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North Shore Streamkeepers Meeting
May 16, 2018 7:00 pm Laura Lynn Strata Lodge
Chair: Barbara Frisken
Secretary: Janet Dysart
Regrets: Zo Ann Morten, Jan Landers, Brian Comey
Attendance: 18
AGM and Election of the Board:
Treasurers report – Glen Parker
- Membership 31 Paid 2018 YTD
- Current Balance $19,742.98 with $9,282.98 in general use; $10,000 for Lynn Channel and remainder for education (Note: Home Depot card at Morten with $343 not included)
- Note donation of $1,000 from Mt Seymour Lions Club and $5,000 from Bob Gelling
Annual Report – North Shore Streamkeepers
Prepared by Barbara Frisken, May 16, 2018
Meetings
- May 15, 2017 – Last year’s AGM
- Regular meetings – Sept 20 2017, Nov 15, 2017, Jan 17 2018, Mar 14 2018
Administration
The Board consisted of: Barbara Frisken, President, Ron den Daas, Vice President, Janet Dysart, Secretary, Glen Parker, Treasurer, and Karen Munro, Keegan Cassidy, and Jan Lander, Members at Large. Thank you to all board members for their commitment to the group.
Membership
- 39 paid members in 2017; 30 have paid their dues so far in 2018
Community Events
- June 25, 2017 – Save Our Shores Walk, NSSK Display
- July 15, 2017 – Lynn Valley Heritage Fair at Mollie Nye House, NSSK Display
- September 10, 2017 – Coho Festival, NSSK Display
- September 24, 2017 – Rivers Day, Interpretive Walk
- February 3, 2018 – World Wetlands Day at MacKay Pond, cleanup
- April 22, 2018 – Earth Day at Eastview Park, NSSK Display
Restoration
- Hunter Park – biannual invasive removal and native planting (Janet Dysart)
- Bowser Creek Trail – biannual invasive removal and native planting (Christina Burns)
- Members also participated in many other community-led restoration events
Creek Monitoring
- Hastings Creek (Hunter Park) – smolt, fry and spawner surveys (Doug Hayman)
- Lynn Creek – fry and spawner surveys (Jan Lander)
- Upper MacKay – spawner surveys (Ron den Daas)
- Lower MacKay – spawner surveys (Brian Comey, North Shore Fish and Game)
- Mosquito – spawner surveys (Keegan Casidy)
- McCartney – fry and spawner surveys (Glen Parker)
Summary of 2017 Spawner Surveys
| Survey Location | Species | # alive | # dead | Survey Dates |
| Hastings Cr, Hunter Park | Coho | 6 | 1 | Nov 25, Dec 2, 9, 16, 24 |
| Hastings Cr, below Ross Rd | Coho | 3 | 0 | Dec 3, 10, |
| Lower Lynn | Pink | 17 | 0 | Aug 26, Sept 3, 15, 22, Oct 1 |
| Mosquito Cr | Chum | 1 | 1 | Oct 21, Nov 10, 15 |
| Mosquito Cr | Coho | 2 | 1 | Oct 14, Nov 12 |
| Upper MacKay Cr | Coho | 3 | 1 | Nov 2, 8, 17, 23, 29, Dec 7, 15, Jan 4 |
| MacKay Cr, Heywood Park | Chum | 21 | 3 | Oct 11, Nov 3, 6, 9, 15, 17 |
| Lower MacKay | Chum | 9 | 3 | November 9 |
Community Art Project
- Ron den Daas has continued to develop and support Discovery Day workshops for elementary school students that combine art and science to raise awareness and increase understanding of the special part of the world we live in. The mural at MacKay Estuary was completed and he is working on an interpretive walk spanning the two creeks highlighting art and salmon.
