For those new to the Cowichan Bay Estuary story - here is a quick point by point rundown:
In 2023, neighbours of the estuary were shocked by a press release stating that the Province was not going to spend 9 million to maintain the dykes, and the Dinsdale Farm - instead they were going to give 1.5 million from the Province (to be matched by the Federal Government) to Nature Trust to ‘restore’ the estuary. And have since been given another 500k = 3.5 million in revenue. Turning an over-bloated estimate of a dyke repair (in one officials opinion) COST, into a revenue stream.
Nature Trust and Duck Unlimited own the Property now, as it was sold to them by the Farmer’s family (the husband had passed, and the newly single mom of multiple children, was struggling, and could not afford to repair the dyke). She was reportedly promised it would remain as a farm in perpetuity until 2040 (We were shown the paperwork). They (Nature Trust and Ducks Unlimited) have leased the land to the Province for 99 years (unsure why - tax beak?). They are not ‘giving back’ any of this land to Cowichan Tribes (currently), and the financial parts, and longevity plan, of the new plant nursery are impossible to find as you can not FOIA a Trust or First Nations.
Nature Trust acquires assets, they do not purchase land at a loss to hand over to First Nations - Here is an example of a fight FN are having currently with Nature Trust - APTN LINK TO VIDEO
August 7th Press meeting
Nature Trust and Ducks Unlimited removed other dikes before - the area is a marsh, and is not used for a nursery or anything they are NOW proposing for this new area.
It was apparent after multiple FOIAs that there were dealings behind the scene, out of the public eye, and without any public consultation before the press release. (A few Pages of the CVRD FOIA HERE)
“From Thomas Reid to Jeff Moore May 25th, 2022:
“Further to my note to Kate below please keep the attachment I originally sent to Kate confidential (see highlighted portion below). There are some project sensitivities that we need to work through before our planned project is made public; hence my question as to who attends your meetings. As an aside – at your upcoming meeting perhaps you may be able to ask the attendees if they would have time for a project-specific meeting on our proposed works via Zoom. teams, wehex etc .. ? Thanks, Tom”
Tom Reid: Westcoast Manager - Tom Reid is the Program Manager for the West Coast Conservation Land Management Program (WCCLMP). This program is an innovative partnership focused on conservation, stewardship and management of sensitive ecosystems along the coast of British Columbia and includes NTBC, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Province of BC, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and several First Nations. Tom has been leading the delivery of this program for nearly two decades, managing more than 110 conservation areas and overseeing several large restoration projects. He has led the implementation of the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund “Enhancing Estuary Resilience” project focused on monitoring and restoring 20+ estuaries throughout the coast of BC in partnership with 20 First Nations.
We also saw in the FOIA Director Deck stating that it was not in their wheelhouse when invited to the TOWN HALL, when proven it was in discussions behind the scenes, she did not reply.
There was also a huge protest outside the CVRD building with tractors and companies like Top Shelf parking outside for a public input period .
FULL VIDEO HERE
The meeting started with the son of the original owner of the farm : Nigel Dinsdale
North Cowichan:
“From the documents we can see that in late December 2022 and Jan 2023 Goetz Schuerholz, Chair of the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA) is sending Council emails that lay out what council should do to abide by World Diversity Forum’s goals of 30% of land and 30% of water strictly protected (from people) by 2030, an odd ask of a country with 70% of land basically uninhabited.”
“Then on March 1st 2023 Council passed the following motion,: “THAT the Mayor write a letter to the Province requesting that the Province, in consultation with affected stakeholders, amend the 1987 Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan to reflect the current scientific knowledge of the role of estuaries in the ecosystem, land ownership and uses, and climate change; AND to request support from Cowichan Tribes, Cowichan Valley Regional District, City of Duncan, Cowichan Estuary and Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA).”
After this motion was passed, multiple forms of the letter to be sent to the Honourable Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and was passed between staff and finally to the Mayor for approval. The letter consisted of asking Minister Cullen to: “Request to update the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan. In 2022, North Cowichan Council endorsed a report from Diamond Head Consulting recommending that the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan (CEEMP) be updated.” from the last plan from the ministry that was dated 1987. Even though, according to the multi-agency Cowichan Estuary Environment Management Committee; “The state of the estuary and the ecological and management issues were reviewed in the 2005 Review of the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan, and in the 2010 presentation entitled Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan Review 2010 Update”, it seemed Council was looking for an update to be done by the Provincial Ministry.”
“On May 13th 2023 an email was received from the office of the Minister stating “Dear Mayor Douglas: Please see attached letter regarding some of the current challenges in the Cowichan Estuary, and your request to amend the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan (CEEMP).”
