"Natural Connections Integrated Conservation Plan is Edmonton's plan for the protection, management and restoration of local natural areas and biodiversity, and the engagement of the community in that effort. The plan applies an outcome-based, ecological network approach to the conservation of Edmonton's natural areas systems. It includes three components: a Strategic Plan, a Biodiversity Action Plan and a Biodiversity Report."
Check out Edmonton's Natural Connection's web page:
http://www.edmonton.ca/environmental/natural_areas/natural-connections-conservati.aspx.
So while Edmonton is doing public consultation on how to preserve and protect the city's natural resources, we in Saskatoon will be attending consultations on how to exploit our river, the only conservation-minded component of which is a more effective (and long overdue) revamp of the weir's fish ladder....
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dates for public consultation on the Whitewater Dam
Wednesday, June 9, 6 p.m. o 9 p.m. at North Park Wilson School, 1505 Ninth Ave. North
Thursday, June 10, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Radisson Hotel, 405 20th St. East
Thursday, June 10, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Frances Morrison Library, 311 23rd St. East
Thursday, June 10, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Radisson Hotel, 405 20th St. East
Thursday, June 10, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Frances Morrison Library, 311 23rd St. East
Pelican Watch goes before Council
Thanks to everyone who contributed suggestions for this presentation. Here it is in its entirety.
Good evening Mayor and Councillors. I am here representing a group called Pelican Watch. We’re concerned about spending $65 million on the White Water/Hydro Dam. Here, in brief, are 25 reasons why we think this is not a good idea:
1. Because the weir is visited daily, as a place of peaceful contemplation, by people from all walks of life, including those who can’t walk to the more inaccessible parts of Meewasin Trail.
2. Because River Landing isn’t even finished yet.
3. Because the sea do’s and power boats frighten the birds and wildlife away from the river upstream from the weir and there should be a part of the downtown waterway that is off limits to us.
4. Because the pelicans are free. That is, they don’t charge for hanging around and looking beautiful.
5. Because the pelican is a powerful emblem of Saskatoon’s ability to live with nature and not against it.
6. Because we and other provincial governments have already reduced the flow of the South Saskatchewan by 70%.
7. Because the Alberta government has a moratorium on new irrigation projects on the South Saskatchewan and if the Alberta government is worried about the river then it must really be in trouble.
8. Because the South Saskatchewan is, according to a recent World Wildlife Fund report, Canada’s most threatened river.
9. Because the river keeps us all alive--literally.
10. Because not only do Saskatoon citizens drink the South Saskatchewan River water, so do citizens of: Hague, Osler, Dalmany, Warman, Martensville, Clavet, Bradwell, Allan, Elstow, St. Louis, St. Isabelle de Bellevue, Wakaw, Cudworthy, Humboldt, Muenster, Annaheim, Lake Lenore …and an increasing number of acreages and estates.
11. Because the bird sanctuary on the island near the Mendel should remain a sanctuary, free of human interference.
12. Because the South Saskatchewan river is already dammed.
13. Because some years the South Saskatchewan River is so low you could wade across it.
14. Because we can’t afford another megaproject.
15. Because the folks who come to put their kayaks, tubes, and surf boards into the whitewater park will come in cars and SUVs and how green is that.
16. Because the delicate riparian zone between the river and the bank would be altered in favour of human traffic and haven’t we just built something called River Landing that does just that?
17. Because the idea that pelicans will fish in the same small section of water alongside high energy activities like kayaking is just good old fashion bafflegab.
18. Because the South Saskatchewan River is a wide, slow, ancient, dignified river, and to artificially force it into rapids and waves will make the river look—frankly—ridiculous.
19. Because we should be asking not what the river can do for us but what we can do for the river.
20. Because, as your mother would say, the river is not a toy.
21. Because people come down to the weir, to propose marriage to one another, to kiss, to argue about buying a new house while having coffee, to eat a burger while grabbing a few spare minutes to gaze peacefully at the river, they come to to watch the pelicans feed, to shed a tear over the death of their mother, they come to be soothed by falling water, by water where humans cannot and should not go.