Other Projects
- Purchase of and replenishment of Streamkeeper kits (Jan Lander)
- Lessons for elementary school classes about creeks, how they work, and how to protect salmon, based on a combination of in-class and streamside learning (Jan Lander, Jessica Banning)
- Permit reviews (Bob Gelling)
- Permit mapping (Rhiannon Coppin)
- Various workshops given by members throughout the year in particular:
- Seymour Lions (general information)
- DNV Council (construction practice, incentives for permeable surfaces)
- North Shore Raingarden Project Worksop (stream health)
- Enhancement of an ephemeral channel on Lynn Creek that is poorly functioning and stranding fish. This project will enhance approximately 150 meters of channel which has a gradient of approximately 1% and consists of riffle pool morphology with varying depths where enhancement can have a significant positive impact and will consider changes in stream flows due to climate change. Over $50,000 has been raised to fund the project as well as considerable in-kind work; work will start summer 2018. (Glen Parker)
Partner Organizations
- Morten Creek Salmon Enhancement Program – 33,000 chum, 30,000 pink, and 1,200 coho raised and released
- North Shore Fish and Game Club Heywood Hatchery – 27,000 chum and xx pink raised and released
Consultations
- Heywood Park restoration
- Keith Creek relocation
- G3 Grain Terminals and Port Metro Vancouver works
Communications
- Website: nssk.ca
- Message Board: nssk.ca/messageboard
- Email Account: nssk@gmail.com (monitored by Glen)
- Facebook: facebook/nssk.ca (Zo Ann is the administrator; Jan, Doug, Ron and Barbara can post)
Donations and Funding
- Thank you to Hastings Park Lantern Walk and Bob Gelling for generous donations
- Funding Received – $9000 from Port Metro Vancouver and $1000 from Mt. Seymour Lions Club for the Lynn Creek Channel project
Other Support
- Thank you to DNV and CNV for their support – particularly Richard Boase, Angela Negenman, Erika Nassichuk, Tyler Farley and Megan Cooper
- Thank you to PSKF (Zo Ann Morten) and our DFO Community Advisor (Sandie Hollick-Kenyon)
And thank you to everybody who contributed to our busy schedule of community events, stream monitoring, and consultations!
For more detail about these activities, please see our website, www.nssk.ca.
Election of the Board:
- Jan Lander has asked to step down from the Board
- Janet Dysart no longer wishes to be secretary, but willing to remain as member at large
- Rhiannon Coppin has agreed to be nominated for secretary
- Other board members have agreed to continue to serve
- Barbara Frisken (president)
- Ron den Daas (vice-president)
- Glen Parker (treasurer)
- Karen Munro (member at large)
- Nominees from the floor?
- Election of secretary: Rhiannon approved by acclamation
Municipal Updates – District of North Vancouver (Richard Boase)
On behalf of North Vancouver District Richard would like to thank all NSSK members for their support in taking care of our fish and streams.
The Partnership for Sustainability for Watershed work held a symposium April 2018 in Nanaimo, well worth attending with info important to all those involved in watershed protection. Next year’s symposium in April will have some experts in this field for program see www.waterbucket.ca
Inter River Park work being done in consultation with Zo Ann and others re: drainage, with a ditch being created to stop water entering from the field directly into the stream. Now with work being done for the new artificial turf field this needs to be done to change and monitor flow and water quality. There is a potential for harm to Morten pond, so DNV will be testing water quality all summer, NSSK consulted re: opening a valve near Morten that has been closed for 4-5years.
Maplewood Creek this summer Anthem Properties proposed some changes to the creek channel in front of their development which could include realignment of the creek by Maplewood farm and assist the new Maplewood Village with flood protection. This would enable the developer to use unusable land and they will cover all costs of this streamside work. The new channel will have better flow and increased spawning areas. It is hoped that in the future the Maplewood farm duck pond will be removed. The 70 meter culvert on Riverside Drive by Hogan’s Pool will be replaced this year.
Lower McKay Creek enhancement the creek will be realigned to allow flood protection work. All rock weirs will be removed, a new bridge built below Capilano Mall off McKay Road. All parking on the west side near Roosevelt Crescent will be removed to allow for increased riparian area streamside.
Municipal Updates – District of North Vancouver (Tyler Farley)
Summer trail crew back to work: Priority job sites are Lynn Canyon Corner Pools, Varley Trail, many smaller works along entirety of Baden Powell
Early phases of pond restoration project along Bridle Path
Beginning long-term planning for management of Mountain View Pond
Overview of Princess Park riparian restoration
DNV is finishing data collection on Seymour area trails in beginning of creating a Seymour Master Plan
Chum smolts are fine and healthy in Maplewood Creek Park
DFO Community Advisor updates (Sandie Hollick-Kenyon)
Volunteer recognition event (Ugly Bug Ball) is Saturday afternoon / evening, June 23 at A Rocha in Surrey. More details to follow.
