Permit Area)
a) An Economic Study is being conducted by G.P. Rollo & Associates at Saanich’s request. I have been asked on behalf of FTCW to meet with them on 22 January.
b) A group called Saanich Advocates for the Environment (SAFE) has been formed to gather information about the effects of the EDPA and present it to the public. Winona, Mary and Carmel have attended the inaugural meeting. A web site is being built. A face book page called “Protect Saanich Environment” is also in the works.
c) A proposal for a PhD dissertation – Wil Shulba would like to start a PhD by September. He will be looking at the work being done to restore a salmon (coho) run in Tod Creek in largely community initiated project. Tentative chapter headings are: Community Support, Mapping of potential spawning grounds, Restoring habitat and Sustainability.
d) Green Team – Time to book dates. We have booked Saturday, April 30th for South Prospect Lake broom removal and Saturday, May 14th for Maltby Lake broom removal. Mark your calendars.

Projects:

Interpretive signs: Michael and Lori James Derry. Letter from Saanich re location and structure. They have some suggestions about types of sign and placement. We agreed to meet at the corner of Wallace Drive and West Saanich Road this Saturday, Jan 9th at 3:00 (note time change since our discussion) to talk about placement and text. Ian Bruce will be there so please come if you want to catch up on work done and work planned.

Tod Flats – We are waiting for the call for RFCPP grants for the next phase. Saanich is planning to work on Heal’s Rifle Range land this summer. They have hired Dave Clough to look at what can be done. This is excellent news since this is the property immediately downstream from where we worked last summer.

Whitehead Park. Great planting event in November by Evergreen has completed the last of the major planting events. Much weeding and mulching of trails will keep us gently busy on Monday mornings at 9:30. Saanich has dropped off a load of chips which we will spread on the trails. Come and have a look.

Lohr Road. We also weeded the native plant flower garden at the corner of Lohr Road. It took longer than we thought it would but we plan to keep ahead of it this year. This site was prepared for us by Saanich Storm and Wastewater when they replaced the culvert under PL Road last year. The site was planted by the Evergreen team with native flowers and grasses as a demonstration of the beauty and colour that native plants can provide. Lori has set up a separate web page for this site.

Lake Stewardship – Winona reported that it is time to renew our membership in the BC Lake Stewardship Society. We agreed that this is an important membership to have and Winona will ask Joanne to send a cheque.

Update on the plant survey. Winona took the collected plants to the Royal BC Museum where they were received by Erica. Adolf Ceska will help in the identification. Erica is pleased to have these and to receive data from future sampling in order to build a data set. This is a great partnership from our point of view. Laura Kline of CRD has water samples for the micro analysis to provide a bench mark with which to compare future samples. The next sampling will take place in the summer when the plants are at their peak. Winona will arrange this and let us know when it is to take place. She will be looking for a floating dock to serve as a platform for taking the samples.

Maltby Lake – FMLWS AGM is coming up. Carmel reports that it will happen before the end of the month. They have not yet received their charitable status but expect it soon. Fundraising for the purchase of the remaining 6% is going well.

Web Site – Lori continues to add to our web site and asks for feedback and submissions. Check out the site.

Heritage – The community mapping project with Ken Josephson is ongoing. The data may be placed on the CRD web site. Winona will be meeting with the Grad Student who is working on this.
A query about Lloyd Residence, 524 Walter Avenue which is not in our area. The house has been left to Saanich. Its future is unclear.

Next Meeting: 2 March. Location to be decided.

 

 

FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED

MEETING NOTES

4 NOVEMBER, 2015

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed

Present: Pat Carfra, Audrey Barnes, Joanne Delage, Carmel Thomson, Bernie Bowker, Mary Haig-Brown

Regrets: Frances Hunter, Winona Pugh

 

1. Adoption of Agenda
2. Adoption of meeting notes of 2 September as amended.
3. Treasurer’s report:

Closing balance $ 1437.69

Donation        25.00

Interest   .06

Closing balance $ 1462.75

 

1. Announcements:

7th Nov. Saturday: Planting on Tod Creek Flats 10:00-Noon.  Meet at West Saan and Wallace Drive.  Last planting for FTCW and Pen Streams on the Flats project for this season.

 

8th Nov. Sunday: PSS planting at Swan Creek Allotment Gardens 10:00 – Noon.  Parking on Kent Rd.  RSVP Francesca  PeninsulaStreams@gmail.com

 

9th Nov. Monday: Musical Hats fundraiser 7 pm. Glen Lyon Norfolk School hall 1701 Beach Drive

 

10th Nov. Tuesday Saanich Inlet Round Table 2:00 – 4:30 Mary Winspear Centre Bodine Room.  Discussion will include Federal regulations re dumping of raw sewage into Saanich Inlet and the proposed LNG port for shipping US LNG.

 

12th Nov. Thursday: EDPA Town Hall 7 p.m. Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. Let Council know your thoughts on this issue. www.saanich.ca/edpa for more info.  This is an important chance to let Council know your thoughts on this issue.