22. Because the river is a living ecosystem and not merely a resource.
23. Because Saskatoon Light and Power should try harder to go green, rather than having token projects like one windmill and one mini dam.
24. Because pelicans fly to the river from Redberry Lake each summer morning and they come quietly, without disturbing anyone.
25. Because the South Saskatchewan River is already dammed, and what it actually needs is to be saved.
Good evening Mayor and Councillors. I am here representing a group called Pelican Watch. We’re concerned about spending $65 million on the White Water/Hydro Dam. Here, in brief, are 25 reasons why we think this is not a good idea:
1. Because the weir is visited daily, as a place of peaceful contemplation, by people from all walks of life, including those who can’t walk to the more inaccessible parts of Meewasin Trail.
2. Because River Landing isn’t even finished yet.
3. Because the sea do’s and power boats frighten the birds and wildlife away from the river upstream from the weir and there should be a part of the downtown waterway that is off limits to us.
4. Because the pelicans are free. That is, they don’t charge for hanging around and looking beautiful.
5. Because the pelican is a powerful emblem of Saskatoon’s ability to live with nature and not against it.
6. Because we and other provincial governments have already reduced the flow of the South Saskatchewan by 70%.
7. Because the Alberta government has a moratorium on new irrigation projects on the South Saskatchewan and if the Alberta government is worried about the river then it must really be in trouble.
8. Because the South Saskatchewan is, according to a recent World Wildlife Fund report, Canada’s most threatened river.
9. Because the river keeps us all alive--literally.
10. Because not only do Saskatoon citizens drink the South Saskatchewan River water, so do citizens of: Hague, Osler, Dalmany, Warman, Martensville, Clavet, Bradwell, Allan, Elstow, St. Louis, St. Isabelle de Bellevue, Wakaw, Cudworthy, Humboldt, Muenster, Annaheim, Lake Lenore …and an increasing number of acreages and estates.
11. Because the bird sanctuary on the island near the Mendel should remain a sanctuary, free of human interference.
12. Because the South Saskatchewan river is already dammed.
13. Because some years the South Saskatchewan River is so low you could wade across it.
14. Because we can’t afford another megaproject.
15. Because the folks who come to put their kayaks, tubes, and surf boards into the whitewater park will come in cars and SUVs and how green is that.
16. Because the delicate riparian zone between the river and the bank would be altered in favour of human traffic and haven’t we just built something called River Landing that does just that?
17. Because the idea that pelicans will fish in the same small section of water alongside high energy activities like kayaking is just good old fashion bafflegab.
18. Because the South Saskatchewan River is a wide, slow, ancient, dignified river, and to artificially force it into rapids and waves will make the river look—frankly—ridiculous.
19. Because we should be asking not what the river can do for us but what we can do for the river.
20. Because, as your mother would say, the river is not a toy.
21. Because people come down to the weir, to propose marriage to one another, to kiss, to argue about buying a new house while having coffee, to eat a burger while grabbing a few spare minutes to gaze peacefully at the river, they come to to watch the pelicans feed, to shed a tear over the death of their mother, they come to be soothed by falling water, by water where humans cannot and should not go.
22. Because the river is a living ecosystem and not merely a resource.
23. Because Saskatoon Light and Power should try harder to go green, rather than having token projects like one windmill and one mini dam.
24. Because pelicans fly to the river from Redberry Lake each summer morning and they come quietly, without disturbing anyone.
25. Because the South Saskatchewan River is already dammed, and what it actually needs is to be saved.
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Pelicans are back, but so is the Disneyfication of our river!
Here you can see the pelicans are back at the weir. They won't be, once "the world's largest standing river wave" is constructed here. Of course the environmental assessment said the pelicans would like the changes, but how often do you see pelicans and surfers--surfers, is the City out of its mind--side by side!