Member Updates
McCartney Creek (Glen Parker)
- Next fish count June 16, 2018 – volunteers contact Glen
- Replacement baffles for the Mt Seymour Parkway culvert are being prepared by DNV for installation in August – request 3 volunteers – contact Glen (need waders)
Morten Creek (Doug Hayman for Jan Lander)
All our coho have left the pond a bit earlier this year. We are waiting for the word to put our new ones in their place.
We will have a busy summer doing chores and may need some help. We have a new Sunday member who is keen to start
The two main jobs are installing a new square tank that Sandie ordered for us. The hatchery needs levelling as it has “dipped” about 3”. The other job is a little work on our ground water.
Hastings Creek (Jamie Martz)
Friends of Hunter Park (Janet Dysart)
April 14th 36 people attended our spring weed pull and planting, April 24th 23 Girl Guides also did weed pulling and planting plus we installed 4 bird boxes and 1 bat box with posters to explain the reason for installation. Unfortunately following all this work 130 elementary school students came through the park participating in NS Shoreline Cleanup, while good to keep parks garbage free many new plants could have been trampled. Tyler to follow up on this.
Mosquito Creek (Keegan Cassidy)
Spawning Adults for Fall 2017:
2 Chum spotted adjacent the CNV works yard, just above the Bewicke Bridge
2 Coho spotted in the Fell Channel
Many fry of the year have been spotted in the Fell Channel this spring.
It seems as though the survival on the eggs from the redd were very good.
About 40 were counted in a single walk, estimated that there are 200+ given the amount of channel I was unable to survey.
Also, Coho fry of the year spotted above Queens Drive in Mission Creek.
About 8 of them were identified all the way past the Windsor Road culvert.
Projects:
Small project to add woody debris to the Griffen Channel – no cost associated.
Working under the direction of Al Jonsson, the goal is to create shade/shelter and add complexity to a relatively barren piece of channel habitat. The end result will looks like small beaver dam-like structures.
Met with Tyler from DNV, who assisted by providing dead hemlock branches and wood.
Thinned out a section of Indian River Park and loaded up a pickup truck full of woody debris and was able to add it successfully to the channel habitat.
Large Boulder Weir + LWD implementation project for the 270M running from the upstream side of the Bewicke Bridge downstream to just upstream of the CN Rail bridge.
This will be a relatively expensive project that will be proposed to the PSF.
Gradient has been completed; next step is to propose design to CNV and Squamish Nation.
Outlook:
- Potentially still time to do a small event with the Westview School students, similar to Echo Fest at Highlands School.
- Water Quality Monitoring to be continued on the Mosquito Creek Watershed.
Lower MacKay Creek (Tara Matthews of Eco-Logical)
We did a planting of 1000+ native species in March 2018 along lower Mackay, just south of the Tennis Center. We decommissioned a secondary trail that runs adjacent along the creek, as well. We will be continuing restoration moving northward up from the tennis center this year, as well as maintaining areas previously restored.
Treasurers Update: (Glen Parker)
See above
Other Updates
Seymour Salmonid Society – (Glen Parker)
Rock Slide Mitigation Project Update
- Funding for the 2018 phase of the project has been confirmed/secured.
- Planning for the 2018 work has begun for a minimum of 7 blasts
- To view pictures, go to “files.nhcweb.com” then click on “Reports” followed by clicking on Seymour Slide (images
Fish Fence Repairs
- Significant damage during the November 2017 storms.
- With the use of an excavator, new anchor boulders were placed in the river bed upstream of the fish fence
- Repair work scheduled for May 29 volunteers go to SSS web site
Adult Fish above the Dam
- Working with MV to put re- adult fish above the dam to access habitat tied to reservoir
- Test of juveniles going to ocean over a modified spill way had good results
Enhancement Programs
- Coho: 75 pairs spawned- releases scheduled for Jun 12/13, volunteers go to SSS website
- Summer Run Steelhead: 30,000 + smolts to be released with help of Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery. 2018 brood adults: 13M and 8F
- Winter Run Steelhead: ~3,000 smolts will to be released. 2018 brood adults 4W,2H females and 3W,1H
- Chum: Total hatching chum on site 490,000 – half be released unfed
- Pink: 122,000 Seymour stock – over half released at the fish fence
Gently Down the Seymour – Program running smoothly with a class of students each day
Gently UP the Seymour (Fall Program) – Our Gaming Grant application was successful and therefore funding for the fall program has been secured.
