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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Feb. 15 Juan de Fuca Land Use Committee meeting



In response to comments received, the applicant has revised the proposal and provided additional supporting documents. The revised proposal will be considered at the February 15, 2011 Juan de Fuca Land Use Committee (LUC) meeting. The meeting will be held at the District of Sooke Council Chamber located at 2225 Otter Point Road starting at 7pm.

Staff are recommending that the revised proposal be referred to agencies for comment and that a public information meeting be held to discuss the revised proposal with the public. The public information meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday March 3, 2011 at Edward Milne Community School located at 6218 Sooke Road starting at 7pm.

The February 15 LUC staff report will be available after Thursday, February 10 atReports Library.

If you have any comments on the revised proposal please Email email them to JDF information.

For further information please contact June Klassen, Manager Local Area Planning at 250.642.1500 local 206 or by Email email.



Saturday, February 5, 2011

Operation: Endgame

The rich and powerful often think they can hide from the people they harm; that somehow their money will protect them. For those that are fed up with deforestation, suburban sprawl, the loss of wilderness areas, and the general takeover of public assets for private profit, it's time to be heard. Operation: Endgame begins yesterday.

Letters and petitions are an important part of the political process, so by all means continue to take part in them. But activism STARTS there, it does not STOP there. At times, one must get out of their armchair, turn off the computer, and go do something. Martin Luther King Jr. needed the Black Panthers, and Gandhi needed Barin Ghosh

What to do? Be creative. I know you can do it. Have fun and be safe!

Contact information for the CRD board


Thanks to a recent ruling by the BC Liberals, all minor rezoning applications in the Juan de Fuca region are decided by a 5-person committee made up of CRD board members.  The massive re-zoning of the Marine Trails Resort plan (279 cabins along 7km of the Juan de Fuca trail!!) is somehow being considered a minor rezoning.
Write to the members of "Land Use Committee A" and let them know what you think of this development!!


Mayor of Sooke:
Janet Evans
2205 Otter Point Road,
Sooke, British Columbia,
Canada, V9Z 1J2

Phone (250) 642-5532
Fax (250) 642-0541
info@sooke.ca


Mayor of Metchosin:

John Ranns
4450 Happy Valley Road
Victoria, BC V9C 3Z3

tel: (250) 474-3167
fax: (250) 474-6298



Mayor of Colwood:

Dave Saunders
Colwood City Hall
3300 Wishart Road
Colwood BC V9C 1R1

Phone (250) 478-5999
Fax (250) 478-7516
mayorsaunders@telus.net


Mayor of Langford:

Stew Young
2nd Floor - 877 Goldstream Avenue
Langford, British Columbia
Canada, V9B 2X8
Phone (250) 478-7882
Fax (250) 391-3178 council@cityoflangford.ca





Juan de Fuca electoral area

Mike Hicks
#2-6868 West Coast Road,
PO Box 283
Sooke  V9Z 0S9
Ph: (250) 642-1500 loc. 207
Email: directorjdf@crd.bc.ca




... or write to the developer and let him know what you think!

Ender Ilkay
P.O. Box 93055
5331 Headland Drive
West Vancouver, BC
V7W 1V8

Toll Free : 877-879-8137
Phone: 604-515-5600
Fax: 604-921-4682
E-mail: ender@skillscoaching.com or ender@vistagrande.ca

Further contact for Ender Ilkay, director of Marine Trails Holdings No. 3 Ltd. and developer for the proposed "Marine Trails Resort":

Ender & Elena Ilkay
6060 Blink Bonnie Rd
West Vancouver BC
V7W 1V8, BC
Phone: 604-921-7399

Current threat to the wild coast


Over the last couple years the Juan de Fuca area has come under threat - from old growth logging, from urban sprawl and other development. Now a new threat has arisen in the form of a proposed tourist resort that would strech alongside 7 kilometers of this beautiful trail between China and Sombrio Beach.


