New Comox Sierra Club Group Aims to Protect Estuary

A new Sierra Club group has been formed to protect the Courtenay River Estuary from industrial development and tackle other pressing environmental issues in the Comox Valley, Sierra Club BC Executive Director George Heyman announced today.

"We're thrilled to add Sierra Club Comox Valley to our network of five coastal local groups, and we welcome new Sierra Club members who are working hard to combat climate change and preserve critical wildlife habitat in their community," said Heyman.

The core of the new group is the former Courtenay River Estuary Action Committee (CREAC), formed a year ago over concerns about proposed industrial developments on the Dyke (Comox) Road next to the estuary. The estuary has been designated a Canadian "Important Bird Area"-a site providing essential bird habitat that contains threatened species, endemic species and a highly exceptional concentration of birds. The Courtenay River Estuary has the second highest concentration of over-wintering waterfowl in BC, including the Trumpeter Swan.

Mike Bell, the chairperson of the new group, explained the reason for the transition from CREAC to the Sierra Club.

"Although our first priority is still industrial development on the Dyke Road - a concern shared by the Regional District as it reviews all zoning on the road - our focus has expanded. Over the past year we have been working with other groups to create a new vision for the Courtenay River Estuary and address some of the other environmental issues in the Comox Valley," said Bell.

"We've been looking for a group that is committed to citizen participation, to activism within the law and to getting results. The Sierra Club, one of the oldest and most respected environmental groups in British Columbia and Canada, is the organization we need. It broadens our base and brings to us and to the struggle for sustainable development in the Comox Valley, a wealth of resources, technical expertise and a reputation for excellence."

The new group invites current Sierra Club members living in the Comox Valley to join Sierra Club Comox Valley, and is also signing up new members. A kick-off meeting will be held in mid-September. Ray Grigg, a well-known local environmentalist and a member of the Quadra Sierra Group, will be the keynote speaker.

Other coastal Sierra Club local groups are in the Lower Mainland, Victoria, Haida Gwaii, Quadra Island and Powell River.

Contact:
Mike Bell: (250-890-3671)
Wendy Masterton: (250) 339-9106