Annapolis wreck in jeopardy - NEED YOUR SUPPORT

[joolz]

Hullo divers!

It seems that Lions Bay doesn't have a monopoly on self-interested kooks. A new group is now protesting the sinking of the Annapolis in Halkett Bay, and they're actively lobbying the media, politicians, Environment Canada, BC Parks, Fisheries & Oceans, and anybody else who will listen. They're circulating a petition which reportedly has over 600 signatures already.

What's their beef, you ask? They believe that by sinking a wreck -- in an area already designated as a marine park -- the "moms and dads and kids" who do wholesome family stuff at Halkett will lose out to commercial diving interests. Despite the fact that the ship is being stripped and scrubbed within an inch of its life, these folks are concerned about environmental damage.

The Artificial Reef Society of BC needs your help. Every dive shop in Metro Vancouver should have copies of support letters that you can sign. You can also get a copy of the letter from ARSBC.

If the Annapolis project is going to happen, we need to show our support for it! We've already lost Kelvin this summer...let's not lose another dive site!

Oh BTW, I'm kinda sorta new here.

I had an account a couple years ago but never logged in to read messages so my account was eventually deleted. I'm not allowed to post URLs, but the protest letter can be found at SaveHalkett dot com and the ARSBC page is ArtificialReef dot bc dot ca.

Julian

 

[nadwidny]

I had an account a couple years ago but never logged in to read messages so my account was eventually deleted. I'm not allowed to post URLs, but the protest letter can be found at SaveHalkett dot com and the ARSBC page is ArtificialReef dot bc dot ca.

Julian

Here, I'll help - Save Halkett Bay - Home and ARSBC

 

[vjanelle]

http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/ARSBC-Support-Letter.pdf

Link to the letter in general

I know IDC is collecting letters to forward off to the ARSBC, and I think ocean quest is too.

 

[joolz]

Thanks for posting the links guys

We collected 32 at the Edge yesterday so we're off to a good start. At this stage ARSBC is trying to be proactive...they don't know if the protest will go anywhere, but having at least an equal stack of support letters would balance things out. I'm getting non-divers at work to fill out the forms too.

 

[TheWetRookie]

Ah, good thought, having non divers fill them out.

 

[Sintax604]

Thanks for posting Joolz and welcome back to the board!

Why the heck is everything such an uphill battle these days?! Sheesh!

 

[sunkmail]

Ah, good thought, having non divers fill them out.

Seems only fair, since they have people that don't know the facts signing theirs.

 

[nadwidny]

Thanks for posting Joolz and welcome back to the board!

Why the heck is everything such an uphill battle these days?! Sheesh!

It's just more of the same that's been going on for years. The Chaudiere was legendary in the battles to get it sunk (the funniest objection was from a group of homeowners from Gabriola that didn't want to have to watch the divers fornicating on dive boats between dives). I think its' final location was number 10 on the list. The Saguenay in Nova Scotia, huge battle. Even the 737 went through quite a few fights to get it to where it was. However once a community saw the economic and environmental benefits then the roadblocks became much, much less. When Nanaimo saw the benefits to the Saskatchewan, I don't recall a whole lot of oppostion to the Cape Breton and the Rivtow Lion.

Incidentally the group that wants to sink the Terra Nova near Kingston, Ont is meeting much of the same misguided oppostion that a lot of other artificial reef projects have faced.

 

[joolz]

the funniest objection was from a group of homeowners from Gabriola that didn't want to have to watch the divers fornicating on dive boats between dives

Clearly I've been diving from the wrong boats all these years...

 

[princessaprilia]

Those homeowners from Gabriola should stop spying on the dive boats with their binoculars.