West Vancouver developer Ender Ilkay and the Marine Trail Holding group wants to build nearly 300 tourist cabins within viewing of the public trail. The proposal calls for tree line “trimming” to ensure ocean view for the new home owners, and relocation of the trail in sereval places to steeper banks.
One piece of the proposed development plan.  Note the close distance from the cabins to the Juan de Fuca trail (in green)


We must take a stand against this project, not just to protect the integrity of Juan De Fuca Marine Trail, but also to ensure that the CRD does not open up this entire region to large-scale development. We need a strong vision for sustainability in the Juan de Fuca lands that protects wild places - like the Juan de Fuca Trail, the Red Creek Fir and Avatar Grove. Developments like this have no place on Vancouver Island’s Wild Coast.


Over the last couple years this area has come under threat - from old growth logging, from urban sprawl and other development. Now a new threat has arisen in the form of a proposed tourist resort that would strech alongside 7 kilometers of this beautiful trail between China and Sombrio Beach.


West Vancouver developer Ender Ilkay and the Marine Trail Holding group wants to build nearly 300 tourist cabins within viewing of the public trail. The proposal calls for tree line “trimming” to ensure ocean view for the new home owners, and relocation of the trail in sereval places to steeper banks.


Cabins and roads would encroach within 100 metres of the wilderness trail. If built, the resort will add to "tourism sprawl," increase demands for roads, increase greenhouse gases, impact wildlife, and ruin the wilderness experience of the Juan de Fuca trail.  And Ilkay intends to sell the "tourist" cabins.


We must take a stand against this project, not just to protect the integrity of Juan De Fuca Marine Trail, but also to ensure that the CRD does not open up this entire region to large-scale development. We need a strong vision for sustainability in the Juan de Fuca lands that protects wild places - like the Juan de Fuca Trail, the Red Creek Fir and Avatar Grove. Developments like this have no place on Vancouver Island’s Wild Coast.


Ender Ilkay is attempting to exploit a loophole in the CRD rezoning bylaws which would allow him to fast-track his zoning applications.  Worse yet, this bylaw would have the proposal voted on by just 5 members of the CRD board - the mayors of Sooke, Langford, Metchosin, and Colwood, plus the Juan de Fuca electorate region director.  We need to put as much pressure on these elected officials as we can. Stand up against them and stop urban sprawl!


The western half of the development plan

The Forest Action Network has a great list of resources that we can use, including more background information and a petition to stop sprawl in the Juan de Fuca region.  The Wilderness Committee has an online letter-writing campaign set up which provides key points for letter-writers (you!!) to consider. It makes it really easy - the letters practically write themselves.  Check out WTF Langford! to see how horribly some recent sprawling plans have gone, including all the juicy details on Len Barrie's Bear Mountain bankruptcy (that's right folks, Len couldn't pay his bills).  The Dogwood Initiative has some great articles and a campaign of their own that's easy to get involved with.




The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

Welcome to the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail - a 47 kilometer hiking trail stretching along the western shoreline of southern Vancouver Island, Canada, from China Beach, just west of the community of Jordan River and extending to Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew. 



Introduction to the trail

The trail offers scenic beauty, spectacular hiking, wildlife viewing and roaring surf in its course along the Pacific coastline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the trail is designed for strenuous day or multi-day hiking in this rugged and isolated area. Some easy to moderate day hiking opportunities to the beach or along the trail are available starting from the trailheads at China Beach, Sombrio Beach, Parkinson Creek and Botanical Beach.
This unique trail was created through the Commonwealth Nature Legacy as an enduring reminder of the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games. Preservation of a living legacy of unprecedented natural beauty, accessible to all, was considered a fitting tribute to the spirit of the Games.

Construction and preservation of this trail has been made possible by the efforts of government, local industries and citizens. Land exchanges and gifts of land have come from Western Forest Products and Timberwest. The trail is being upgraded with funding from Forest Renewal BC and the and the Environmental Youth Team (E-Team).
Please remember that the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is a wilderness area. Maintaining this wilderness atmosphere and protecting its cultural and natural features is the responsibility of every visitor.