Hey, Pelicanistas, it's time to start our protest in earnest.
City council is meeting on this Monday night, May 10th. We don't yet know if there is any point being there and flapping our wings about this travesty, but we'll let you all know. Stay posted.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Prefeasability meeting: all the wrong questions
Pelican Watch participated in a meeting hosted by Saskatoon Light and Power as part of the “Prefeasibility and Baseline Environmental Study Phase of the Hydro Power and White Water Park” this past June.
A presentation was made to give us background on the proposed development, and then we were asked a series of questions. The first one, under the agenda item “Overall aesthetic values of the site and Meewasin Valley Trail," was “What amenities would you like to see at site?” (We’re paraphrasing here, so these may not be the exact words.)
Okay, Saskatoon Light and Power has gathered together individuals who represent groups opposed to this idea, as well as groups in favour, and they ask us what “amenities” we want built at the site of the dam and white water playground?
They don’t ask us “what concerns do you have about the redesign of the weir?” They don’t ask “what problems or opportunities do you see arising from these two projects?”
No, they ask us about “amenities”; they ask us what role we see our organization playing in the operation of the site.
Neither of the two Pelican Watch members in attendance volunteered—not surprisingly—to help pick up garbage at the site of Whitewater Park. The information Saskatoon Light and Power seemed to be seeking was not how palatable either project is, but whether we’d like washrooms at the site, or maybe a hot dog stand or vendors renting big rubber tubes.
Clearly, they were not addressing Pelican Watch or the Saskatoon Heritage Society or the Saskatoon Nature Society. They were talking only to those groups who want a white water park and/or tiny hydro dam, complete with rubber dam to raise the water level.
If this were truly an “information seeking” session, then they would ask questions that would give them feedback on whether or not there is a real need or desire to change the weir into a white water “facility” and the site of commercial power generation.
Isn’t Saskatoon Light and Power getting just a little ahead of themselves? What happened to the principle of public consultation?
They do not yet have any governing body's permission to further “denaturalize” this site. They haven’t held any open public consultations so ordinary Saskatonians can say whether they want to redesign what is a contemplative place into a site for high energy sporting activities.
We at Pelican Watch predict that this project may suffer hugely from hubris over the next year. When the forces against this project really come into play.
And we hope that that may be sooner rather than later.
A presentation was made to give us background on the proposed development, and then we were asked a series of questions. The first one, under the agenda item “Overall aesthetic values of the site and Meewasin Valley Trail," was “What amenities would you like to see at site?” (We’re paraphrasing here, so these may not be the exact words.)
Okay, Saskatoon Light and Power has gathered together individuals who represent groups opposed to this idea, as well as groups in favour, and they ask us what “amenities” we want built at the site of the dam and white water playground?
They don’t ask us “what concerns do you have about the redesign of the weir?” They don’t ask “what problems or opportunities do you see arising from these two projects?”
No, they ask us about “amenities”; they ask us what role we see our organization playing in the operation of the site.
Neither of the two Pelican Watch members in attendance volunteered—not surprisingly—to help pick up garbage at the site of Whitewater Park. The information Saskatoon Light and Power seemed to be seeking was not how palatable either project is, but whether we’d like washrooms at the site, or maybe a hot dog stand or vendors renting big rubber tubes.
Clearly, they were not addressing Pelican Watch or the Saskatoon Heritage Society or the Saskatoon Nature Society. They were talking only to those groups who want a white water park and/or tiny hydro dam, complete with rubber dam to raise the water level.
If this were truly an “information seeking” session, then they would ask questions that would give them feedback on whether or not there is a real need or desire to change the weir into a white water “facility” and the site of commercial power generation.
Isn’t Saskatoon Light and Power getting just a little ahead of themselves? What happened to the principle of public consultation?
