Cyclone
Senior Member
The Council of BC YCs (COBCYC) has become involved in the issue of a major fiber optics project to be completed by 2023. The installation will be over 3400km in length and connect 139 coastal communities, including 48 Indigenous communities. The following areas are examples: on the Sunshine Coast 20 locations, 25 east Vancouver Island south of Campbell River, 37 location on Vancouver Island west. Alert Bay, Port Neville, Refuge Cove, Heriot Bay, Gorge Harbour. The area involves the complete Pacific Ocean Coast around Vancouver Island ending at Prince Rupert to any location with a community including the Yukon River, Alsek River, Skeena River, Nass River, Fraser River. When you consider the inside passage from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert with its fiords running inland to populated locations it will affect the mariner. The attachments give the full details.View attachment Connected_Coast_Project_Description_Phase_1 (1).pdf
Why is the Council interested? Good question. We are not against the project and those communities affect will benefit, but our concern is the manner that the project has been approved and the lack of due diligence on part of the contractor, Transport Canada and municipalities which has not taken into consideration the mariner. Not to become long winded, but the placing of items in navigable water without proper notification to the mariner is the issue. In Canada the Navigable Waters Act and other supporting legislation gives the Mariner a "right" to safe navigation which includes "anchoring". Any project which might affect navigation is classed as either "major" or "minor" and in the case of this project numerous locations classed as "minor" will affect directly the mariner especially many bays that are used for Anchoring and the commercial fishing industry. These areas have come under review of the council and others. Cables, in the areas of "minor" status are proposed to be laid without regard to use of waters which abut the communities involved. Lack of shore signage as example to advise location as well as notice in real terms to CHS of the cable can be avoided.
View attachment Connected_Coast_Project_Description_Phase_1 (1).pdf
View attachment Alert Bay Revised Eagle.pdf
Why is the Council interested? Good question. We are not against the project and those communities affect will benefit, but our concern is the manner that the project has been approved and the lack of due diligence on part of the contractor, Transport Canada and municipalities which has not taken into consideration the mariner. Not to become long winded, but the placing of items in navigable water without proper notification to the mariner is the issue. In Canada the Navigable Waters Act and other supporting legislation gives the Mariner a "right" to safe navigation which includes "anchoring". Any project which might affect navigation is classed as either "major" or "minor" and in the case of this project numerous locations classed as "minor" will affect directly the mariner especially many bays that are used for Anchoring and the commercial fishing industry. These areas have come under review of the council and others. Cables, in the areas of "minor" status are proposed to be laid without regard to use of waters which abut the communities involved. Lack of shore signage as example to advise location as well as notice in real terms to CHS of the cable can be avoided.
View attachment Connected_Coast_Project_Description_Phase_1 (1).pdf
View attachment Alert Bay Revised Eagle.pdf