 

21st Nov. Saturday: Planting at Whitehead with Evergreen and Saanich.  This work party will plant the last area of our project in Whitehead.  The area has been cleared of black berry and other invasives and is being spread with cardboard to shade out the Reed Canary Grass topped by mulch.  An exciting milestone in our ongoing project.  Watch for details which will follow closer to time.

 

26th Nov. Thursday: Hello watershed steward,

The Capital Regional District Integrated Watersheds Management Program is hosting a workshop for all community groups working on watershed stewardship within the capital region. The workshop will be held on Thursday November 26th, from 7:00pm – 9pm at the Songhees Wellness Centre, 1100 Admirals Rd.

The objective of the workshop is to share information about the progress towards improved watershed health in our region, to discuss initiatives undertaken in recent years and to hear from you about ways that we can collaborate on watershed stewardship.  The evening will also feature a presentation by Jody Watson, chair of the Bowker Creek Initiative, about the restoration of Bowker Creek during construction of the new Oak Bay High School.

Please let me know by Tuesday Nov. 10th if a representative from your group would like to participate. If there’s a watershed group that might not be on our contact list, let me know and I’ll make sure they are invited.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Regards,
Kitty

Kitty Lloyd
Assistant Harbours and Watersheds Coordinator
Parks & Environmental Services Department
Capital Regional District
625 Fisgard St, Victoria, BC V8W 1R7
T: 250-360-3299   F: 250-360-3047
klloyd@crd.bc.ca

 

I hope someone from FTCW will be able to attend this gathering.

 

1. Projects:

1. Signage: Tod Flats (with PSS) and Whitehead (with Evergreen): Winona, Lori, Carmel.  Carmel will produce these signs when Lori and Winona have gathered the information we would like to see on them.

 

1. Tod Flats and Butchart’s report – Mary reported a very successful summer for both these projects.  The fish way over Butcharts dam in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is and exciting stream with a series of rock riffles the fish will easily be able to pass.  A big thank you to all involved.

 

The Tod Flats project included restoring Tod Creek on 3 properties between the Flats and Willis Point Road including removal of silt build up, a reshaping of the banks of the creek and lots of riparian planting.  On the flats the project consisted the creation of a low berm parallel to the creek.  Two culverts through the berm will allow concentrated flow in the hopes the fish will feel the flow and return to the creek from the flats before they are stranded.  A deepening of the channel between the creek proper and the berm has resulted in piles of beautiful soil which will be spread on the flats when it is drier.  Saturday’s planting will complete this phase of the project for this season.  We will apply for more funding to move farther upstream next season.  None of this could happen without our partners, Peninsula Streams Society.

 

1. Eastlake – Joanne reports all is going well there.  She noted very little garbage is left lying about.  She continues to pick at the ivy on the right of way across the road, but says she does not need help with that.

 

1. Whitehead – We need more cardboard which Joanne will get. We are preparing site for planting on Saturday 21st Nov. with Evergreen.  This should be the final big planting session for Whitehead.  See note above for details.  There will be years of weeding and plant maintenance for this little gem in our midst which will be a pleasure.

 

1. Lake Stewardship – Winona was unable to attend but sent a report on the recent survey of lake growth.  I have attached the results of the Plant Survey. The samples are currently at the RBCM drying and waiting for Adolph to look at our identification efforts. It appears we have about 5 main native aquatic plants and no Eurasian milfoil. Rick did give me a memory stick with some excellent AquaticPlant ID information that I can share. We also took some water samples to Laura at CRD and she has sent her analysis of the algae. Lots of the components of blue- green algae but nothing in high density levels right now.  

The plant survey is attached to these meeting notes.

We did wonder where the data collected will reside.  How will it be accessed?

1. Web site and Facebook – Lori.  Page for Lake Stewardship?  Lori was absent.

 

1. Heritage – Winona also reported.  From Heritage we have submitted an article on the Prospect Lake Golf Course and one on the Whitehead restoration to Catherine for the Prospector.
2. Maltby Lake – Carmel reported that there is a nice article in the current issue of Focus Magazine about Maltby Lake.  She and Woody continue to work on protection for the property.

 

1. Killarney Creek Project – Bernie told about his summer project replacing the dam, spillway, sluice way and fish way on his property.  The new structure will function much better than the old and increases the size of the pond and consequent fish habitat.  The fish way was designed by the same person who did Butcharts and is lovely tumbling stream of boulders and riffles.

 

1. Frances Hunter sent a beautiful note book she has made using paper made from the Yellow Flag Iris leaves removed from Whitehead Park.  The notebook is a pleasure to hold and contemplate.   Frances suggests making more to use as a fund raiser.  She suggested a note about the damage Yellow Flag Iris can do if left to spread be included.  A discussion followed about how best to make and distribute this amazing little piece of art.

 

1. Next meeting: 6th January, 2016

Location: Audrey Barnes, 140 Kiowa Place.