Colliery Dam Park Preservation Society Temporarily Withdraws from the Technical Committee

It has become increasingly clear over the last few months that that the technical committee is not being directed by the goals of least invasive and cost effective measures for dam remediation.  Our questions are no longer adequately answered and our input disregarded.   We cannot support the current process which we do not feel is credible.

Although a comprehensive analysis has determined that our dams are in good condition and pose little risk to the community, the City is unwilling to step away from their entrenched position.  They have refused to retract their emergency message and take down inappropriate signage. Initially they had stated that the major concern was an earthquake.  This has proven untrue.  Now they are stating that we must remain on emergency status because of a hypothetical storm event.  This type of fear-mongering does not lead to appropriate and practical decisions and has nothing to do with promoting safety. Furthermore, City of Nanaimo also continues to pursue remediation measures in excess of what may be required with corresponding excessive costs.

CDPPS have acted as representatives from the community which has not yet been fully engaged according to the mandate of the Technical Committee. The lack of transparency with this process has long been a major issue of concern. The public have not had an opportunity to partake in this process and have a real say in planning. The Public (via Colliery Dam Park Preservation Society) has been given token representation at the Committee level with no actual authority in the decision making process.  There is no consensus regarding the options that are being considered which have dramatic cost and impact factors. Nor is there sufficient allowance for other, potentially more appropriate options. To date there has been absolutely no information volunteered to the public at large with respect to options or related costs. This is not acceptable. This is our community’s public park and these are our tax dollars at stake.

Colliery Dam Park Preservation Society has stated that:

● there is no urgency in making any decision regarding the park immediately as the risk has been qualified and it is minimal

● that all documents from engineering consultant Golder and minutes from meetings be released for public consumption.

● that current options which are being considered and related costs be made public

● that the technical committee re-convene in a month’s time to review and plan accordingly.

For Contact:

Jeff Solomon

CDPPS  250 753-0554

Jeff Solomon's Letter in Response to School District Chair's Letter To Forestry Minister Thomson

Mr. Jamie Brennan

Chair, School District 68

I am in receipt of the letter that was forwarded to the Honourable Steve Thomson, Nanaimo City Staff, School Board personnel and the Dam Safety Branch. In it you have expressed a concern with regard to the Colliery Dams and the decision made by the City on August 07, 2013 to cancel the tender for their removal. As our group of concerned citizens was specifically mentioned in this motion, I thought it prudent to offer some feedback. 

The motion was passed unanimously by Nanaimo City Council with the expectation that a short term risk mitigation plan be brought to council at the first available opportunity (Sept 09, 2013). It was further moved and seconded that Council continue to engage the Snuneymuxw First Nation, the Colliery Dam Preservation Society, and the public and return at the first opportunity to Council to adopt a new strategy to deal with the long term mitigation of risks associated with the dams. This motion was also carried unanimously. Finally, Council also directed Staff to provide a recommended process that outline the key steps and estimated completion dates of each step that will focus the organization on diligently addressing the life safety and property concerns that have been made known to City of Nanaimo Council and the community. This recommendation should take into consideration the commitments of City Council to thoroughly engage Snuneymuxw First Nation and the community at large as identified in the 30 day process that has recently been completed. The motion carried unanimously.

Update from Jeff SolomonJuly 31 Dam Safety Branch LetterNote from Ian Howat

Update: Last letter from Dam Safety Branch to Bill Sims, City of Nanaimo, Manager Water Resources link here.

Note from acting City Manager Ian Howat —

We have an obligation to look at a variety of short term options, but having said that our focus is on addressing the risk to the people downstream rather than physical alterations, partly as a result of the clarity KCB has provided to us around those short term physical alteration options that have been presented to us. (siphoning/pumping/lowering the spillway/lock blocks). We are winding down our work with KCB and have no intention of conducting any new design work or look at new options until the collaborative process starts this fall.

 It is our intention from a staff perspective to recommend to Council to proceed with another engineering firm to help us move through the collaborative process that we hope to achieve for the long term mitigation strategy. But, we have to get over this immediate issue of short term mitigation and we are working hard on having a draft ready for next week to discuss with Snuneymuxw and the SCDS Committee

CDPPS is supportive of least intrusive measures regarding short term mitigation rather than any alteration to either the dams or spillways. The floodplain remains a floodplain with or w/o the dams and so any alert system in place is simply being reasonable and prudent.

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