Within the attachment, it seemed the Minister did not feel a full plan was needed, or maybe he knew something others’ did not? “I understand that prior reviews of the CEEMP in 2005 and 2010 highlighted several positive outcomes of the plan as well as some areas for improvement. As a starting point I will look to regional staff to review those prior reports and work with the CEEMC to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing plan. In the interim, please continue to work with Jesse Patterson, Ecosystems Section Head, Land Use Policy, Planning and Ecosystems Division, as the Chair of the CEEMC on any short-term process improvements”
On May 19th 2023 Mayor Douglas wrote to CAO Swabey in response to the letter from the Ministers office: “In terms of next steps, I am thinking municipal staff should contact Jesse Paterson (chair of the Estuary committee) to discuss timelines for provincial staff to review prior reports and to bring this topic forward as an future estuary committee meeting.”
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the press release happened and North Cowichan seemed blind sided:
Ian Paton MLA, Agriculture Critic, spoke many times in Parliament. He was in attendance August 7th in Cowichan Bay .
We speak with Gary from Cowichan Tribes HERE - This was not a ‘community’ decision.
Land Keepers was formed by Jack, who owns property across the road. In the years since the announcement he has spent over 100k of his own money to do things like hire a hydrologist that concur the wells nearby will be tainted with salt water.
An article from Land Keepers 2024 HERE
It was spoken about in Parliament by John Rustad
“ Tuesday, October 24, 2023 – Question Period
J. Rustad: Weeks ago this NDP Agriculture Minister was caught red-faced when she claimed she was unaware of the impending flooding of prime agricultural land in the Cowichan Valley. Can the Minister of Agriculture please explain why her NDP government was prepared to ignore the ALC and its mandate in order to turn 100 acres of food-producing B.C. Farmland into a marsh?” More on Nature Trust:
The Nature Trust of British Columbia has secured and .’ more than 180,000 acres they now hold ‘in trust’.
Like other very large NGOs - they have private donors which can not be searched… could these be large global investors in our lands - absolutely .
The Nature Trust of British Columbia holds $58.4 million in reserve funds as of its 2023 financial year. These reserves consist of cash and investments, including $22.1 million in donor-endowed funds, which allow the charity to cover approximately four years and ten months of its annual program costs. The charity reported total revenues of $15.2 million in fiscal year 2023, with $9.2 million coming from donations and $5.5 million from government funding.
Oddly their board of Directors currently are made up of Directors that have been there since no longer than 2021. Records show they do not pull a wage, but there are large wages to their CEO, and all the people in the background shown below - you know they are not working for free. They have degrees and experience that demand decent wage. The wages look to be 300k per annum, and lower.
Jeff Bay “Jeff Bay brings 15 years of experience in investment banking and corporate finance to NTBC. After receiving his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Victoria in 2009, he joined GMP Securities in Calgary as an Analyst the Investment Banking and Corporate Finance group where he was involved in mergers and acquisition, capital market advisory, and underwriting of public and private oil & gas companies..”
Nancy Baron: “Science communications coach for environmental scientists.” “lives on an organic avocado orchard outside Santa Barbara. Nancy currently divides her time between her home in Carpinteria California and Penticton, British Columbia, where she grew up. She joined NTBC as a Director in June 2022.”. “Nancy is an advisor to the Liber Ero Fellows Science Advisory Committee in Canada and a communications trainer to the Liber Ero Fellows. She also enjoys her role as a Director of the Sitka Foundation in Vancouver.”
Bill Cox: “is a Chartered Professional Accountant who has spent his entire career working with non-profit and public sector organizations. Bill has worked with local governments, colleges and universities, health care organizations and charities of all stripes and sizes. Bill has authored many presentations and articles including the book: Accounting Athletics 101, Running a Financially Healthy Not-for-Profit Organization.”. “As an accountant, Bill has a strong interest in aligning accounting and reporting with greater “green” goals and is part of the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative which aims to change the way that local government services are delivered and related infrastructure is created and managed.
Team members are made up of members of previous advisory boards to the Province, those with 30x30 goals, environmental consultants, those with backgrounds in:
Degrees in ‘social responsibility’, fundraisers, non profit sector, Real Estate Foundation of BC, trust managers, tax consultants, private consultants, working with the Province, environmental NGOs, Communications & Engagement Specialist, UBC, Uvic, VIU, Guardians of Mid-Island Estuaries Society, University of Victoria’s Restoration of Natural Systems diploma program, SFU in Indigenous Studies, Biology, and Geography, SFU in Indigenous Studies, Biology, and Geography.
And for fun…. 32k in 4 years for a photocopier ??
Team COAP
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contact@coap.ca