They do not yet have any governing body's permission to further “denaturalize” this site. They haven’t held any open public consultations so ordinary Saskatonians can say whether they want to redesign what is a contemplative place into a site for high energy sporting activities.
We at Pelican Watch predict that this project may suffer hugely from hubris over the next year. When the forces against this project really come into play.
And we hope that that may be sooner rather than later.
The Pelicans are gone, but Pelican Watch is back!
Well, it's civic election time in Saskatoon. We urge all you pelicanistas to ask your candidates what their position is on the White Water Park and Tiny Hydro Dam.
And let them know that our river is not, and never should be, a playground first and bird habitat second. Let's get our priorities straight.
Isn't it time that we asked "what can we do for our river?" and not that pre-global warming question, "what can our river can do for us?" It's time for a new way of thinking about rivers, and about nature in general. Let's make sure that we Saskatonians don't lose our world-class gem--a natural riverbank in the middle of a bustling city.
We've posted a few fun photos by a visitor to our city, Ross Belot, of Hamilton, Ontario. Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saskatoon's White-water Wonderland: Picture This!
Pelican Watch attended a meeting about the proposed white water park and hydro dam last week. Here is something of what we learned.
Dam and white water playground proponents are still considering a couple of different versions of the two projects, but essentially this is how the redeveloped weir might look.
On the west side, there’ll be a small channel containing a fish ladder. Water would pass through here, as it does now, only in a very narrow channel. This is a good thing; we’re all for the safe passage of fish from one side of the weir to the other.
On the east side (the University side), adjacent to the bank, there will be a cement channel for the white water park, and beside it, the hydro dam that might generate enough power to sell to 3000 houses per year (this is a guesstimate, of course). The white water park as originally designed was too close to the railway bridge and CP apparently didn’t want a rush of water hitting their bridge, so the beginning of the white water channel will be ahead of the weir, and a cement wall on the west side of the channel will make this possible.
Are you excited about the aesthetic value of all this cement? Neither are we. If only we owned a cement factory, we might be more thrilled.
Now to the other “feature” of the redesigned weir, the hydro turbines. These will be mostly submerged and will be adjacent to the white water course; the turbine "house" may have a green roof, which fisher-folk might be able to fish from. This dam may or may not include an extremely ugly black inflatable rubber thingy that would stretch across the river in order to raise the height of the water by a meter and thus increase the measly amount of electrical generation by another measly bit.
Will this dam cause Goose Island, the Bird Sanctuary just south of the weir, to be partially or totally eroded? Nobody knows—the study of the effects of raising the water level are not yet completed. But it seems likely that the geese and other birds won’t want to hang out with white water thrill seekers, that the passage of boats near the island, as well as the raised water levels, might permanently disrupt the only place on the river within the city limits where birds are protected from human intrusion.
Got the picture so far?
In between the fish ladder on the west side and the submerged hydro turbines and white water course on the east, there will be the barrier (ie the dam itself) which will either have no water flowing over it or a thin film of water for “aesthetic purposes.” This stretch will be composed of the original weir, though we might be excused for not recognizing it as such. We haven’t been able to figure out how the optional black rubber dam fits in. Will it straddle the weir? Kind of like a large, thick black rubber bandage?
Anyone excited at the prospect of a large black rubber dam that inflates and deflates depending on the water flow? Or does the phrase "the uglification of the river" spring to mind?
So what will we have to look at down at the weir, those of us who don’t want to be “spectators” while inner tube riders and kayakers and rafters shoot down over the fake rapids over and over and over again?
Pelicans. Yes, that’s right, they claim there will be pelicans in the same body of water with all that action. Apparently, some unnamed experts claim this is so. Even though the website for the redeveloped Calgary Weir, the Harvie Passage, says “The Pelicans will likely disperse up and down stream.” And this project is being worked on by the same American white water company consulting with the Saskatoon white water enthusiasts. So these two very different answers are a bit confusing.
