As a pair of sites in Sidney are under scrutiny for potential destruction of foreshore, a society that restores waterways in the region is calling on government to be the tides of change.
Public shorelines are under threat with private property owners installing “hard armouring” which includes rock walls and similar structures at or below the natural boundary of their properties, according the Peninsula Streams Society.
“Every time a shoreline is armoured, we lose more than habitat,” said Kyle Armstrong, executive director at Peninsula Streams. “We lose a place for children to play, for nations to harvest, for salmon to feed. We lose the natural resilience that beaches provide.”
A handful of Saanich Peninsula sites identified by society volunteers prompted the call for all levels of government to strengthen protections for the shoreline commons, support and provide incentive for nature-based alternatives, and find solutions that recognize the cultural and ecological importance of beaches.
Among the sites of concern is a private property on Allbay Road in Sidney, where the town is taking action after significant changes to the foreshore without the required municipal permit. Sidney is also reviewing foreshore alterations of a private property on Rothesay Avenue to determine whether work exceeded the scope of a municipal development permit.
Both sites are located within Environmentally Sensitive Areas identified in Sidney’s official community plan, the town said. In marine coastal areas, the OCP guidelines encourage environmental preservation between the natural boundary setback and intertidal zone. Where erosion control is necessary, the OCP recommends gentle shoreline protection measures, such as natural plantings.
On the property on Allbay Road, the alterations created a potential safety hazard for beach users and on-site workers, and municipal staff ensured temporary risk-reduction measures were implemented, the town said.
“It’s not just Sidney or North Saanich, it continues all around the region. In areas where these structures have already been in place for decades, we can see the loss, and it will exacerbate with sea level rise and increased storm surges brought on by climate change,” Armstrong said.
Shifting priorities mean environmental legislation seems to be taking a back seat to other pressing issues, he explained. Peninsula Streams wants the province to start acting on its Coastal Marine Strategy put forward last summer, which seems to be taking a back seat to housing and social economy concerns.
Protections in place to prevent further destruction are insufficient, Armstrong said, calling regulations short-sighted, poorly understood and rarely enforced.
“There’s absolutely no incentive to do the right thing.”
