Rally for the Shuswap

On May 15th, the day of the CSRD decision on West Beach Village near the Adams River, a number of groups are rallying for the lakes, rivers, salmon and the need for smart growth principles to guide development. From 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Marine Peace Park in Salmon Arm, there will be speakers and entertainment devoted to a sustainable future for the Shuswap.
“Across this region, massive vacation home developments are threatening the foreshore of the lake and citizens from throughout our region are calling for action to halt the proposed marinas and moorages,” said Jim Cooperman, president of Shuswap Environmental Action Society. “This rally links concerns about the lakes with concerns about the massive big-box development proposed for the sensitive Salmon River floodplain, and it will provide an opportunity for those in Salmon Arm who care about the issues they have seen on TV to now participate themselves,” added Cooperman.
“There is another important issue being decided by the CSRD on that day,” said Ray Nadeau, president of Shuswap Water Action Team, (SWAT), “as the rural directors will also be voting on the re-zoning for Carmel Beach.” In this case, the developer built the twenty large houses first as rental units and now wants to re-zone so the units can be sold. In addition the project calls for a private marina that will create congestion, drinking water pollution, and foreshore encroachment on existing residents in the small bay. “Planning needs to be completed in both the North and South Shuswap that is both science and community based prior to the consideration of any more large foreshore developments,” added Nadeau.
“The rally will be a great opportunity for local residents to learn about the many environmental and social flaws with the big-box development proposed adjacent to the Trans-Canada highway and Salmon River three kilometres west of town,” said Don Sawyer, CASSSA, “and this proposed commercial behemoth would savage every smart growth principle.” “Damage to local businesses, destruction of our downtown core, years of restoration work on the Salmon River put in jeopardy, the impact on traffic of a 1,900 car parking lot, and the environmental and traffic nightmare of the estimated 90,000 truckloads of fill required to raise the flood plain by three meters all could add up to a perfect social, economic and environmental disaster,” added Sawyer.
The rally includes local entertainment and speeches by Warren Bell, Don Sawyer, Ray Nadeau, and Jim Cooperman.
Everyone is welcome to attend and chairs and lunches are recommended. For more information, see www.seas.ca and www.casssa.ca.