So if, for some reason, the pelicans dispute the idea that they want to fish beside a stream of boats and inner tubes and rafts, with all the attendant exuberance and noise, then Saskatonians will come down to the weir to do what, watch fisherman fish, perhaps, by the fish ladder? And try not to notice that all the water that used to cascade over the weir in a beautiful, peaceful, translucent sheet, is now being forced out the far side in a highly unnatural looking torrent over phony rapids?
(And how many kayaks, tubes, rafts will go down the channel every day of the summer? Well, no one has been able to answer that question for us. The white water park in Reno, Nevada--mentioned as an example of an economic boom by the pro-white water folks--apparently rented 10,000 inner tubes in a three-month period. That’s over 100 happy tube riding folks per day. First you strip and get into your swimsuit to go shooting down the river in a tube, then you get dressed again and go lose your shirt at the Blackjack table. What an admirable culture; a natural model for Saskatoon to follow.)
Sorry for the digression. Sometimes we get carried away.
Back to picturing the new “improved” weir. Can you see what we see? Our slow, calm, dignified, steadily flowing river, a river that is wide but often not very deep, contorted into a narrow fast flowing channel for the pleasure of some unknown but doubtless very small percentage of the Saskatoon population?
Is this what we want, Saskatoon? To change the character of our river permanently? To give up one of the few contemplative spots easily accessible by car and frequently photographed by visitors to our city? For what, a park right in the river? Isn't this pre-global warming thinking? Believing we can have everything we want without an environmental cost? Believing we can have white water rafting galore and pelicans too?
Well, fellow pelicanistas, you’ll have the summer to think about this. Pelican Watch is going on hiatus for the rest of the warm weather. In the fall, we’ll be back to gear up some much more organized opposition to this 40-million-dollar folly.
Stay cool, and don’t forget to visit the weir now and again. Where—at least for now— pelicans are free, and the sight of them, so close, yet undisturbed, is priceless.
Dam and white water playground proponents are still considering a couple of different versions of the two projects, but essentially this is how the redeveloped weir might look.
On the west side, there’ll be a small channel containing a fish ladder. Water would pass through here, as it does now, only in a very narrow channel. This is a good thing; we’re all for the safe passage of fish from one side of the weir to the other.
On the east side (the University side), adjacent to the bank, there will be a cement channel for the white water park, and beside it, the hydro dam that might generate enough power to sell to 3000 houses per year (this is a guesstimate, of course). The white water park as originally designed was too close to the railway bridge and CP apparently didn’t want a rush of water hitting their bridge, so the beginning of the white water channel will be ahead of the weir, and a cement wall on the west side of the channel will make this possible.
Are you excited about the aesthetic value of all this cement? Neither are we. If only we owned a cement factory, we might be more thrilled.
Now to the other “feature” of the redesigned weir, the hydro turbines. These will be mostly submerged and will be adjacent to the white water course; the turbine "house" may have a green roof, which fisher-folk might be able to fish from. This dam may or may not include an extremely ugly black inflatable rubber thingy that would stretch across the river in order to raise the height of the water by a meter and thus increase the measly amount of electrical generation by another measly bit.
Will this dam cause Goose Island, the Bird Sanctuary just south of the weir, to be partially or totally eroded? Nobody knows—the study of the effects of raising the water level are not yet completed. But it seems likely that the geese and other birds won’t want to hang out with white water thrill seekers, that the passage of boats near the island, as well as the raised water levels, might permanently disrupt the only place on the river within the city limits where birds are protected from human intrusion.
Got the picture so far?
In between the fish ladder on the west side and the submerged hydro turbines and white water course on the east, there will be the barrier (ie the dam itself) which will either have no water flowing over it or a thin film of water for “aesthetic purposes.” This stretch will be composed of the original weir, though we might be excused for not recognizing it as such. We haven’t been able to figure out how the optional black rubber dam fits in. Will it straddle the weir? Kind of like a large, thick black rubber bandage?
