Residents living around the Bamberton lands owned by the Malahat First Nation have been given a month to make their case against the expansion of a rock quarry on the site.
In a statement provided to the Times Colonist, the Energy and Mines Ministry said it required the Malahat Investment Corporation, the investment arm of the nation, to extend a period when it must advertise its intentions for the site so the information is more widely distributed.
The ministry said a 30-day public comment period will wrap up on Nov. 14.
Concerned local residents welcomed the chance to voice opinions on a plan few residents knew about until recently.
“I just stumbled upon it,” said Mill Bay resident Maureen Alexander, founder of the Bamberton Historical Society and president of the Mill Bay Malahat Historical Society.
Alexander said the surrounding community had little notice of the plan other than a small sign off the highway and some logging to accommodate the proposed quarry expansion.
“No one had a clue it was happening,” she said. “They haven’t made much effort to actually inform the public.”
The Malahat First Nation has also applied to expand its foreshore lease to allow it to expand industrial operations along Saanich Inlet.
According to a management plan for the foreshore, prepared alongside the application to the Ministry of Forests, the Malahat First Nation proposes to extend the lease — which it has held since 1989 — for another 30-year period to allow for future use.
While the report suggests future use in the short-term would only involve repairing four aging pilings, it could also include loading and unloading barges of contaminated soils, creosote piles, cement powder, scrap metal, aggregate and fuels.
The report says the contaminated material would be stored at an appropriate upland location and not on the foreshore.
Those opposed to the two applications call them an environmental injustice.
“In neither of these applications have we seen any environmental comments or anything that states that Saanich Inlet is a unique fjord, it’s world renowned,” said Alexander.
She said she has been working to get the word out to residents, which has drawn interest from the Saanich Inlet Protection Society and Willis Point Community Association.
“Our first goal is to make the public aware,” she said, noting she was told by Mines Ministry staff that there had been virtually no opposition to the quarry application until residents caught wind of the proposals.
“They’ve got dozens and dozens of letters now,” Alexander said.
The ministry acknowledged it had received several letters from the public regarding the application, and said staff are considering the feedback as part of the application.
Daniel Kenway said a number of residents of the Willis Point area will be adding their thoughts on the application.
The chair of the Willis Point Community Association said quarry activity is increasing to levels not seen in decades and it’s already having an effect on noise and dust levels in the area, with residents worried about the long-term effect on the inlet.
Kenway said they are calling for better protection for the waterway and for industrial activities or expansion of activities to be put on hold until appropriate environmental-impact studies have been done.
“We have residents who have lived here 50 years and say activity there is higher than ever before,” he said.
Alexander said they have tried to speak with the nation about the projects but have not had a response.
Malahat chief administrative officer Josh Handysides was not available to comment.
Reached for comment, the Green Party of B.C. said it had requested a briefing with the minister and would reserve comment until it was better informed. Bamberton sits within Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau’s constituency.
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