Events – Family Fishing Day – displays at Rice Lake June 17
Keith Creek:
- Second meeting to review plans to modify creek to Thursday May 17 at Bridgeman Park. If anyone wants to join the meeting let me know.
Lynn Channel:
- In-stream work proceeding based on
- Grant application to Port of Vancouver for $10,000 approved
- Grant application to PSF for $19,250 approved
- $11,000 of other cash commitments
- $39,590 of in-kind commitments (boulders and logs $25,000 not shown in budget)
- Looking for 84 boulders and 42 logs
- Planning meeting May 28 with stakeholders
- Incredible support from DNV on all aspects of the project
| Budget for Lynn Creek Ephemeral Channel Habitat Enhancement | ||||
| Item (Direct Costs) | Other funder, if applicable | Cost per item or hour $ | How many items/hours? | Amount |
| Field Engineer, Field Biologist | VFPA & BCIT | $5,000 | 1 | $5,000 |
| Excavator | VFPA & BCIT | $250 | 32 | $8,000 |
| Cabling | VFPA & BCIT | $3,000 | 1 | $3,000 |
| Epoxy | VFPA & BCIT | $1,500 | 1 | $1,500 |
| Rock Drill and Accessories | VFPA & BCIT | $1,500 | 1 | $1,500 |
| Boulders | VFPA & BCIT | $3,000 | 1 | $3,000 |
| Large Wood Debris | VFPA & BCIT | $5,000 | 1 | $5,000 |
| Signage | VFPA & BCIT | $1,000 | 1 | $1,000 |
| Fencing | VFPA & BCIT | $70 | 150 | $10,500 |
| Plants | DNV | $5,000 | 1 | $5,000 |
| Sub Total | $43,500 | |||
| Item (In-kind Labour) | Provider | Cost per item or hour $ | How many items or hours? | |
| Project Manager | BCIT | $50 | 40 | $2,000 |
| DFO Professional | DFO | $50 | 24 | $1,200 |
| DNV Supervision | DNV | $50 | 24 | $1,200 |
| Project Supervision | NSSK | $25 | 24 | $600 |
| Project Reporting | NSSK | $15 | 16 | $240 |
| Stream Monitoring | NSSK | $15 | 40 | $600 |
| Hand labour for stream complexing and planting | BCIT | $15 | 200 | $3,000 |
| Hand labour for stream complexing and planting | NSSK | $15 | 100 | $1,500 |
| Sub Total | $10,340 | |||
| Sub Total | $53,840 | |||
| Logs and Boulders | TBD | $25,000 | 1 | $25,000 |
| Grand Total | $78,840 | |||
- Grant application to EcoAction for $38,000 for a community art project submitted and waiting for reply (hopes are low)
Water Quality Monitoring (Glen)
- NSSK have 9 volunteers that have committed to 2 hours per month +/- to water monitoring. (Jessica Banning; Keegan Casidy; Roma Wilson; Rhiannon Coppin, Lyle Driver, Haley Crozier, Jamie Martz, Tim Green, Tara Matthews)
- The volunteers shared their preferences and we are working out the details for training, data management and the logistics details for the equipment with DNV
Heywood Habitat Project (Barbara)
- NSSK members (Sandie, Ron, Keegan, Nick, Barbara) met with CNV (Dave, Janine) April 5
- Discussed CNV plans to develop a wetland in Heywood park
- Ground is already quite wet, soil is mixed, mostly infill
- Water from storm drains from streets north of Cumberland Ave (currently runs into MacKay through a ditch) and groundwater that seeps out of the bank west of Hamilton will be brought to filtering system (consisting of sand and sedge) and then will meander to MacKay
- Should provide spawning ground for chum and refuge for fry, and will also result in cleaner water running into MacKay
LVCA (Barbara)
- Presentation by the Official Community Plan Implementation Monitoring Committee
- Focus on housing
- Includes recommendations that further development of town centres focus on rental housing and that gentle densification of SFR be allowed
- We asked that this be regulated such that there was no decrease in permeable surface or tree cover in the district; followed up with letter to Tom Lancaster, DNV Manager of Community Planning
New Business:
NSSK 25th Anniversary
- Board recommends we set up an event at Black Kettle Brewery
- We would probably sell tickets to cover food and drink – nominal $10-20
- Registration through EventBrite
- Want to reach former NSSK members and friends
- Possible dates July 14, 21, Aug 11 – check your calendars, informal vote; results were 3-4 people who were not available at each date. Will also consider dates that original NSSK members can attend.