Anyone excited at the prospect of a large black rubber dam that inflates and deflates depending on the water flow? Or does the phrase "the uglification of the river" spring to mind?
So what will we have to look at down at the weir, those of us who don’t want to be “spectators” while inner tube riders and kayakers and rafters shoot down over the fake rapids over and over and over again?
Pelicans. Yes, that’s right, they claim there will be pelicans in the same body of water with all that action. Apparently, some unnamed experts claim this is so. Even though the website for the redeveloped Calgary Weir, the Harvie Passage, says “The Pelicans will likely disperse up and down stream.” And this project is being worked on by the same American white water company consulting with the Saskatoon white water enthusiasts. So these two very different answers are a bit confusing.
So if, for some reason, the pelicans dispute the idea that they want to fish beside a stream of boats and inner tubes and rafts, with all the attendant exuberance and noise, then Saskatonians will come down to the weir to do what, watch fisherman fish, perhaps, by the fish ladder? And try not to notice that all the water that used to cascade over the weir in a beautiful, peaceful, translucent sheet, is now being forced out the far side in a highly unnatural looking torrent over phony rapids?
(And how many kayaks, tubes, rafts will go down the channel every day of the summer? Well, no one has been able to answer that question for us. The white water park in Reno, Nevada--mentioned as an example of an economic boom by the pro-white water folks--apparently rented 10,000 inner tubes in a three-month period. That’s over 100 happy tube riding folks per day. First you strip and get into your swimsuit to go shooting down the river in a tube, then you get dressed again and go lose your shirt at the Blackjack table. What an admirable culture; a natural model for Saskatoon to follow.)
Sorry for the digression. Sometimes we get carried away.
Back to picturing the new “improved” weir. Can you see what we see? Our slow, calm, dignified, steadily flowing river, a river that is wide but often not very deep, contorted into a narrow fast flowing channel for the pleasure of some unknown but doubtless very small percentage of the Saskatoon population?
Is this what we want, Saskatoon? To change the character of our river permanently? To give up one of the few contemplative spots easily accessible by car and frequently photographed by visitors to our city? For what, a park right in the river? Isn't this pre-global warming thinking? Believing we can have everything we want without an environmental cost? Believing we can have white water rafting galore and pelicans too?
Well, fellow pelicanistas, you’ll have the summer to think about this. Pelican Watch is going on hiatus for the rest of the warm weather. In the fall, we’ll be back to gear up some much more organized opposition to this 40-million-dollar folly.
Stay cool, and don’t forget to visit the weir now and again. Where—at least for now— pelicans are free, and the sight of them, so close, yet undisturbed, is priceless.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Pelicans and Firemen
Here are some fun pelican photos by a visitor to our city, Linda Frank. When she was told that this area could become a white-water playground, she looked shocked and said, "I didn't think Saskatoon would be like that."
Well, we hope that Saskatoon won't be "like that" if we at Pelican Watch have anything to do with it!
A few weeks ago, a group of a dozen firemen-in-training were in the river, or on the cement apron by the weir, on the west side, doing some "feat of strength" test. They each took turns donning wetsuits, wading up to the weir and touching the wall through the torrent of water falling over it. The fireman doing the test was attached to a safety cable, which a couple of other fireman held on to, keeping him safe.
One of our members happened to be passing, and she called out to a fireman who was about to undress and get into his wetsuit. (Yes, it was distracting, she said.) She asked him where the pelicans were when the firemen arrived that morning.
"Good question," he said, looking around. He noticed there were no pelicans in the river at that point.
"I guess we scared them away," he said.
He thought they were on the island, maybe, when they first started the test. The pelicanista reporting this suspects that the pelicans were also in the river, as they usually are around ten in the morning. They like to stand around in the shallows, looking gorgeous.
So, if the pelicans leave when a few firemen get into the river, what will they do when a bunch of kayakers come careening their way? It's not hard to imagine, is it?
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