A media briefing on next steps in the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan (DMP) has been called for 3 p.m., March 14. Slated to be in attendance are Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship; lhe hiwus (Chief) Lenora Joe, shíshálh Nation and Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast.
Coast Reporter was advised of this event on the date it was scheduled, the same day the Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association (PHARA) released a statement that called the March 8 summary document on the DMP public comment period “rushed, trivialized, slipshod and inaccurate by omission."
PHARA labels DMP 'disastrous'
The association stated that many of the concerns expressed by those who commented on the DMP, such as asking for the science behind implementing zones where docks may or may not be permitted, were not mentioned in the summary. Stating that it was the province that chose what to include in the document, PHARA’s release asserted the view that the title of the document should be changed from “What We Heard” to “What We've Chosen to Hear.”
In the release, PHARA director Sean McAllister stated "Why bother if they were not going to report out on everything?
"We call upon the province to publicly release all the submissions in their entirety – all British Columbians need to see how voices are being 'managed' here."
PHARA stated that in the 90-day “public engagement” period on the latest round of DMP amendments, whIch include a plan to expand rules to cover fresh and saltwater private moorages throughout the swiya, received about 1,700 comments; many raising fundamental issues with the government's implementation of the DMP were received.
In the release, McAllister stated, "This is clear evidence that the DMP has been an absolute and abysmal failure since its first draft in 2015 and following several ill-thought-out iterations.
"The current Dock Management Plan needs to be scrapped in its entirety," he said, alleging secret negotiations between the province and shíshálh Nation. "We need to go back and start again from scratch, working together as equals – this is not the way to advance reconciliation.”
Acknowledging that the province had reached out to the organization to schedule meetings, PHARA stated that it was unwilling to agree to attend such gatherings. Reasons for that provided in the release included the province’s unwillingness to confirm that there are no "pre-conditions" to the discussions and a refusal to confirm the DMP itself and the pending negotiation of a related agreement under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act would be on the table. In addition, PHARA stated it was unwilling to sign a non-disclosure agreement related to any such discussions.
Founded in 2013, PHARA is a non-profit volunteer organization that supports the interests and needs of residents and visitors of Pender Harbour, Egmont and other parts of the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s Area A.