PSEC (Pacific Science Enterprise Centre) (Janet)
Glen, Sandie and I attended an information session at PSEC which is a group of science practitioners seeking research synergy with many science partners. The federal government has mandated provision of innovative ideas for any of these partners. Some of the partners are: DFO, Tsleil Watauth, Vancouver Aquarium, PSF, WVSK, Nyttco, and SFU/UBC/BCIT. PSEC has purchase 100 data loggers that partners may use.
Upcoming Events:
Sunday June 3 – Hastings Creek at Harold Rd, invasive plant weed pull and native planting
Saturday June 15 – Lynn Valley Day, NSSK display
Sunday June 16 – McCartney Fish survey
Saturday June 23 – Ugly Bug Ball, volunteer recognition
Sunday June 17 – Family Fishing Day, Rice Lake
Sunday June 24 – Save Our Shores walk at Strathcona Park (9.30-1pm), NSSK display
Saturday July 21 – NSSK 25th Anniversary Celebration at Black Kettle Brewery
Sunday September 9 – Coho Festival ~11-6pm
Saturday September 15 – Hunter Park weed pull
Sunday September 30 – Rivers Day Creek to Creek Festival ~12-4pm at Lynn Valley Headwaters
Outreach is a very important component of our mission. And a good place to reach lots of people is at displays at community events. Karen Munro is organizing events – liaising with organizers, looking for members – but we need volunteers to help set up and tear down and to meet with the public during the event. Please consider volunteering for these events! If you are a new member, this is a great way to find out about streamkeepers and we will always pair you with a more experienced member. Note that we ask for volunteers on the message board – make sure you are signed up. And next time Karen asks for volunteers, please say yes!
NEXT MEETING – Wednesday, September 19th – 7:00 to 9:00 pm, District Hall, 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver
Contact Information:
DFO VIOLATION REPORTING: OBSERVE, RECORD, and RECORD (ORR) 604-607-4186
A SPILL OF ANY TYPE Environment Canada – use EMBC number below
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT B.C. – 1-800-663-3456 www.embc.gov.bc.ca/index.htm
CITY OF NV – Operations Division 604-987-7155 (8 am – 4:30 pm Monday to Friday) or After-Hours Emergency Line 604-988-2212 (after 4:30pm, weekends & Holidays).
District of North Vancouver – environment@dnv.org to respond to public concerns about construction practices and ESC concerns
- President: Barbara Frisken, 604-985-9497, barbara.frisken@gmail.com
- Secretary: Rhiannon Coppin, coppinr@gmail.com
- North Shore Streamkeepers:
- Web Site: www.nssk.ca
- Email: info.nssk@gmail.com
- Message board http://disc.yourwebapps.com/Indices/232171.html
- Facebook NSSK: www.facebook.com/nssk.ca/
- District Web Site: www.dnv.org/Services/Environment/District Information
- City of North Van: Angela Negenman 604-982-3932 anegenman@cnv.org, www.cnv.org
- Pacific Streamkeepers Federation: Zo Ann Morten 604-986-5059, www.pskf.ca
- DFO Advisor: Sandie Hollick-Kenyon 604-666-0743, Sandra-Hollick-Keynon@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
- Hastings Creek: Haley Crozier 778-997-1747, haley.crozier@live.ca
- Lower MacKay Creek and North Shore Fish and Game Club incubation facility: Brian Comey bmcomey@hotmail.com
- Upper MacKay Creek: Ron den Daas, ecosystem@shaw.ca
- McCartney Creek: Glen Parker 604-929-8450, gepa@telus.net
- Morten Creek: ZoAnn Morten 604-986-5059, zoann@pskf.ca
- Seymour River: Sharee Dubowits, 604-288-0511; volunteering@seymoursalmon.com or www.seymoursalmon.com
