Sunshine Coast mayor wants province to help prevent another devastating drought
As B.C. continues to see unseasonably hot and dry conditions, there are growing drought concerns on the Sunshine Coast.
The mayor of Gibsons has written a letter to the province, urging them to help prevent another catastrophic situation like the one the community faced in 2022.
“My primary reason for writing you is to share with you this significant mental health and social phenomenon that has become absolutely real in our community, because it does not show up in our water license applications or technical reports,” the letter addressed to Premier David Eby and several ministers says.
Last fall, a Local State of Emergency was put in place prompting water restrictions to be imposed due to an "imminent threat" that the supply could be exhausted. Those included ordering swimming pools, breweries, and businesses that transport and install concrete, cement and gravel to stop using potable water entirely.
This spring's hot, dry weather has Mayor Silas White looking for ways to prevent another drought.
"It's just becoming an ongoing source of anxiety in the summertime,” White told CTV News.
"I'm trying to pitch a new way of emergency planning here, of not waiting until we're already in a drought but looking at ways we can proactively speed things up and ensure we're best prepared."
His letter addressed calls on the government to speed up approvals for emergency drought measures, including the final license needed for a new well on Church Road, which would provide an additional three million litres of water per day to the Chapman water system.
It also asks for approval to lower the environmental flow requirements of Chapman Creek and support its request to siphon the Chapman and Edwards lakes this year and next year during Stage 4 water restrictions, should the need arise.
The proactive approach is something one local business owner is commending the mayor for doing.
"We're very aware of droughts and always worried about that,” said Sara Parsley, chief operations officer at Persephone Brewing Company.
The Gibsons brewery was forced to truck in water last summer when restrictions hit their communit, losing thousands of dollars.
"Several of our tanks, ideally they hold beer and cider, but we will definitely hold them with water when need be,” she said.
Parsley, who also grows berries and keeps chickens, says her entire livelihood depends on being able to use water
The Sunshine Coast is currently under a stage 1 water restriction which has been in effect since May 1, limiting water use for vehicle washing and plants.
CTV News reached out to the province for a response to the letter from the Gibsons mayor but a response was not received in time for deadline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Manitoba Court of Appeal dismisses Peter Nygard's appeal of extradition order
The Manitoba Court of Appeal has dismissed Peter Nygard's application for a judicial review of an order to extradite the former fashion mogul to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
B.C. court date set for 3 accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.