Nestled in the Salish Sea, accessible by two ferries, Powell River has its own unique lifeways.
Like all coastal places, the shoreline between Saltery Bay and Lund has a particular history, much of it changing with whoever is telling the tale.
A resident might give directions based on markers that used to be there, rather than what is there currently, sometimes describing somewhere as being “by the old gas station” or “near the old arena.”
The coast is everchanging, and while the ebb and flow of life on the shore adds to the region’s ongoing and rich history, human actions are eroding the coastline that gives life here so much meaning.
Shoreline failures, such as landslides, rock fall or soil creep are becoming more and more common, posing a risk to coastal landowners and beachcombers. And while residents may blame coastal erosion on storm surges or freak tides, the truth is climate change is to blame for much of what is happening, and humans are causing it.
According to a Natural Resources Canada report on the impacts of climate change, “Accelerated coastal erosion and flooding are expected to pose ongoing and increasing hazards for BC’s coastal communities and infrastructure.”
Coastal erosion is the new normal and to meet this challenge denizens of the coast must devise new solutions.
At Goose Spit, a sand and gravel beach in Comox, as much as seven metres of coastline was lost in recent years because of continued erosion, according to reports conducted by Green Shores, a program run by the Stewardship Centre for BC promoting the sustainable use of shoreline ecosystems through planning and design.
Green Shores found that planting something as simple as yellow sand-verbena at Goose Spit helped maintain shoreline integrity, as well as providing much-needed habitat for the sand-verbena moth, a red-listed species.
Such initiatives have the added benefit of making coastal areas more accessible for casual walks and kayaking, surely a boon for tourism, which is becoming more and more vital to the region each year.
In Powell River, where residents fight so hard to maintain forests and protected species, more is needed to protect our coast. Let’s not let the chance to fix coastal erosion drift away.
