qathet Regional District (qRD) regional district directors have expressed strong objection to a Mines Act permit on Texada Island.
At the May 18 regional board meeting, directors were presented with a recommendation that the board advise the provincial ministry of energy, mines and low carbon innovation about the objection, due to inconsistency with the Texada Island official community plan and conflict with qRD’s application for crown land tenure to expand the Emily Lake recreation area.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said the fact that the proposal is for the Van Anda watershed wasn’t mentioned in the motion. She asked staff if it was significant to mention that the site is in the watershed.
Regional district planner Julia Dykstra said language about the watershed is captured within the statement in the motion that qRD strongly objects to the proposal due to inconsistency with the community plan.
“The watershed is identified in the Texada Island official community plan bylaw and that’s why staff did not go the extra mile to include the watershed in that motion,” said Dykstra.
McCormick said the explanation makes sense and she supported the recommendation.
According to a report from Dykstra, the matter goes back to 2012 when the regional district received a notice of work application from the ministry regarding Zyrox Mining Company and its proposal to conduct exploration activities on its tenure site located on crown land in the vicinity of Priest Lake on Texada. The regional board, at the time, did not support the proposed mineral exploration by Zyrox Mining.
The regional district has since adopted its official community plan bylaw and also adopted a resolution to enquire about the expansion of Emily Lake Park, according to the staff report.
On May 2, qRD received a Mines Act permit regarding Zyrox’s proposal to conduct exploration mining activities on the tenure site in the vicinity of Priest Lake.
The application states that Zyrox is applying for a multi-year, area-based permit for an 81 exploration surface drilling site totalling a disturbed area of nearly 0.5 hectares, according to the staff report. The report indicated that Priest Lake watershed is the water source for properties within Van Anda Improvement District. Staff recommended that the board object to this provincial referral, which qRD directors did unanimously.
